Episode 8-Break up

Danny fidgeted nervously as he approached the president’s office, because of Andrea’s stubborn decision he’s been put in a rather difficult position. He wished she’d just listen to him, he wouldn’t have to result to tricks like moving the wedding up but it still all depended on the president’s decision, if he manage to play it safe, everything could all be solved, Andrea won’t stay still of course, but he could always coax her into giving in eventually, or so he thought before walking into the president’s rectangular office.

It wasn’t different from any other office on the top of the company building, except that it screams luxury, from the expensive ceramic vase adorning the entrance to the extravagant leather sofa for guests which was some distance away from the president’s desk.

Though he’s been in the president’s office a few times, he couldn’t help but be impressed by how it was lavishly decorated and yet kept simple and warm.

“You called me sir?” Danny announced her presence to the man whose attention finally drifted from the abundant paperwork in front of him to his presence. Christopher Morgan was someone Danny admired after all he was someone that got to where he was through tremendous effort and hard work, his story of how he climbed to success was well-known amongst the staff and was constantly told to new workers or interns freshly joining the company but sometimes, the man can be such a nuisance.

“Oh Danny, you’re here. Have a seat” The man rose to his feet, carrying his plump body from his chair to the sofa in front of his desk. Danny nodded politely and took a seat on the sofa opposite his.

“I’ll get straight to the point Danny” The man’s flat voice had him instantly raising his head and meeting his cold grey eyes though he had intended to pour him a cup of tea since it was already set on the tea table between the two opposite sofas.

“Is it true what Andrea said…she claimed you’re in debt” His voice was modulated almost as if he was intentionally trying to control his tone.

“I can’t deny that, I am in debt but it’s nothing beyond my capabilities sir, you don’t need to worry, I’ll work really hard to pay it back” Danny tried to hide his anxiousness but the man could easily see through it.

“Well, I think that’s a problem Danny. I trust you though, after all, you’ve been working in this company for 6 years now, I believe you’re a hardworking man and if you say the debt is something you can handle, I guess I’ll believe you” Danny heaved, feeling slightly relieved. While the old man lean back before he continued. “But the problem is Andrea, you know I can’t ever win against her, since she insists she wants to cancel the wedding then we’ll cancel it-

“Sir, I can convince her-

“You won’t need to, because I agree with her decision, why don’t you prove yourself as totally capable of marrying my granddaughter by paying back that debt of yours first” Danny flinched, as his tone turned indifferent all of a sudden.

“Prove to me you’re not after my money as Andrea claimed, clear your debt and I’ll convince her to marry you myself. Andrea can be very stubborn you see and so can I” The man though smiling had such a dangerous gaze on him that had him gulping, he wasn’t even threatening him but Danny couldn’t help but feel intimidated. “I don’t understand what exactly is the problem between you two, cancelling a wedding on something so trivial, but I'll let it pass since I got something out of this as well so I might as well bend to her qualms this time” Danny’s lids shot up in curiosity wondering what the old man was implying.

“Because of whatever it is you did, Andrea has agreed to take over the company, you have no idea how hard I tried to convince her to do so but because of your mischief, you made her agree without a second thought” Christopher chuckled while Danny felt his rage building up, but he couldn’t say anything, after all, any more mistake and the man might decide to end him right there.

“So, correct your ways and tried to convince her, okay, I mean, you’ve been together for years now, how could you two still be so childish,” Danny was no long listening. He was furious, just a mistake and Andrea destroyed everything for him, it took him years to get to where he was, he felt he deserved it, he deserved to have Spice, after all that effort and hard work, and with just a word, Andrea destroyed everything.

“Did you understand?” The old man’s question snapped him right back to reality.

“Yes sir,” He answered absentmindedly not exactly sure what he answered to.

“It’s sorted then, you can leave now” Christopher gestured for him to leave and he instantly rose to his feet. Danny trod out of Christopher’s office and straight to Andrea, she might have managed to escape him the previous day but it’s wasn’t gonna work this time.

His loud hasty footsteps attracted Andrea who was busy preparing their designs for their upcoming fashion show.

“Andy!” Danny grabbed her by the arm all of a sudden while she was pinning the template on the palanquin.

“Danny…what are you-” He didn’t let her finish before dragging her out of the studio and straight for the free balcony while leaving her design team in awe.

“Are you outta your mind Dan, what do you think you’re doing dragging me out like that?” Andrea snapped at him but paused after noticing the anger in his eyes, he looked like he was ready to murder her and that scared Andrea a bit. “You can’t-

“Andy!” He bellowed making her jump rather lightly.

“Don’t yell at me!” Andy yelled back. Her eyes were fierce, and her brows creased, showing every hint of her irritation.

“Are you really gonna do this?” Danny breathed, trying to hold back his anger but it was evident, his ferocious eyes and clenched fist were indicative enough.

“What?” Andrea asked looking clueless at first but Danny’s pressuring eyes on her hinted her what he meant. “Oh that, yeah…I don’t wanna get married Danny at least not now-

“You also told your grandfather you’d be taking over Spice, why all of a sudden? You were never interested in management” Danny pointed and Andrea rolled her eyes, she didn’t expect that her grandfather would tell Danny.

“Well yeah, it’s his condition for having me cancel the wedding and honestly I don’t mind-” Danny grabbed her by the hand and slammed her back hard against the closest wall earning a painful groan from Andrea.

“How can you be so selfish?” Andrea let out a loud snicker at his question.

“Selfish? Are you being serious right now?” Andrea let out a small laugh of disbelief. “Are you outta your goddamn mind Danny? How dare you call me selfish when you’re being the callous one right now?” Andrea’s expression turned sour.

“You…if you don’t take it back…we’re done?” Andrea flinched. Done? She didn’t see that coming.

“You’re breaking up with me? Because I intend to take over my grandfather’s company because I’m not letting you use me-

“You don’t understand Andrea, ever since you were young, you’ve always had everything you wanted, Grandpa’s little girl huh? You have no idea what it feels like not to have anything-

“What the fuck are you talking about Danny? That’s not an excuse to use me, did you even love me?” Danny was quiet? Love? He wasn’t exactly sure but he had tailored himself for Andrea, it was not a matter of love or not, maybe ambition-

“Take it back Andy, go to your grandfather, tell him we’ll have the wedding or else-

“Good then” Danny’s eyes widen in surprise.

“What? Andy, do you understand what that’ll mean?” Danny panicked. He underestimated Andrea’s pride and stubbornness. She might still love him but her pride outweighs her affection for him.

“Yeah, if it means I’d be free from a bastard like you so be it-

“Andy!” Danny raised his voice clenching down on her fragile wrist as he tried to have her change her mind.

“The last bruise you gave me there hasn’t even faded…” Andrea started in a low voice. “Stop hurting me you son of a bitch!” Andrea spat shoving Danny aside to escape his grasp.

*****

Andrea raced down the hallways swarmed with workers from different departments, everyone going by their daily activities. He couldn’t believe what Danny just did, maybe it was stupid to have agreed to the breakup after all that’s 4years of her life down the drain, she loved him, she dreamt of a lifetime with him, she wanted to stay by his side forever but he just ended it. Like it meant nothing to him at all, how could he…how could he do that to her? Andrea thought rushing to the nearest restroom, then dashed straight into a cubicle where she allowed her tears to flow freely.

“Did you hear? Miss Morgan cancelled her wedding” Andrea found herself holding her breath as she become a topic of discussion among the two female workers that had found their way into the restroom. They definitely didn’t know she was in there with them.

“What no way!” The other girl replied sounding surprised. Andrea didn’t think the news would have spread that far but she was not shocked everyone already heard about it, after all, they were like a celebrity couple in the company.

“For real, apparently the young lady called it off. No one no why, could it be the team leader cheated-

“I don’t think so, if anyone could have cheated it would be the young miss, I’m not even surprised, after all, she’s the young heiress” Andrea cleared her throat from the cubicle and silence instantly falls but it was followed by whispers.

“Was there someone in there?” The first lady asked while the other nervously responded no, but they eventually but eventually rushed out in anxiousness.

“It’s only been a day and such rumours are already spreading fuck…just how did things get so wrong” Andrea whimpered.

---------