CHAPTER 7: CHAOS

"The tycoon's daughter, huh? Let’s see how this unfolds for you, Samantha," I mused to myself as I stepped outside. I immediately reached out to my most trusted board member, Gabriel, instructing him to terminate Steve, the Cleaners' supervisor. I made it clear that everyone, including the CEO and other board members, should know that the order came from the tycoon’s daughter. A wicked smile crept across my face as I anticipated the chaos this would unleash, especially since Steve was close friends with my husband, Alan. I was eager to observe how this dismissal would affect Samantha.

The following day at the office, Alan requested to see Steve, but instead, Andrew, the new cleaners' supervisor, walked in.

"Who are you?" Alan asked, his confusion evident as he faced the unfamiliar figure.

"Oh, excuse my manners, I'm Andrew, the new cleaners' supervisor," Andrew replied, introducing himself.

Alan, still bewildered, insisted, "I beg your pardon, what are you talking about? Get out of my office and fetch me Steve, now! Go! Go!" He waved his hands dismissively, urging Andrew to leave, but Andrew stood there, equally perplexed.

Frustrated, Alan hissed and glared at Andrew before picking up the phone and calling his secretary, Sophie, instructing her to come to his office immediately. She arrived promptly.

"Sir, I'm here," Sophie said as she entered.

"Sophie, who is this, and where is Steve?" Alan demanded, pointing at Andrew.

"Oh, sir, um, this is Andrew, the new cleaners' supervisor, and Steve doesn't work here anymore," Sophie said, twisting her fingers nervously.

Alan stood up from his chair, adjusted his tie, and cleared his throat. "I'll ask you one more time, Sophie. Where is Steve, and who is this person standing in front of me like an idiot?"

"Sir, it seems you're not aware, but Steve doesn’t work here anymore, and this is Andrew, his replacement," Sophie replied, her voice trembling with fear.

Alan rubbed his forehead in disbelief. "Sophie, what do you mean Steve doesn't work here anymore?" He approached her, his anger bubbling to the surface, his hands starting to shake.

Sophie noticed his trembling hands and instinctively took a step back. "Steve got sacked, and Andrew was hired immediately," she explained, fear evident in her voice.

Upon hearing this, Alan's fury erupted. He turned, slammed his hands on the desk, and shouted, "Who got him sacked? When did this happen, and why wasn’t I informed?"

Sophie winced at his outburst, cautiously explaining, "The order came from the tycoon's daughter, initiated by one of the board members, Gabriel. Steve was sacked yesterday, and Andrew started today."

Alan felt a surge of anger. He felt as if he might explode. He grabbed a flower vase and smashed it in frustration, causing both Andrew and Sophie to flinch in fear. "Why was he sacked?"

"I have no idea, sir," Sophie stammered, her body trembling.

In a fit of rage, Alan ordered Sophie and Andrew out of his office. He then picked up his mobile phone and called Steve to find out the reason for his dismissal, but Steve was equally clueless about the circumstances surrounding his firing.

His mind raced, and he realized there was only one person who could provide the answers he sought: Samantha, the so-called tycoon’s daughter. He called her, demanding a meeting, then hurriedly grabbed his keys and left the office.

When Alan met Samantha, he immediately confronted her, "Why did you fire Steve?"

Samantha hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "I... Um..." she stammered before clearing her throat. "What are you talking about?"

Alan pulled her to a corner, leaning her against the wall. "You and I both know that you're the tycoon’s daughter and that you have influence in this company. You fired Steve; what was your reason?"

Samantha, feigning ignorance, flicked her hair to the side and replied, "Well, Steve was being difficult, so I had to let him go..."

"Really? Difficult? Steve was my closest friend! Why didn’t you consult me before making that decision? We could have resolved whatever issue arose. First, it was the gardener, Harold, whom you transferred, and now Steve? The worst part is that Steve wasn’t transferred; he was outright fired!" Alan ran his hands through his hair, clearly agitated.

Samantha, feeling cornered, sought a way to exit the conversation without escalating it further. Unfortunately, Alan blocked her path and held her hands firmly. "Don't walk away from me, Samantha. I despise it when people do that, and you know it."

Shrugging, she replied, "It is what it is. I don't owe you any explanation."

"No, Samantha, you do owe me an explanation. This isn’t just 'it is what it is.' You need to understand the significance of your actions," Alan said, his anger palpable as his heart raced.

Samantha waved her hands dismissively and rolled her eyes. "Understand what? By the way, what’s so important about Steve's role in the company besides being your closest friend?" She was genuinely confused, trying to grasp the gravity of the situation.

"Really? You don’t know who Steve is? You mean you don’t understand the implications of firing him? I thought you were aware; it seems there’s been a significant oversight," Alan replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

Samantha responded, rolling her eyes again. "I don’t need to know every single employee. Just tell me what you think I should know, and maybe I can rectify this."

Alan sighed deeply. "Steve is the cleaners' supervisor, and I relied on him to keep an eye on my wife, ensuring that she didn’t disclose anything about our relationship. Now, you’ve ruined everything!"

"I see," Samantha replied, trying to remain composed. "You can just assign someone else to keep tabs on her."

"Don’t be like that, Samantha. You can’t just go around firing people without a valid reason," Alan insisted, but Samantha interrupted him.

"Alan, stop it. I didn’t fire him without reason. I received reports about him, and like I said, he was being difficult. I didn’t inquire about his role in the company before making the decision, and I had no idea he was your close friend," she lied smoothly.

Alan shook his head, still fuming. "Reports? From whom?"

A wicked smile spread across Samantha's face as she replied confidently, "It would be in your best interest not to know who provided the report."

Alan sighed, managing a wry smile. He began to turn away when a thought struck him. He halted and turned back to her, gesturing emphatically. "Wait a second, Samantha. You fired Steve yesterday, and I found out this morning. We spent the entire night together after I introduced you to my family. My question is, when did you manage to have him fired without my knowledge?"

Samantha found herself at a loss for words, her heart racing. "Um, I fired him yesterday, as you just mentioned," she replied slowly, her mind racing and her palms sweating as she played nervously with her hair.

Alan stepped closer, locking eyes with her. "When exactly yesterday did you have him fired? We were together the whole time, and you didn’t leave my side. How did you do the magic to orchestrate his firing without me knowing?"