Chapter 3

Chris stand at a distance as he listens to all that transpire between Laura and Avan just now then left the class in anger.

He went to the school clinic and throw the drink he initially bought for her in the trash can, went in to lay down as he force the tears threatening to fall back.

He can’t believe that after such a long time, she still thought of him that way.

Although she did not really care about him at least she respected their friendship, even when she reacted rudely to him yesterday he had thought that it was because of what happened.

He knows that he doesn't have a chance to win her heart but he’s still happy with the fact that she didn’t break up the engagement between them but hearing her today, he is hurt.

She wouldn’t even believe his claims that Avan doesn’t really like her and has other girls he is seeing behind her.

Chris stood up from the bed suddenly and lay down again troubled, if only he wasn’t poor then maybe she would have given him a chance he thought and closed his eyes when he heard the bell and stood to leave.

Laura looks around for any sight of Ella or Avan before leaving the school premises on her own.

Her driver just called that he is stuck in traffic and will be a bit late so she wanted to go with either of them, she start walking just outside the school when she sight Chris standing at a distance with his back against the wall.

“Is he waiting for me?” she thought used to his clingy behavior.

She recently find out from Ella that Chris has always been standing outside the school to watch her leave and come to school every day and feels touched so she offered to be friends.

Seeing him now, Laura smiled as she get the feeling that there is still someone waiting for her but then the smile disappeared as she remembered what she had said about him to Avan earlier.

She knows that among the other people she has met with, Chris is totally different in a positive way but still she doesn't want to make the same mistake her mother made and end up getting betrayed and even has to fight for her life in the process.

Her father too just like Chris comes from a very poor background but her mother insisted on getting married to him despite everyone’s disapproval.

It’s also the main reason she arranged for an engagement between her and Chris but now all those believe and love turns out to be a lie.

Laura continues walking slowly towards Chris to give him a surprise but he turned to her just before she gets to him but Kayla appeared out of nowhere and stand in between them blocking his view from her.

Laura stopped in her track and gets curious as to what is their relationship for them to meet privately.

Kayla suddenly held Chris’s hand and she pulls him away from there, Chris sees Laura standing and staring at them but he looked away ignoring her and left with Kayla.

Laura was pissed off and stomp her feet on the floor just then her driver pull up beside her and she left with him feeling annoyed.

****

Chris finished packing his bags and came out of his room to leave, his dad also stood up from his seat and pick up his truck keys to drive him down to the airport.

He took Chris’s bags from him and helped him to carry them to the car before returning inside.

“Is your mother really not going to come out? She cried so much yesterday when you decide to leave” he said loud enough for his wife to hear him from inside

“It is okay if she doesn't want to see me off, it would just make her cry more anyways” Chris shrugged.

“you sly child, you have always reject the offer to go stay with your maternal uncle for a long time now because of your education so why do you suddenly agree to leave just before your finish school?”

“I just think it won’t make a difference to leave later or now” he replied and they walk out of the house together.

The both of them got to the car and his father drove off to the airport. Chris rests his head as he tries not to think about his mother.

His mother is from a different country and mistakenly became pregnant with him so she had to marry his father.

He had vow not to have anything to do with her family because of the way they treated his mother when they find out but now to prove to Laura he decide to take their help.

His mother protest when he told them and even threatened to disown him but he already made up his mind and when he comes to this country he won’t be known as the Chris everyone takes for granted.

SEVEN YEARS LATER

Laura entered the meeting room with mixed feelings, she tried to hide her real emotion so they won’t use that to her disadvantages but deep down she felt very uncomfortable about everything.

Just last week she had to wrap up her mother’s burial and is now faced with dealing with the shareholders, her mother was in a coma for a long time and her father has proven to be even worse by abandoning them at the sunflower house and bringing in the other woman to the main house to live with her son.

The fight to keep the company under her mother’s name was really tough but luckily, her mother has written a will to make her the next chairwoman and she was able to take control of the company two years ago after getting her degree.

But now the business has been doing really badly and everyone is plotting to dispose her as the company’s president.

Everyone rise up immediately she enters and sat down after she did, Laura cleared her throat noisily before signaling to her secretary, Clara to come forward

“Put a call through to my lawyer” she whispered and continued

“Why do you all call for an emergency meeting? I am sure I told you all to give me sometimes to solve this” Laura said firmly

“What time do you still want us to give you Miss CEO? Two weeks is already gone without any changes at all and TK is fast overshadowing our company while we keep falling back we even lost such an obvious deal to them” Tony one of the directors voice out impatiently

“I asked for a month and I promise that after one month everything will be back to its original position”

“But two weeks is gone already and nothing is happening in our favor, the future of thousands of employees depends on you. Both I and the other boards of directors have discussed and we agreed that director Nicolas should take over” another one of the directors said.

Laura keep quiet after hearing what he said, she knows that all their impatience and complains is just to put her stepbrother in her position and do away with her but she will never let that happen.

Her mother has used all her life to serve the company and bring it up to this point so she would never let a bastard take over it

“Why do you all think Nicolas is going to do better than I? Because he is a man”

“I know you might not like the idea but he is your brother and he helping to stabilize the company is the best option right now”

“I know what all of you are thinking but it will never happen, I promised to take care of all this in the next two weeks and before that you should all keep your ideas to yourself if after two weeks and the problem still persist then you can challenge me or my authority” she declared and stood up

“Clara, see me after attending to our clients from country A and come along with the document I asked you to get for me. Meeting dismissed” she instructed and leaves before anyone could say anything again and released a breath she doesn't know she was holding. She walked elegantly to her office and sat down with her head bow down confused; Clara entered and walks closer to her

“Ma’am you look tired, should I get you something to eat am sure you haven't eaten breakfast”

“No need for that” she said and raises up her head

“Has everyone left the meeting room?”

“Yes, although they left with complains but they are still helpless because of the one month grace given to you. It seems they are determined to get rid of you as the president”

“I know,have you been able to get what I asked you?” Clara kept quiet for a minute before answering

“There is still no definite information about him” she answered lowly. Laura bang the table loudly and angrily

“Who the hell is he that it’s so difficult to find information about him? Is he the President of the country?” she yelled frustrated

“Calm down ma’am, I will make sure to get his information before the end of today and get them to you” just as she was talking Nicolas entered the room and stood some feet away from her.

“Why? You can’t wait to get my office for yourself? Too bad I am not leaving this seat anytime soon” she said and turns to face Clara

“Continue what I asked you to and give me a positive feedback as soon as possible” she said dismissing her then stood up to leave

“And you, keeping checking out my office its mine” she said and walk out on him.