"Yes." The senior manager answered. "The CEO will be involved. I can't change the policy without his approval. The CEO will review the contract and determine the best course of action.""How long will this take?""I will schedule a meeting with the CEO. I can't tell when you will receive a response.""This is becoming complicated. All because of Anabel?""I understand your concern, Desmond, but we must follow protocol. I will keep you informed."With that, the meeting concluded, leaving Desmond and Daniella uncertain about the contract.As they left the office, Desmond mumbled, "I wonder what kind of connection Anabel has with the senior manager. Why must he require Anabel's signature? I'm confused.""What else, if not that she's sleeping with him? She must have used her body to bag the contract for you. Can't you see it?" Daniella said."Are you sure of what you are saying?" Desmond asked."Are you doubting me? What else could she do if not to please him in bed?""Stop saying that. Do
"I can see you deliver joy in bullying others. What if I report you to the senior manager?" Anabel said."Ohh! I'm scared! She wants to report me to the senior manager!" She mocked her. "Reporting to the manager won't change anything. It will only get you into trouble. So don't even think of threatening me with that. I will deny you in front of the senior manager and file for false accusation. You know what it means.""We have CCTV camera here. It will expose you." Anabel pointed out…"Don't be stupid. I control the CCTV camera. None of these cameras is working. You are new here, so I'm not surprised."At this time, the older woman had finished cleaning."So I think it's time to know if you really need this job, because I can see that you are stubborn." The HR continued. "My shoe is dirty; kneel down and clean it.""Clean your shoe? Really?" Anabel asked, surprised at her odd request."Yes, kneel down and clean my shoe. I won't repeat myself again." The HR warned."Cleaning your shoe i
"Wow, Manager. What brings you here?" The HR asked."I heard your voice and decided to check what is happening. What is going on here?" The manager asked."Manager, thank God you are here. You are just in time. I'm going to expose the HR to you even though she's going to be fired by the end of today." Anabel said."Expose? Getting fired?" The manager asked. "What do you want to expose?""The HR is insulting and bullying us. This is not acceptable. She's abusing her powers as if she's a god over us. I think you should do something about it. Though she will be fired by the end of today, but now that you are here, maybe you should confront and fire her now.""Abuse of powers? Insult staff? How dare you say that to your HR!" The manager slapped her across the face. "The HR is a good lady who is doing her job perfectly. And you...a janitor... is saying she's abusing her powers? You even said she's going to be fired?""Sir, did you Just slapped me. I just reported a serious issue, and you sl
"Why not visit the HR today and remind him?" Anabel suggested, and just then, the older woman received a call."Your mother's health is at risk. You need to pay up for the surgery, or you will have yourself to blame." A feminine voice spoke from the other side of the phone. The older woman was about to say something, and the call went off."I just received a call from the hospital. They said my mother's health had changed and needed to undergo surgery immediately. I will visit the HR once I'm done cleaning." Anabel could see how scared and sore she looked."Yes, you need to. Tell her it's urgent."(A few hours later)The older woman stepped into the HR office. She was done with her cleaning routine. The manager was talking romantically with HR when she walked in."Hey! What are you doing here!" She scolded her. "Can't you see I'm with someone?""I'm sorry, Ma'am, but it's urgent. I received a call that my mother's health has worsened. Please, I need the health benefit card for the surg
"I'm not a thief. The card is mine. Give it back to me." Anabel demanded."Just shut up! You thief! I'm going to get you arrested once we finish investigation." The HR said, and just then, Mr. Lesnar, the director, who is also a shareholder of the company, walked in. "What is happening here?" he asked."Take a good look at this card." The HR handed the card to Mr. Lesnar. "This newly employed janitor is claiming it's hers. Can you imagine?"The director checked the card. "This must be my missing premium black card." The director knew it wasn't his, though he thought she stole it.He wanted to use it against her. He had blackmailed two workers to become this personal sex object. Anabel was beautiful enough to be on his list."I said it. A poor janitor like you cannot have access to the black card. You started work today, and you have started stealing already." The HR said."He's lying. The card is mine." Anabel turned to the director. "Mr. Lesnar, do you have any proof that you are the
"The director, Mr. Lesnar, accused me of theft, Dad. He claimed my black card was his, that I stole it from him." Anabel said."What?""Not only that. He also slapped me and broke the card." Anabel added.Sir. Orton's face turned beet red with rage."Explain yourself, Lesnar."The director stuttered, "I-I thought she was impersonating. I never knew she was your daughter. I thought she was just a mere janitor. I will never be mad to hurt your daughter. Please forgive me!""You thought?" Sir Orton's voice boomed as he slapped Lesnar twice across the face. "You humiliated my daughter, ruined her card, and slapped her? What insolence!"The director's knees buckled, and he fell to the floor. He knew that his fate was in Sir Orton's mercy."Please, sir... Mercy..." The director begged. The HR and the manager were already trembling in fear. They knew it was over for them. They were just waiting for their turn. They have already lost their job. They were scared of the punishment they would rec
"How can the health benefit allowance card be broken?" Sir Orton asked."The HR broke it." Anabel spoke up. "This janitor." She took the older janitor's hand. "She needed it for her mother's surgery, and they refused to give it to her."Sir Orton's face darkened in anger. "They denied a janitor's mother life-saving surgery?"Anabel nodded. "Yes, Dad. The HR said that janitors doesn't deserve the benefits. She even said that paying for her mother's surgery will be a waste of money. When I confronted her, she broke the card and said we cannot do anything about it. The manager supported her."Sir Orton's anger erupted. "This is unbelievable. I never knew I employed the worst set of people."He turned to the HR and manager. Their heads were down on the floor. They couldn't look up at him. This was the worst situation of their life."A janitor needed a health benefit allowance card, and both of you refused to give her one? Something that doesn't belong to you? What's the benefit? Not that y
(Over One Week Later)Miss. Michelle, CEO of Styce group, was hosting an exclusive VIP party for all of their Shareholder's and top customers. Miss Anabel Orton had been announced as a special guest of honor. Many people were waiting to see her face for the very first time.Desmond was hoping to meet her so he could tell her about his contract which had been on hold for a long time. He believed she will do something about it."See, Anabel is coming in. I wonder how she got invited. This is a exclusive party for Miss. Michelle's shareholders and highly profile vip customers. Who invited her?" Desmond asked, watching as Anabel made her way into the hall."It must be one of her dirty client. I wonder why you are surprised. Your ex-wife is a prostitute and it's like all the rich men knows her." Daniella said and the words touched Desmond. He could not imagine other men touching her."Stop saying that about her. You are not sure." Desmond replied."What are you saying? Don't tell me you are
A fresh wave of silence swept through the room. Desmond straightened slightly, looking at the man who had just given him the impossible task. Anabel remained silent. She didn’t fight it this time. He was their only hope. Sylvester, for once, had nothing to say. Desmond walked up to Sir Orton’s bedside. The room was thick with anticipation. Every movement, every breath, and every second felt crucial. He bent slightly, studying Sir Orton’s face, assessing his pulse with precision. He wasn’t a doctor, but his experience and instinct could tell him everything he needed to know. His brows furrowed slightly as he pressed his fingers gently against a specific pressure point on the unconscious man's body. He checked his pulse and opened his eyes with his fingers. “I need a new filiform needle.” He requested. The nurse checked the ones she had brought, but the specialist had used all of them. "I'm coming." She said and rushed out to get it. Anabel stood frozen, watching Desmond with despe
He walked near to Sir Orton's bed and started checking his body. Anabel watched as the specialist checked her dad's weak body. Minutes passed as he worked in silence, evaluating. Then, he finally spoke. “I need a filiform needle,” he requested and turned toward the nurse. She nodded quickly, rushing to retrieve it. Anabel barely blinked. She was watching every movement like her father’s life depended on it. And it did. Her father's life depends on whatever they were doing at that very moment. After a couple of minutes, the nurse returned with three packs of filiform needles and gave them to the doctor. Without hesitation, the specialist began to perform acupuncture on Sir Orton. The room was silent as the specialist struggled to save Sir Orton's life. And then...He stopped. The tension in his shoulders told them everything before he even spoke. They could tell he didn't succeed. He shook his head slowly, his expression unreadable at first. Then, he inhaled deeply and said the
Jethro stepped forward and looked at the doctor right in the eyes. "We don't need to continue fighting over this. Do the needful by allowing him. I trust the nurse. Desmond will not hurt my dad when he knows there will be consequences."“Don't say never. You have to know how you trust people. If something happens to Sir Orton under his care, guess who takes the blame? Me and the hospital. For this, I will not let that happen.” The doctor said, and the frustrated nurse tried to speak up again. “Doctor—” But the doctor quickly stopped her. "Will you keep quiet? Enough of this nonsense. I will not let an unlicensed man experiment on Sir Orton. We have protocols.”The nurse flinched slightly and went back to her shell. Then Dr. Maxwell leveled his gaze on Desmond with an unreadable expression. “Listen, young man. I don’t care what you have done before. A specialist is on his way, and that’s who will be treating Sir Orton. Not you.” Desmond exhaled quietly. He doesn't want to argue with t
Jethro was confused about who they were talking about and how the person was related to what was happening. His father was dying, and they were busy talking about an irrelevant person. “And what exactly does this so-called Vanessa have to do with the situation at hand?” He asked. His sharp gaze was fixed on Sylvester. “Why is her name even coming up right now when we are talking about my father’s life?” "I didn't start the topic. He started it." He said, pointing at Desmond. "Why did you go on to explain when you know it's not necessary at this moment? Because while you are busy throwing accusations, you haven’t once provided a single solution. You have done nothing but stand there and talk against Desmond. So tell me, Sylvester, what have you done today to actually save my father?” Sylvester opened his mouth, about to respond, but Jethro didn’t let him. He turned to Desmond instead, exhaling sharply before making his decision. “Desmond, at this point, I don't care about what
"This is what I can do. I can help him recover. Yes, I'm not a doctor, but I can handle this type of case. Let's forget about what we had before. Let's forget the past. Pretend that you never knew who I am, and let me help the dying man." "I wonder why you are begging to help my father. You are supposed to leave, but it's clear you have some dirty plans." "Don't say that. I'm begging because it will hurt me most if I don't save your father when I can. My conscience will hurt me till I die. You have to understand my fear." Desmond said, and Sylvester laughed. "I will advise you to stop begging and leave. I had thought a reasonable person was coming, not knowing it was you. You want them to allow you to treat her father? Sylvester scoffed, stepping forward with a smirk. He turned to Anabel’s mother and Jethro, gesturing toward Desmond. “So what, should we just let him kill him?” Anabel snapped her gaze to Sylvester and glared fiercely. “Shut up! Don't say that about my father!”
Anabel didn't see that coming. She wasn't expecting him. Yes, the nurse said Desmond, but why would it be the Desmond she knew?" The Desmond she had tried so hard to forget?There he stood, tall and composed, his dark eyes scanning the room with quiet intensity. He still carried that commanding presence, that confidence that seemed so effortless. Her fingers curled into fists. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Her mind reeled, struggling to make sense of this cruel coincidence. Then, suddenly, she noticed something. Desmond had frozen. For the first time since he entered the room, his steady composure was interrupted. He was staring at her and her mom, even at Jethro and Sylvester. It was clear he wasn't expecting to meet all of them in the same room. He hadn’t seen this coming either. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.She could see it in him. The tension. The uncertainty. He hadn't expected to see all of them. Not there. Not like that. Ana
The nurse hesitated before replying. "I have his number. I can call him now and he will come. But the problem is that the doctor is not in support of of it. I can’t do that without the doctor’s approval. If I go against him, I could lose my job." The nurse humbly replied. She dosen't want anything that will bring disagreement between her and the doctor in charge of the case. She is a minor, and she have no say. Her own was to obey and run errands. "I understand what you are saying and your fear. But you can't let things go wrong when you can do something. That’s my father lying there. I think I have every right to decide who treats him. I won't involve you. Anything that happens will be upon my head." The nurse smiled and looked up to him, "Yes, he's your father, but he is under care. He is currently under the support of the machine issued by the hospital. Your right is limited here. He’s not in your house. This is a hospital. We follow protocol. I can’t just call someone because
Suddenly, the sound of the beeping machine changed. It was as if Sir Orton was battling life and death. At this point, Sylvester's reassurance meant nothing. Anabel’s heart dropped immediately. The change in sound sent a wave of panic through the room. She knew that something was going terribly wrong.“Daddy!” she cried. Her voice was breaking as she rushed to his bedside.Jethro reacted immediately. He didn’t wait. He bolted toward the door and pulled it open so hard it nearly slammed against the wall. With the way he was rushing, all the staff who saw him could tell that something was wrong.He stormed into Dr. Maxwell’s office without knocking and blurted out, “Doctor! Something is wrong with my father. The sound of the beeping machines changed! You need to come right now!"Dr. Maxwell dropped the medical report he was reviewing and followed Jethro at a fast pace back to the room.When he entered, he scanned Sir Orton’s condition. He checked his body and noticed that he was getting
Back in the hospital, Anabel was standing beside her father’s bed, while her mother sat close. She has her tear-streaked face turned toward her husband. Jethro was standing near the door, with his jaw clenched.Soon, the door opened, and Sylvester stepped inside. He walked in smoothly, exuding a perfect blend of concern. There was a softened edge to him, as if he had carefully crafted the image of a man stepping in to provide comfort and support.Anabel turned at the sound of his entrance. "Oh! Sylvester, you are here already.""Yeah, I have to come immediately I ended the call." He replied."Who is he?" Her mom asked, looking at him suspiciously. She has never seen him before.“Mom, Jethro,” she said, addressing her family, “This is Sylvester.”Lady Orton lifted her head slowly, staring at the man before her. Jethro straightened slightly with a guarded expression.Anabel continued, trying to keep her voice steady despite the emotions clawing at her chest. “Sylvester is my business pa