Chapter 2

DAMSON

With a quick glimpse at his reflection in the mirror, he looked downright distraught and pathetic. The tears he had tried to hold back at the hospital were forcing their way through.

Fatherless, distressed and burdened wasn't how he expected to end his day. The call from Molly informing him of his father suffering a heart attack had flipped his world over. Staring at the chandelier in his room while lying on his back, he recollected the happenings of the seemingly normal day he was having before his phone rang.

***

It was a new week, he stretched in a disgruntled manner as he pulled the covers off of him and turned over on his side to put off his blaring alarm. It was 4:30 a.m. on a Monday. One would think he would be used to this lifestyle by now, getting up quite early to complete his morning routine of a few exercises and general body care before heading out at exactly 7:00 a.m.

His black sedan arrives at the headquarters of the family firm by 7:15 a.m. and he sits at his table by 7:20 a.m. Just like clockwork. His staff was familiar with this routine. Little wonder they were caught off guard when he arrived earlier than usual today. 

With a frown on his face, he called for a meeting with his head of departments as he was eager to get it out of the way and hopefully have the rest of the day to himself. He caught sight of Fin strolling into the building as casually as ever. He and Fin always got people wondering how they became friends because they were opposites. 

While Fin could be described as happy and relatable, Damson on the other hand always looked mad and ready to snap at anyone who might cross his path even in the slightest. He lazily watched him as he was chatting with the secretary in his usual manner, she looked quite pissed today though, not like he cared. 

The previous night’s events played in his head. He alongside Fin rode through the city and partied all night long at multiple nightclubs. He usually restricted such debauchery to Friday nights so the effects could wear off before a new week starts but Fin somehow managed to cook up a story of him getting heartbroken on Saturday evening and needing to drink away his pain.

 Fin was not the type to take no for an answer so out they went. Throwing caution to the wind was his strong suit which came into play as he downed bottles upon bottles of strong alcohol. Lissome women came and danced on him in exchange for wads of cash. He was a billionaire thankfully so he never really had to bother about his spending limit. 

Strobe lights, coloured lights, speakers, a stage and waitresses dressed skimpily provided him with the temporary comfort he so desperately desired. It was an escape from his drab reality and he was going to soak it all in as much as he could. He ended up with a light skin redhead for the night and she impressed him with her skills. Not enough for him to want to see her again though. It was a one-night stand and he intended to keep it that way. With his head pounding and sweat dampening his skin, he wished to God that he had made better choices than he did. What was he thinking?!

“Hey Grumpy”, it was Fin. He finally made it into his office at long last after his everyday ritual of greeting every member of staff he met on his way. “You’re late”, Damson replied in a low tone. His cheeriness was affecting Damson as he struggled to stay alert while Fin didn't even seem disturbed in the slightest. “You’re early”, Fin retorted. He was the only person who could talk back at Damson and not get fired. Perks of being a billionaire’s best friend. 

Fin has been friends with Damson right from high school. Fin was the easy-going, smart kid who was in school on scholarship. Both his parents were civil servants who couldn't afford the high-end fees of the school only the rich kids attended. The school offers scholarship opportunities which are highly contested and luckily for him, he got in. He got bullied a lot though as he was regarded as poor and an opportunist who wasn't fit to be among the elite. 

Damson sighted him one afternoon as he was on his way to the car park, Fin’s lips were busted and he also limped as he walked. Damson went on a search for the bullies and as he was feared among students owing to his tall build and his father’s status, they promised to no longer bully Fin. It was the beginning of their long-lasting friendship. 

Fin in return helped Damson with most of his assignments because even though Damson wasn't a dullard, he couldn't be bothered about any schoolwork. Upon graduation, Damson’s father offered to sponsor Fin’s tertiary education as his token of appreciation for bringing Damson out of his shell. According to him, he had never seen him so cheery with anyone else, not even his mother.

The thought of his mother snapped him back to his current reality. He packed up his files and headed for the board room where the meeting would be held. They discussed different plans and strategies to execute some company policies and in forty minutes they were done. Leaving the boardroom, he heard some employees talking in hushed tones amongst themselves. He knew they were talking about him but as with every other thing, he didn't care as much. As long as they carried out their tasks to the letter, he couldn't care less about what they thought of him. 

Strolling along the office corridors was one of his favorite things to do so he always took his time. The view was breathtaking. The highest floor of the skyscraper overlooked the cathedral square. He was lost in thought when he heard a feminine voice to the right of him. It was Aurora, his secretary. Soft-spoken and shy, she always kept herself out of his sight unless it was necessary. She always cowered while speaking to him. 

Left to him, she wouldn't have been his first choice but she had worked with the firm before he became a CEO and she was quite efficient so he couldn't be bothered about replacing her. He would take her over a lousy and desperate female who would constantly seek his attention and plot ways to become his baby mama.

“I…” she started to speak. Damson shut her up with a flick of his wrist. He didn't fancy discussing official matters outside of his office space. Walking briskly towards his office, she struggled to catch up with his long strides. Damson always wondered how she coped walking with her straight skirts and stiletto heels every day, especially on the transparent glass floors. She was a short woman with waist-length ginger hair. She wasn't what he would call sexy or hot but she wasn't ugly. 

Settling behind his desk, he could hear her closing the door behind him. He noticed the white envelope on his mahogany desk for the first time this morning. It had Aurora’s name on it and it was directed to him. He asked her what it was about but as she was about to explain, Fin came through the door. He scattered a few things on his table, gave him a naughty smile and sashayed out the door leaving it ajar. “Typical Fin”, he thought to himself with a chuckle.

He redirected his focus to the letter in front of him and tore it open. It was a resignation letter from what he could see. A lot of questions ran through his mind but she was already providing answers to some of them. “I will be getting married in a month” she started shakily avoiding eye contact. She was getting married and her husband lives in France so she would be relocating immediately after the wedding. To be sincere, he was quite shocked as she didn't look like someone in a relationship, talk less of getting engaged, soon to be married. She looked so innocent. 

Nevertheless, he was happy for her. He knew he would have to search for a new secretary soon enough and the thought made his head ache even more. He had a few weeks to sort that out as she had the decency to at least give him a month’s notice. He also had to give her a wedding/ parting gift to at least leave a good lasting impression on her as he was sure she didn't like him very much. He made a mental note to inform his assistant to handle both the search for a replacement and an appropriate gift for her.

As his long deft fingers flipped through the pile of papers on his desk, his phone rang. It was their housekeeper, Molly. She hardly called him during office hours so it must be urgent. “Your father might be dying” she quivered over the phone. Her voice sounded shrill and distressed as she ranted something along the lines of his father suffering a heart attack. He was alert in that instant. His father was having a heart attack and his legs weren't moving fast enough. He bolted out of the office and headed for the elevator. On getting to the ground floor, the driver was already in position and off they went.