Chapter 73
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Two hours earlier***
"Are you going to the office?" Sharon asked after observing Jasper for a moment, he was dressed in his suit.
"Yes, why?" He inquired, "nothing, I was just asking" she replied.
"Are you missing me already?" He teased, "you can come with me you know" he said
"No! I don't want to be left alone again" she shook her head in sideways as a way of saying no, "huh? When did I leave you alone?" He asked massaging his forehead as he tried to remember.
"The last time I was at your office, you told me the meeting won't take long but you were gone for good four hours" she reminded him.
"That was.." he stopped talking when he was short of words, 'sorry" he muttered.
"You should leave now I don't want you to be late because of me" she said and he chuckled.
"Don't I deserve a good bye kiss?" He asked touching his lips. It was Sharon's time to chuckle, 'see you later hubby"
He groaned before leaving the room, she packed her hair in bun before walking out of the room heading to Tia's room.
"Good morning princess" she greeted standing by the door as she watched Lena dressed for her.
"Tia look, mommy is finally awake" Lena said and Sharon frowned. What does she mean by she is finally awake?
Lena noticed her expression and answered her unasked question, "we came to your room this morning but Daddy told us not to disturb you claiming you are tired" Lena wink at Sharon who blushed understanding Lena's definition of "tired". "You should have woken me up" she revolted walking into the room.
"I didn't want brother to cut me into pieces and feed me to the Lions" she teased.
Tia started crying as she perceived Sharon's usual cologne, "why is princess crying? Is she hungry?" Lena pouted as the baby cried more.
"I should feed her, Sharon said carrying the baby who stopped crying immediately she carried her.
"Naughty girl" Lena pinched her cheek playfully while she giggled.
*****
Everyone stared with their mouth wide open as Jasper entered the company of the Winston's.
"I heard the company has a New CEO I never knew it was him", a lady standing beside the receptionist said.
"Why will Jasper Madon buy this company? It is useless to him" the receptionist replied as they watched Jasper get into the elevator with two body guards.
They are right, this company is useless to him but he bought it to teach someone a lesson.
And he isn't done, he is going to teach them a whole lot of lessons until they are willing to learn.
He wheeled straight to the CEO's office which looked literally empty. He stared at it with "disgust" boldly written over his face.
"Is this an office?" He asked as his body guards stared at each other wondering if he knows what he's saying.
This office might not be as good as his, but it is still an office.
He sighed as he took a document on the desk and went through it, the company is going bankrupt, it's his handwork anyway so he's proud of it.
He took out his phone and dialed a number. Even if he is responsible for this he won't pay for it, he should make someone else pay.
It's not like he is cruel or something but it is only right if the immediate CEO pays for it, it's not his fault that he was careless and touched something he shouldn't have looked at let alone touch.
"I want to file a case" he said to the person as soon as he picked up.
"Alright boss" the person nodded and he dropped the call immediately.
"lets see if you will have time to bother us after this" he thought. "Us" who is thinking what I am thinking.
Ben's eyes widened as he read the letter. "No no no no, this can't be! This is insane! This is just wrong! They can't do this!!" He screamed as he held the letter tightly.
He read it letter over and over again, he is going to lose his mind at this rate.
"What's wrong Ben?" Mr Winston asked as he and Sheila stared at him strangely.
"We............. It is written here that we are to pay for all the lose the company suffered..... dad we will be paying minimum of ten million dollars" he replied
"What?!" Mr Winston freaked as it seems like his ear is not working properly but it is he is just scared.
Who wouldn't be scared to pay such amount of money when your life savings is not even up to a million.
"Why should we pay such amount?" Sheila ask, " it is written here that the company suffered the loss while I was the CEO so it is my... Our responsibility to pay the money or we will be charged to court" he replied. That is unfair!" Sheila whined, Mr Winston just stared at space while his kids talk.
"Dad we need to do something, we should speak to our lawyer" he said but his father didn't say anything it was more like he wasn't listening to them.
"I agree with Ben, we should not sit around and let them toy with us" Sheila said, "dad are you listening to us?" She asked while he still kept mute.
"Dad, answer us! What is going to be our next of action?" Ben demanded as he touched him but he just fell flatly on the floor with.
"Dad!!!" They chroused as they knelt beside him
"Dad!" Sheila squeal as she shook him severally but he was not responding.
"Call a doctor!" Ben yell as he tried doing CPR on him.
"What happened to him?" Mrs Winston ask as she ran down the stairs.
"I don't know mom... Dad!!" He slap his cheek but he was still not responding.
"Wow this looks gorgeous" Sharon said as she stared at the wedding gown on the mannequin.
Yeah the following day is going to be our favorite couples wedding day. Tia babble some words as she pulled Sharon's hair which was packed in a bun.
"Tia that's hurts" she wince in pain as she stared at Tia who only giggled in return.
"But sister in-law don't you think something is odd?" Lena ask as she walked around the mannequin.
"What's odd about it?" Sharon asked with a puzzled look, "it's different, the one we choose was a simple ball gown but this one, look at the design on its chest, it's complicate and the fabric is..... this is not the design we choose" she concluded
Sharon observe the gown and realized that this isn't the one she choose, she tried to find the price tag but she couldn't.
No one would dare tamper with her gown if not the groom himself. She smile while Tia giggled.
"Do you like the gown? Do you want something similar?" She ask and Tia started babbling.
"We should do online shopping for Tia?" Lena suggested and Sharon nodded in agreement.
*********
Sheila held her mom's hand and crease it to calm her down, she is obviously in shock after what happened to her husband.
"How is he doctor?" Ben asked breaking the long awkward silence.
"He was just in shock but right now he's sleeping, once he wakes up don't bring up the issue that made him lose conciousness, instead make him smile" he informed
"We won't doctor" Ben assured before walking the doctor out of the room.
"What happened? What was it you told him?" Mrs Winston ask her Sheila.
"We are to pay a sum of ten million dollars..."
Mrs Winston stopped her by raising her hand, she didn't understand what she meant by they had to pay that huge amount of money.
She would have if she was patient enough to let her finish.
"What's the money for?" She inquired, "for the damages in the company, Ben didn't leave the company in good shape. Our company was going bankrupt so the new CEO wants Ben to pay for everything" she explained
" Oh God, what have we done wrong to deserve all this?" She asked no one in particular as she tears streamed down her cheek.
"Don't worry mom, dad will wake up and we will find a solution to all this" she assured.
"You shouldn't cry. What if dad wakes up and sees you crying?" Ben ask rhetorically as he walked closer to his mother.
"Ben what are we going to do?" Sheila ask and he scoff. "Is that your speciality? Asking people for solutions? For once think of a solution, one that won't get us into more trouble than we already had" Sheila gave Mrs Winston a What Did I Do Look?.
"He is just stressed we all are" she said and Sheila nodded.
T. B. C