Although his phone had just buzzed with a new message, Augustine's gaze remained fixed on the board members, choosing not to check it yet.
Deep down, Augustine hoped no one would raise a hand because one raised hand could unravel everything he had built, and losing his position was the last thing he wanted.
The board room became filled with low murmurs as the shareholders exchanged uneasy glances while Augustine held his breath, every second stretching painfully long.
Then, the man who had spoken earlier slowly lifted his hand, nodding at the colleague beside him as if urging him to do the same.
A sharp pain shot through Augustine's chest as another shareholder which was a lady… suddenly raised her hand in agreement.
One by one, after brief moments of hesitation, more hands began to rise and the weight of each decision pressed heavily against Augustine because he could already smell his downfall.
Seeing more hands rise, Augustine's chest tightened.
