Ezra's POV
A month later
I look at the tablet Mrs. Marilyn placed before me. I stare at the dropping stock prices and sigh inwardly. I hand it back to her and look into the eyes of the 14 other Board of Directors Members.
There was a minor article online that some past documents of Briggs were found and Briggs participated in some serious money laundering. We were able to take the article down before it escalated but it already had about 10m views. And the worst part, I'm not surprised.
"What are we going to do? Our stock prices are dropping and a lot of investors are buying their shares back. This can damage the company if we don't take action. Obviously, it's fake news because nobody knows about such documents. In fact, we should sue that article. And make ours that we're being framed" one of the directors, Mr. Pascal, says.
I nod "Okay. That's a smart one. Does anyone counter his opinion?" No one raises their hands, they all agree. Good. "I'll leave you to it, Mr. Pascal. The media team will be readily available and our lawyer. Call me once you've made progress. As for me, I have somewhere I need to go. This meeting is adjourned." Mr. Pascal looks a bit shocked like he didn't expect that. I stand up adjusting my suit and walk out.
"Mrs. Marilyn, please cancel anything I have to do today, I'm going to visit family" I say to her as she follows behind me.
"Okay, dear. Please send my greetings" I smile at her and walk towards the doors. I enter my G-Wagon and drive to the family house. Which is where my parents should be.
-----
I walk past a startled maid, my coat flaying widely behind me. "Oh, Mr. Ezra, I didn't know you would be coming home today, would you like me to prepare anything for you? She asks rushing after me.
"I didn't either and no, thank you." I say barely stopping till I reach the backyard where dad should be in. I'm correct, he's playing miniature golf.
"Did you really have to wait for me to ask you?" I say immediately. "Nice meeting you too, Son." I scoff and look around me, mom isn't here.
"Let's save the pleasantries for when we need it. Money laundering is wild, dad. And you didn't think to tell me, knowing I was going to take over the company one day." I seethe.
He stops playing and turns to me sighing. "Can you calm down? Do you even have proof?" I look at him incredulously.
"Fine, yes. I partook in minor money laundering but no one has proof, no one will ever have proof. Because I'm clean." I stare at him, I knew he was bad but really, he keeps surprising me.
"You should just go about the company like it's not a big deal because it isn't. If they had proof, they'd have sued, but no one has proof. I did it because the company was coming up and I had to. I had a family to raise, no one can blame me" he says looking me in the eye.
I ask the question I know I'm going to regret "What were you laundering?" I ask quietly. He looks a way and takes a deep breath.
"What do people launder?" he goes back to golfing which is an obvious dismissal. I'm not having it.
"Does mom know?"
He sighs and turns to me again "If she didn't know, it wouldn't have happened. Look, son. I'm proud of you, I really am. But you will come to realize that some decisions require you to take only one road. But nevertheless, everyday I'm glad I took that decision so you and your sister don't have to." Christ, he means it.
I look away and take a deep breath. "Anything else that you may have made 'choices' on?" He looks at me, smiles, turns back and continues his game.
"Nothing too strong to destroy the company" he states. I close my eyes and beg the heavens for self-control. I open them, look at my dad and walk out.
On my way out, I see the maid. "Where's my mother?"
"Oh, she left a while ago to visit some friends at her membership club" she says
"Tell her I was here and I send my deepest greetings" I say. My mom and I have some talking to do.
"Yes, sir" she says as I walk out and drive away.
------
I stand at the upper auditorium with a blunt in my mouth, I thought I quit but I guess not. I inhale deeply and exhale the smoke letting it calm me down a bit while I watch the cast members go through their roles over and over again.
I spot Harlem laughing at what someone is telling her and showing him something. She's wearing a floral dress with white sneakers and her hair is let down. She's radiant. I didn't even think it was possible for someone to be this radiant but I guess there's a first time for everything.
We lock eyes momentarily before I look away. I know I'm supposed to be supervising this play but not really, I have a bunch of people who could do it in my stead but yet, here I am. And it's all because of one woman.
I see from peripheral vision; Lucas is walking up to me. I take a hit of my blunt again and turn to him.
"Mr. Roth, wonderful to see you. It's been a month we've missed your presence. How has work been?" I give him small smile. Let's see… I found out the company handed over to me by my dad had been performing illegal activities in the past that most likely made us who we are today and oh, there might even be worse things he's not telling and of course, my mother knows about it.
"Work is dashing. Any progress whatsoever?" I ask. He clears his throat, "If you consider one scene progress" One?
"How many scenes again?" He pauses and avoids eye contact.
"Fifteen at most" I see.
"What's the holdup?"
"Well, they're new at this, so it's a bit time consuming. But I think they're doing really good for a bunch of people who didn't know shit about drama" he says.
I stare at him for a good five seconds, sigh, and put out my cigarette on the railing. "I think you should make them shoot extra hours, like weekends."
"Oh, um that may be a problem, because some of them have weekend jobs and have one thing or the other they're doing that makes them busy on weekends. So, I gave them the weekend off. Like Harlem, she has a bar she works at weekends." Still?
"Okay I see. Then, extra work hours on weekdays. Because if you're doing 1 scene a month, then you're going to need 15 months to finish, and we only have five months till the day of the play. Don't you think?" I ask
He nods slowly. "Okay. I'll put that into position."
"Smart man" I say patting his shoulder and walking off. This play means a lot to me because its going to kickstart my rime as the best Briggs CEO, and I am an ambitious man.
I walk to the parking lot and see a message from Mrs. Marilyn saying they've set a date for the suing of the writers of the article. I'd like to meet them and ask them how they found out but I can bet they were tipped by someone they may or may not know. I guess dad wasn't so 'clean'.
Someone clears their throat behind me and I turn to see Harlem standing a few feet away avoiding eye contact. When I see her right in front of me, I wince inwardly. I'm reminded how they treated her that night, how it must've felt. I let that happen, I'm the one to blame and I don't even know why she doesn't run from me. I'm still in the process of making things up to her but I swear I would.
"Harlem Tamrin. How may I be of help to you?" I smirk at her placing my phone in my pocket.
She finally looks at me. "Are you okay?" she asks. My smile slips. How did-?
"I just…saw you smoking up our auditorium and I though something must be wrong in your head, so I'm here to ask" she says so seriously I can't help but believe her.
I burst into laughter and hunch over because of how hard I'm laughing. I must look so crazy to anyone passing by but they won't understand the stand-up comedy I get to experience every time around this woman.
My laugh slows down and I look at her, she looks so shocked that I laughed, me too princess. Me too. When I fully stop, I stroll to her and stop right in front of her. She has to crane her neck to look up at me.
"Why are you still working your bar job, Harlem?" I ask her letting my eyes stroll to the long wilting flower tattoo drawn in colors on her arm that I didn't notice last time and taking in how radiant she looks under the sun. It's getting hard to keep my hands to myself.
"How do you know I'm still working my bar job, I stiffen a bit, scared as to how to tell her I've been keeping an eye on her but realizing it wasn't my informant that told me this but Lucas. Guess my informant isn't informing well enough.
"Lucas, told me." I state. She raises an eyebrow and folds her arms. "First of all, I don't know why you and Lucas will be discussing me and lastly, not everyone has a million dollars in their bank accounts"
"Firstly, it's actually a billion and lastly, you're not the only one we discussed about" Just the only one I cared about. She rolls her eyes.
"Whatever, it's my job, I should decide if I wan to leave or not. And I don't" I don't exactly know how that makes me feel but it's not a good feeling, I know she's always worked there but realizing she probably works around a bunch of assholes makes me feel irritated. Weird.
"I see" I say staring at her. She looks at me and notices that I'm staring and I can see a bit of red on her neck but it's so subtle I almost don't see it.
"Goodbye" she says and turns to walk away but I'm not done with her yet. I hold her arm and she turns to me.
"Thank you for making me laugh, even though to my own detriment. I needed that. You should consider doing stand up though, I'll sponsor you" I say and let her hand go. She looks at me for a good three seconds, I shrug and she scoffs at me. That's my girl.
"I don't need your sponsorship. Have a good day Roth." she walks away not before I notice a hint of a smile. A smile that I want to keep seeing.