Arin picks up her phone from the table and dialed Annie's number. The phone rang for a few minutes before she eventually answered. "Hello Arin, what's up this morning?" She said, her voice lightened from the other end. "Where are you right now Annie? We need to talk. It's very very important." Arin said impatiently. "Is there any problem?" Annie asked suspiciously. "I am right at home but - I am kinda busy." "Can you please come over to my office? It's really urgent and it doesn't look like something I could handle on my own. I really need your help." Arin said, her voice faltering as she spoke as quietly as possible. "Oh no! I can't come over. You know Gerald doesn't like it when I come there. I don't want to cause any drama and if he sees you and me together, I'll be in trouble." Annie responded, making Arin go silent for some time. She wanted to tell her that Gerald wasn't in the office but she wasn't certain if he wouldn't come. This required contempla
Gerald walked into the open office space where his staff members were busy working on their laptops. He cleared his throat loudly and clapped his hands to get their attention. "Hey, everyone, I have an important announcement to make," he said with a wide smile. "Tonight is my engagement party with Hazel and I would like you all to be there. It's going to be a blast!" The staff members looked at each other with dismay. They all disliked Hazel, not only because she was a kleptomaniac but they all believed that she didn't represent them in a good way despite the fact that they gave her the best respect one could ever get being an intelligent colleague who have a wide range knowledge of jewelry making. They also believed that she was only after Gerald's money and power, and that she had seduced him into proposing to her. They felt sorry for Gerald, who seemed oblivious to Hazel's true nature. Although, all these was planted in their head by Arin. They also resented the fa
Hazel reached the stage, and Gerald took her hand. He kissed her softly on the lips, and whispered in her ear. "You are looking really beautiful, Hazel. I'm so happy you're here." "Thank you so much, Gerald. I'm happy too." He smiled and turned to face the crowd. He cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to our engagement party. I'm sure you all know who this lovely lady is. She is Hazel, my fiancée, and the love of my life." The crowd clapped politely, but some of them looked skeptical or disapproving. They knew about Hazel's problem with stealing things, and they didn't think she was good enough for Gerald. Who were they to complain about this? They just had to remain quiet and watch what happened. Gerald ignored them and continued. "I met Hazel two years ago, at an event. The Silversteins event to be precise. She was working as a volunteer there, and I was impressed by her kindness and generos
The engagement party ended in chaos and confusion. The guests left the hall in a hurry, some of them gossiping and laughing, others shaking their heads and sighing. The band and the DJ packed up their equipment and left as well. The decorators and the caterers cleaned up the mess and left too. Only four people remained in the hall: Gerald, Hazel, Arin, and Annie. No one said a comforting word and that felt like the most humiliating moment of Gerald's life. This was exactly what Arin and Annie wanted. They knew it wouldn't take him a long time to cede once he kept on getting humiliated like this. They were all silent, each of them dealing with their own emotions. Gerald was sitting on a chair, holding his head in his hands. He felt like he had been hit by a truck. He couldn't believe what had happened. He couldn't believe that his sister and his assistant had betrayed him. If he could imagine Arin doing this, he couldn't believe his sister could do it too. He couldn't
Gerald drove away from the hall, feeling numb and empty. He didn't know where he was going, or what he was doing. He just wanted to get away from everything and everyone. He drove for a long time, until he reached a park. He parked his car and got out. He walked around the park, trying to clear his mind. He thought about Hazel, and everything that had happened. He thought about their relationship, and their future. He still loved her, but he also felt hurt by her. He wanted to forgive her, but he also wanted to forget about everything that she had done. He didn't know what to do or say. He didn't know how to feel or think. He felt lost and confused. He sat down on a bench and looked at the sky. He wished he could find an answer. He wished he could find a way. He closed his eyes and sighed, not noticing the woman who was sitting next to him at the other side. He didn't notice that it was Hazel. Hazel had followed Gerald from the hall, hoping to talk to him. She ha
"The gravest mistake you've ever made is leaving Hazel. She needs you this time but you left her because of what? Of what you knew of? Is it really done that way?" Gerald couldn't just stop hearing this voice in his head as he lay on his bed, trying to sleep off everything. He took a deep breath and sat up. He shook his head, running his hand across his face, not knowing what to do. He glanced at his table clock, it was still past ten and he hadn't been able to fall asleep. How could he just try to forget Hazel - if not forever, at least for now? He jumped out of the bed and started to pace back and forth, not knowing what to do. Just then, he heard knocks on his door. "Is that you Annie? Get the fuck off my door before I unleash my wrath on you." Gerald barked. "Not sweetie. It's your mother. I heard about what happened. I should have been upset that you didn't tell me anything about your relationship for the past six months. I should have felt bad that my son di
Gerald looked at Mr. Jones with shock and disbelief. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He couldn't believe that he was being asked to choose between Hazel and the company. He looked at the other board members, hoping to see some support or sympathy. But he saw none. They all looked at him with the same expression as Mr. Jones: seriousness and concern, firmness and expectation, finality and challenge. They all wanted him to choose. They all wanted him to choose the company. He felt angry and hurt by their ultimatum. He felt confused and abandoned by them. He thought about the company, and everything that it meant to him. He thought about his career, and everything that he had achieved. He thought about his legacy, and everything that he had built. He loved the company, and he was proud of it. This was something his father left for him, he couldn't just let go of it like that. But he also thought about Hazel, and everything that she meant to him. He
Gerald decided to take Hazel to meet his mother. He wanted to introduce her to his family, and to show them that he was serious about his relationship with her. He wanted to show them that he loved her, and that he was happy with her. His mother was still angry with her for not telling her anything about his relationship with Hazel and she was ready to make things right again. He called his mother and told her that he was coming over with his fiancée. He asked her to be nice and welcoming to her. He asked her to give her a chance. His mother agreed and said over the phone, "Oh my sweetie, how can I not be welcoming to my daughter in law? I am certainly looking forward to meeting her. I am always and will always be happy for you. I just want you to be happy. Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy too." She lied. She wasn't happy for him, and she didn't want him to be happy as long as she was with Hazel. Annie had told her alot of things about him and she couldn't