CEO’s REDEMPTION

I sprawl my weary vigors and haul my lethargic ass out of bed. Empty space? Where did he go this early morning? He didn’t tell me he was going somewhere.

Damn my unbearably painful ankles! Those stupid heels! And Jerol had to get me all these five pairs? There is no way I am putting my feet in these torturous hell of heels ever again! Never! Just when my hip had healed, now I have to hobble again all because I was trying to impress some people who weren’t impressed at all. To hell with them! After all, what did I get in the end? I was mocked for not having the freaking surname, as if it’s a bad omen. Sigh!

I was treated like an outcast because no matter how much I had struggled to cover the truth, I just couldn’t hide it. The truth came out in the end – the truth that I am not like the rich. I couldn’t fit in their class, and I wish I had not tried. Wasted effort!

I shuffle back from the bathroom and change from my pyjamas, then I walk with caution down the stairs. I peek at the dining area, but there is no sign of Jerol. It’s eight in the morning, did he leave for work? Anyway, I wouldn’t be astounded. He runs a big company that needs a lot of management. It would have been nice if he notified me though!

How does he even manage such a huge company?

Shrugging my shoulders, I turn to walk to the kitchen, but three steps away, I make a stop after hearing some commotions coming from the outside. I pay attention, just to be sure. It sure is noise. And that voice, that cold authoritative voice!

Jerol?

I turn around, aborting the kitchen mission. I stride out to the parking where I heeded the noises coming from, savouring the fresh air for the very first time since a week ago when I came to this house – when I become Jerol’s wife. I was eagerly waiting for the day that I will be able to set my feet out and explore the beauty that surrounds this humongous beautiful castle, but today isn’t just that day. The scene out here is blurring every beauty there is in this compound. It’s even disrupting the peace.

“Your husband did a mistake, and I just did what I had to do. If you can’t stay here without your beloved husband, then pack and go too. You are also FIRED!” The enraged Jerol fumes at the elderly woman crouching before him, and he stomps away, without even sparing a glance at the pleading woman. Her cries are falling on his deaf ears and stone heart.

“Jerol..” I try to stop him, but he nudges me away like someone he doesn’t know. He matches inside, slamming the door behind him. If I thought he was cold before, then I have no idea who the man who pushed me like that just now is. Maybe an icy scary beast.

I take slow strides, still at loss for words to decipher what Jerol just did, and walk to the woman who is uncontrollably weeping. The other servants are trying to calm her down, but their efforts are in vain.

Isn’t it too early for such drama? What just happened?

“Madam, please!” The woman says upon noticing me. She entangles herself out of her comforter’s hands and runs to me, falling on her feet before I can even ask her anything. “If it’s not too much, please ask sir Jerol to pardon me. My husband and I depend entirely on our jobs. He has fired my husband already. What is going to happen to us and our children if he fires me too?” She begs, her sobs never minimising.

“Get up first, please.” I say, holding her by the shoulders and helping her to stand on her feet. “What happened that got Jerol to fire your husband and react like that?” I implore.

“Sir Jerol asked my husband to look for someone three days ago ma’am, but until this morning my husband had no luck in finding the latter. That is why sir Jerol fired him, saying he is incompetent. I just came to plead with him to pardon my husband, and he just fired me too.” She pauses to dry tears from her eyes. Poor woman! Who is this person that Jerol is looking for? It must be a very important person. Is it someone who works for him? Why would a missing someone make him react like that? Did someone steal from him, from his company? Oh, no! I hope it’s not something that serious. “Please, madam. Talk to sir Jerol for me, please. I will do anything just to keep this job. If we both become jobless, our children will not be able to continue schooling. How will we even feed them? Please…”

“It’s okay. Stop crying now.” I say, patting her on the shoulder.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

These are women who are deserving of the title of mother. She is willing to do anything for her children. They are her priority. I hope they are proud of her. If only God blessed me with such a mother, I wouldn’t be here dealing with a beast I don’t know how to handle. I would be in college right now pursuing my dreams. But here I am, a form four dropout and without parents, because there is no way I am reconnecting with that woman, unless… I don’t know.

“My.. husband is so angry now, nanny Sonia.” I read her name on the tag. “I don’t know if he will listen to me at the moment. Do one thing. Go to your room and rest, okay? Don’t come out until I call you. When my husband has calmed down, I will try and talk to him, but I am not promising anything. It’s still his decision if he wants to keep you or not. I hope you understand, nanny Sonia.”

“I do madam. But I also know he will listen to you because you are his wife.”

Yeah, right! His wife! That is the problem. I am his temporary wife. He has no reason to listen to me. Heck! I even have no right whatsoever to meddle in his business. But nobody knows that, so I have to behave and act like the wife that people think I am. “Don’t worry so much, nanny. I will do my best to convince him to let you stay. Now go and rest, and please don’t leave your room, okay?”

“I won’t madam. Thank you so much.”

“It’s alright.” I say and turn to the rest of the servants. “Please take her to her room.” They bow slightly and accompany nanny Sonia back into the house.

How do I face that beast that seemed so furious like it could devour anybody that dares to talk to him? Oh, dear!

“Ahh.. excuse me, ma’am.” I turn around to the voice of another servant whose name I am reading from the tag just now. How many servants are here, huh? fifteen? Twenty? Gosh! I might leave this place without being familiar with half of them.

“Yes, Terry?” I say.

“Aah.. I…” she pauses to clear her throat and continues stammering again. “You see… madam… aah… I…”

“Terry! Whatever you have to say, say it at once. what is it?”

“Aah.. ma’am, you see.. I know sir is your husband but.. I just wanted to tell you kindly to be… a bit careful around him ma’am. We don’t know what sir is going through but he has turned violent this past three weeks.”

“So he wasn’t like that..”

“Sorry, ma’am. Did you say something?”

“Huh? No.” I am glad she did not hear that. She might have wondered whether I don’t know my husband. “Don’t worry, Terry. I know how to handle my husband. But thanks all the same for your concern.”

“Okay, ma’am. I’m sorry for taking your time. I will take my leave now. Thank you.” She bows and walks away.

Is there something fishy here or am I overthinking? On one hand, some stranger is missing that Jerol is trying so hard to locate. The person didn’t go missing long ago according to my own understanding, and Jerol wasn’t this temperamental from the start. He changed just weeks ago? Has one thing got to do with the other? If yes, then what is it? Who is this person that is driving him nuts?

An employee?

A business partner?

Just who?

Before I go eccentric trying to connect dots that don’t concern me, I shuffle my legs inside. I was planning on resting but when I didn’t find Jerol in the room, I decide to look for him. He might be taking his anger out on someone else or something else. Perhaps punching a wall? I heard that’s what most men do when they are irated.

Standing on the door of his study, I hear him yelling. I was right. He is vetting his anger on someone.

“I don’t care, Mike, you hear me? Turn this fucking world upside down if you have to. Move heaven and earth if possible. Just find her for me, man. Bring her to me in one piece. I need her before I lose my mind. She has to reappear!”

He goes silent, and I, the eavesdropper, can’t believe my ears.

So all this madness has a name. The term of all these, is a woman? She is the reason for him acting like a psycho? A full CEO acting like this because of a woman? Just who the hell is she that is driving him nuts?