Chapter 46: Chapter 46

CHANGES

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NARRATOR’S POV

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The whole family was in a frenzy as they waited for news concerning their father and grandfather. Helen was hysterical, moving from one end of the hall to the other.

“Sit down, for goodness’ sake, or stay still. You are making me dizzy with your back and forth,” David yelled at his elder sister.

“Get a life you son of a gun.” Helen hissed but stayed still, her back resting on the wall.

“Whore.” David muttered, ready for a fight of words with his sister.

Everyone ignored them, as they were all tensed by what was happening. When they both got tired of hauling insults at each other, they stopped.

“Where is the damn doctor?” David said some minutes later. “We need some news, any news. Is that too much to ask for?”

“Uncle, keep calm. Once they are through with the surgery they would inform us,” Sophie answered casually.

“I wasn't talking to you,” David yelled at her.

Sophie's father wanted to react, but his wife put her hands on his shoulders, urging him with her eyes to ignore him.

They all waited in silence again, but not David, as he jerked up and started walking away.

“Where are you going?'' His mother asked him.

“Your father would want to see us all together when he wakes up.” His mother, the matriarch, said softly. She had not wept since the incident, as she was still in shock and denial.

“I need to smoke mother, I can't stand the wait, it's making me aggressive, and it's either I leave or I might hit somebody. Are you coming Ella.” he signaled to his wife, and she followed him after planting a kiss on the matriarch's cheeks.

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“Thank you, I was feeling suffocated already.” Ella giggled as she walked beside her husband.

“There is trouble.” he continued walking

“How.” Ella turned to be sure no one was following them

“One of the men was caught. We might be in some serious shirt right now.”

“How did that happen? We were very careful, and the men perused the premises for some days and knew all the entrances and exits.”

Puffing his cigarette in the air “Their leader's bike refused to start when they were through and his men were not aware till it was too late.”

“Was he caught by the police?”

“No, the workers caught and beat him up before handing him over to the police. I heard he lost his two front teeth.” he chuckled at the last statement.

“I need a cigarette”, Ella rummaged into her bag.

“You don't smoke,” David said. If the circumstances were different, he would have been laughing his heart out.

“Give me your stick.” she took the cigarette and inhaled deeply and nearly choked as she coughed non stop

“Take it easy, we don't need more casualties.” he scoffed at her

“It's all your fault. I should have handled this myself. I forgot you are completely useless,” Ella shouted, the veins in her neck visible as she spoke.

“You better don't have a heart attack, my father is still in the operating room.'' David sneered at his wife.

“I wonder what I saw in you, useless, totally useless, that’s what you are.”

“Gold digger.” David snorted, his face twisted as he spoke, he hated how venomous his wife’s words could be when she was angry.

“What did you just call me?” Ella turned towards him ready to hit him with her fist.

“What's going on here and why the brawl,” Sam said, stopping them from further fighting.

“Nothing,'' David replied, raking his hands through his auburn hair. He had started gaining weight since he began to lose his grip on the family’s goodwill over Sophie.

Sam looked from David to Ella and struggled, he had always found them odd and tried to avoid them as much as possible.

“Grandma sent me to get you guys.” he finally said.

“Why, I don't want to go back there.” Ella objected.

“Your choice, but she wants me to let you know that grandpa has regained consciousness.” he turned and left them to kill themselves if that would make them feel better.

Heart pacing faster than normal they went back into the hospital pretending that all was well.

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Two weeks later, grandpa Greg was discharged and he went home to his family. He was more than happy to be home even though the fire outbreak had cost the company a huge loss which had made their share value go down.

But the setback did not stop Sophie from working hard and being diligent, she was happy that most of the goods they were to supply to their customers were already dispatched, the Major loss they were suffering from the fire was mainly from the building and infrastructure and they had lost two machines worth billions of dollars. They could only get their insurance if it is proven that the fire was an accident and not an intentional incident.

A month after the fire, Sophie came home tired and dejected. The shares had plummeted more and if action was not taken they could lose more than they bargained for. She related her fears to her father unknown to her the grandmother had heard what she said.

Privately the patriarch and matriarch made a decision which was the only way to salvage the situation.

“We are selling 25% of the company shares. We need fresh ideas and a new influx of cash.”

“I won't allow that.” David declared

“You don't have a choice, do you.”

“Don't try me father, I have been handling the company for almost 10 years now.”

“I know that but you destroyed your hard work in a few hours because of your jealousy,” his father said. They both made eye contact, David removed his eyes as he could not maintain the glare, there was accusation, distrust, and pain in his father's unspoken words and eyes.

He grabbed his jacket from the armchair and left the living room where the father was making his announcement, his wife ran after him.

“Don't you want to stop him?” she grabbed his hands and tried to turn him to her but he jerked his hands off.

“He knows,” David said looking at her till she comprehended what he was saying.

“How would he have us arrested?” Ella bit her nails

“No, he has more value than both of us.” he ran up the flight of steps up to their quarters and jammed the door louder than was necessary

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The news headline the next day was filled with the Fernandez companies shares going up for sales, it had never happened before and this made the family hold the highest share of the company.

It was not until ten minutes after the share went up that an anonymous buyer bought all that was listed.

"Well here goes 25% control we had over our company." Grandpa Greg said as he watched the stock exchange news.

"I hope the buyer won't want to interfere in the decision-making process." Grandma Roseline replied.

"The buyer's lawyer just called," Sophie announced to her grandparents

"What does he want?" Grandpa Greg asked, his forehead crisped in worry

"He wants to set up a meeting with us, he asked that we choose a date."

"Here goes our independence in our own company." Grandma Said

"We have our son to thank for it." Grandpa sneered

"Is there something you are not telling me?" Sophie looked at her grandparents

"Take a seat, Sophie."

Sophie obeyed and sat down, her bump was already visible. "You are glowing." Her grandpa said, breaking the tension in the room.

"Thank you, granny." Sophie smiled, resisting the urge to caress her bump

"We have some important documents we want you to sign now. And you must not tell anyone, including your parents, about this." Grandpa said sternly, he was all business-like suddenly.

"I won't," Sophie assured them.

Grandpa pressed a button on his desk and his lawyers and secretary walked in bearing some files. Sophie was not aware of their presence and was temporarily taken aback when they entered.

"I need you to sign here, and here." The lawyer took the signed documents and gave them to grandpa and grandma who signed their respective spots and handed them back to the lawyer.

"Congratulations Sophie." The lawyer said and they all left

"What's going on grandpa?" Sophie asked, curiosity getting a better hold on her.

"You will find out soonest. You just have to wait like the rest of the family."