The Wedding Night

“The emotions that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it”

Nicholas sparks

*********

Melody POV

I have never seen a man as crazy and ruthless as my new boss. The only reason I’m keeping up with him was to find the truth about his real identity.  He could be Franklin or not but,  I had to find out.

He needed help because he wasn’t acting like a normal person.

“Maybe he is a psychopath,” I thought as I stared through the transparent glass.

His head was placed on his desk and I wondered what was going through his mind. I have learned that people who are suffering from trauma or disorder tend to have an anger issue and my new boss was showing signs of a psychopath. The franklin I knew will never act like my new boss.

After staring at him for some minutes, I busied myself with the upcoming meeting. When it was exactly Noon, I walked into my boss’s office to inform him about the meeting in case he forgot.

I knocked on his office door and when I didn’t get a reply,  I opened the door.

“Sir, it’s noon already. Should I set up the conference room?”

He looked up from his computer and stared blankly at me.

“Set up the conference room.  I’ll be there in five. The Chinese investors should be here soon,” he informed.

“Yes sir, “I bow and leave the office.

As soon as I came outside, I met Lindsey and Anita talking by my desk. I waved at them but it was only Anita who waved back.

“Hi, “I greeted as I walked to my desk. “What’s up, “I said again.

Lindsey ignored me while Anita replied to my greetings.

“Shouldn’t you be setting up the conference room for the meeting? “Lindsey inquired in a mean tone.

I had no idea why she hated me. I thought people like her existed in fictions novel.

“That’s is what I’m about to do miss obvious, “I replied and walked away from her.

I headed to the conference room and set everything in order. A cup of coffee and a biscuit on each table. There were about 23 chairs and a long conference table. When I was done, I went back to my desk and waited patiently for the Chinese investors to arrive.

When they arrived, I informed the boss and we all headed to the conference room. The head of departments and some board of directors were present in the meeting.

I guess the meeting was important to the extent that the higher-ups were present. The only reason I was present in such meeting was that I was a personal assistant and my presence matters for taking notes.

“Shall we proceed?” The hoarse voice of my boss bought me out of my pointless thoughts.

“We want something different this time. Give us a new product this time.” One of the Chinese men spoke up.

I was mentally laughing at how small his eyes were. His face was round as an orange and his black hair that covered half his face made him look like a ball. I couldn’t suppress the laughter and didn’t know when I started laughing.

“Anything funny miss melody?” My boss’s glared at me as he asked the question.

I could feel the eyes of the Twenty people in the room on me. I quickly shook my head and positioned myself well on my chair.

“You may proceed MR Xian chu,” my boss said to the Chinese man.

“If we are investing in a new brand this year, we need something else,” Xian chu informed.

“What do you suggest miss Cassandra?” My boss asked a blonde woman that was sitting on the left side of the table.

The woman looked around the room before she finally spoke up. “If you want a new product this year Mr chu then, I guess it will have to be something people like.”

“Like a new phone brand or a new computer brand,” Lindsey suggested. She was sitting beside the manager on the left side of the table.

Brand? Product? I had no idea what they were discussing in the meeting. It was confusing because I felt like I was just there sitting for nothing.

“Good suggestion ms Lindsey but I do not think that a new phone is something the company can do for now. Mr chu and Mr. Yuan wanted something that will be ready before the end of the year right?”

“Right.” The second Chinese man who did not look like a Chinese but somewhat American spoke up for the first time since the meeting had started.

“We do not want something that would be ready next year. If you can please come up with something real quick so our company in China can collaborate to launch this new brand before next year.”

The words were confusing. What were they launching? My boss looked disturbed where he sat and I did not like the way he was brooding.

“Does anyone have a suggestion of what we should do this year?” He asked.

I looked around to see if anyone was raising their hands but no one was not even the manager or any of the directors.

They were all looking at each other’s faces as if they were waiting for one of them to speak up.

“Mr. Aderemi, we need a reply now because this meeting was supposed to have happened earlier but it was canceled due to the fact best known to you. If there is no ideal, then I guess we’ll have to go to some other company” Mr yuan said.

“We have been collaborating for years. You can not stop our partnership because we have no idea of what to do this year” my boss spoke up. He looked pained and angry that I felt if anyone should do anything bad, he would cut the person’s head off.

“We are partners Mr. Aderemi but business is business.” Mr chu said.

My boss shook his head in anger and glared at everyone in the room. If they were talking about a new brand or product, I had a few suggestions that people love nowadays. Closing my eyes, I raised my hand for a suggestion.

At first, nobody spoke until Mr chu finally spoke up.

“What do you have to say, young lady? Any ideas?” He asked.

I looked up at my boss who was glaring at me like I was prey. I averted my eyes from his and faced Mr chu.

“I do not understand what you meant by product or brand because I’m new here but, what kind of product do you want? Is it a cream product? A beauty product? There are different products and ideas but you’ll have to be specific.”

As soon as I finished speaking, my boss groaned and turned to face Mr chu but he was cut off as Mr. Chu’s attention was on me.

“Very well young lady. Since you said you are new, I’ll explain it better to you. Every year this company and our company in China merge to create a new brand or a new product for the world to see. It was a wristwatch brand last year. Have you heard of the Time-Tale wristwatch?” He asked.

“Time-Tale? It sounds boring to me”

I shook my head because I haven’t heard or seen anything called Time-Tale.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“Oh really? Time-Tale was popular last year” he boasted, “that’s aside. What we need this year is something that would be different and unique. So what do you suggest young lady?” He asked and I could feel all the twenty eyes in the room on me.

I gulped as I averted my eyes from them and face down. I sighed heavily before I look up again. “I’ll suggest something else this year.”

Everyone in the room murmured at what I just said. Some were casting glares at me while some were looking at me and waiting for what I had to say next.

“Something else? Let me know what you suggest young lady because there is no time on our side.” It was Mr yuan who spoke up this time around.

I had no idea what to say but the only thing I could think of was what was going on in my mind.

“Last year was Time-Tale, right? Let us go for cosmetics products this year.” I suggested and the murmuring started again.

My boss tapped his table to stop the noise and when the room finally grew silent, he spoke up.

“Cosmetics products? That is not something new miss melody. Everyone knows what cosmetics are.” his tone was harsh but I couldn’t care less because my suggestions were far from what he was thinking.

“I know everyone knows what cosmetics are but, our main focus right now should be on makeups,” I said. As he opened his mouth to speak up again, I shut him up with another word.

“Listen to me sir,” I could feel my voice shaking because some emotions were surging inside of me. The people in the room including the Chinese investors were all waiting for what I had to say.

“We have people with emotional trauma, scars, disorders, and problems. What I meant with makeup products is to show the world that those with traumas, scars, disorders, and problems could also survive.”

“Do you think we are here to joke?” My boss banged the table but I kept talking.

“This makeup product I’m talking about is making up for those who are facing one thing or the other”

“Stop!” My boss yelled but I didn’t flinch.

“She is right Mr. Aderemi,” Mr yuan stated and my eyes grew bright. “But what I did not understand is what you meant by makeup the product when it sounded like a different thing.”

I smiled before I spoke up.”Mr yuan, all I’m saying is that makeup could be a new brand name for those with trauma, disorders, problems who wished to make up and forget their past”

Mr yuan sighed and whispered into Mr. Chu’s ear. During this process, I could feel my boss’s gases on me but I did not look like him.

Mr yuan cleared his throat before he spoke up.”we have decided that we’ll go with this new brand makeup right miss…”

“Melody” I replied and he smiled at me.

“We are putting you in charge of the new brand since you came up with the suggestions but, we need a proposal for the new brand.” Mr yuan said.

“Sir, I..”

My boss cut me off before I could say anything.

“Mr. Yuan, you are mistaking here. Miss melody is my assistant and she  just joined the company.”

Mr yuan raised his hand to stop my boss from talking further.” listen Mr. Aderemi, this is business and I do not care about her position in the company. I’m putting her in charge of the brand or we are pulling off” he threatened.

My boss looks defeated and he gave them a nod.

“Congratulations miss melody. I’ll be looking forward to the new brand.” Mr chu smiled brightly at me.

I bow my head and smiled back at him. “Thank you, sir, ” I said.

The directors and some heads of the department also congratulated me. The only people who didn’t bother to say anything to me were the blonde woman whom I didn’t know, Lindsey, and my boss.

My boss looked at me and I could see a small smile on his face.

“Did my boss just smile?” I pointed to him but he quickly frowned when he saw me pointing at him.

I shook my head at him because underneath all those hotheaded personalities, there was a part of him that was good.

Today’s meeting taught me that in life all you need is to have the courage to overcome your fears. It is time to make up for the past and overcome your trauma.

Even The blonde’s woman glare and Lindsey’s fuming face did not stop me from smiling. My courage didn’t fail me…