Chapter 293 Your Nephew's Ex-Wife
Zachary frowned, "Dad, listen, I..."
Doyle cut him off, "Shut up! I'm here to clean up your mess. Since you can't handle the Cook Group, it's better to let someone who can, instead of watching you ruin it."
Zachary could hardly believe his ears as he faced Doyle's icy stare. "I've been busting my ass for this company for years. And now, just because of one mistake, you're kicking me out?"
Doyle's eyes flickered with some unreadable emotion before he looked away coldly. "If it was just a simple investment screw-up, I wouldn't care. But because of Sharon, the group took a huge hit, and that's something I can't let slide."
The conference room went dead silent. All the shareholders held their breath. They had mostly called for Zachary to resign out of frustration, hoping to pressure him into not repeating his mistakes.
They didn't think Doyle was actually serious.
Zachary took a deep breath and nodded, "Fine, if that's how it is, I have nothing more to say. I'll wrap up my stuff in three days."
Finally, one of the shareholders spoke up, "Mr. Doyle Cook, let's think this through. Sure, Mr. Zachary Cook made a big mistake, but does he really need to resign? Maybe a minor punishment would be enough, how about..."
Doyle snapped, "Let him go! Without the Cook Group, he's nothing!"
Zachary took another deep breath, didn't look back at Doyle, and walked out.
Since he was a kid, he never got why his dad was always so hard on him. No matter how well he did, Doyle never praised him. But if he messed up, even a little, Doyle would come down on him like a ton of bricks.
Sometimes he wondered if he was even his real son.
Just as he left the conference room, Brad caught up with him, "Mr. Zachary Cook, Mr. Doyle Cook was just angry. If you apologize, this will blow over. Besides, Mr. Doyle Cook and the other shareholders don't know about your plan. They only see the losses. If you explain, they'll get it."
Zachary was quiet for a few seconds, then said softly, "No need, I'm tired."
For years, he had given it his all, never daring to make a wrong move, hoping one day he'd earn Doyle's approval.
But today he realized, no matter what he did, Doyle would never be satisfied.
And he was done exhausting himself trying to get it.
"Mr. Cook..." Brad wanted to say more, but seeing Zachary's worn-out expression, he held back.
He had been Zachary's secretary for five years and had seen how careful he was. He knew Zachary wasn't happy.
Zachary only really smiled when he was with Sharon. Maybe leaving the group wasn't such a bad thing for him.
The news of Zachary resigning as president of the Cook Group quickly reached Sharon.
Sharon was stunned, almost dropping the test tube in her hand.
Donna, quick on her feet, grabbed the test tube and put it on the rack, saying seriously, "Sharon, this might not have anything to do with you. Don't overthink it."
Sharon gave a bitter smile, knowing it had everything to do with her.
If it weren't for her, Zachary wouldn't have gone against Seb and fought for the amusement park project, causing the Cook Group to take a hit and forcing Zachary to resign.
"Donna, can you keep an eye on the experiment for me? I need to make a call," Sharon asked.
When Sharon called, Zachary was in the middle of packing up his stuff.
Even though he'd been at the Cook Group for five years, he didn't have much to pack.
Zachary's voice was as calm as ever, "Sharon, what's up? Shouldn't you be knee-deep in an experiment right now?"
Sharon's voice cracked a bit, "Zachary, did you get fired from the Cook Group because of me?"
Even though she tried to keep it together, Zachary could hear the tears in her voice.
He paused for a couple of seconds, then said softly, "It's not because of you. I've been wanting a break for a while, and this is a good chance to take one."
"You're lying!" Sharon knew all about his unspoken ambitions and hard work. She took a deep breath and said slowly, "Zachary, I'm sorry. This is my fault. I'll find a way to fix it."
Hearing the change in her tone, Zachary frowned, "Sharon, you don't need to..."
"I have to get back to my experiment. We'll talk later." With that, Sharon hung up.
She took a deep breath, her eyes filled with determination.
After Zachary left the Cook Group, Doyle personally appointed Hugo to temporarily take over as president.
As soon as the meeting ended, Hugo eagerly called Seb. "Mr. Smith, I've successfully pushed Zachary out of the Cook Group. He shouldn't be a problem for you anymore. When can we meet to discuss the details of the Cook Group joining the amusement park project?"
Seb raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised. "How did you manage that?"
Seb hadn't even started his moves yet, and with Hugo's limited shares, he thought Hugo wouldn't stand a chance against Zachary.
Hugo's lips curled into a cold smile, and he said in a low voice, "I don't know what got into Doyle, but he came to the group and ordered Zachary to resign, giving him no leeway. He even appointed me to temporarily take over as president."
Seb's eyes narrowed. Doyle didn't back his own son but instead kicked him out, letting someone like Hugo take over. What was Doyle up to?
"I'll have my secretary contact you about the cooperation. I have other matters to attend to. We'll talk later," Seb said thoughtfully.
Placing his phone on the desk, Seb's eyes showed a hint of contemplation.
'Doyle must have a reason for this. But what exactly is he planning?' Seb wondered.
Seb had never met Doyle, but he'd heard about his reputation. Doyle was a shrewd businessman who had been in the game for years, and many had lost to him. Seb had to be careful.
Paul knocked and entered, "Mr. Smith, Mr. Stewart is here."
Nathan walked in behind Paul, went straight to the black leather sofa in the center of the office, and poured himself a cup of tea, downing it in one gulp.
Seb was used to this and let Paul leave before sitting down across from Nathan, asking, "What brings you here today?"
Nathan looked at him with a complicated expression, saying, "I've known you for years, but I never thought you were this kind of person."
Seb shot him a sharp look, "What do you mean by that?"
"When you asked me to prepare to sue Sharon, didn't you also ask me to look into her past? Guess what I found?"
Seb's eyes showed impatience.
Seeing that Seb was about to lose his temper, Nathan didn't dare to keep him in suspense any longer. "I found out something about her past. She wasn't Sharon Roach before; she used to be Sharon Wright, your nephew's ex-wife."
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