Chapter 51

I was HAPPY.

The second i saw my name on that list, i had done a happy dance without caring for any eyes who might be glaring at me or laughing at my reaction. But my best friend Oliver, made sure to join me in my happy dance.

To be honest, i wasn't the only one doing the happy dance. All managers who made it on the short list on the board were more than happy to show their win. While the rest glared at us, we were excited.

Once i was a little calm, i started to read the rest of the paper. It appears that the twelve of us will be given a new task very soon. But in the mean time, we are meant to enjoy this little moment.

Oliver and I walked back to our office as we excitedly chatted about the list aloud when we saw Shawn walking towards us. He looked...upset?

"Mr. Davis." Oliver greeted him first and i followed his bow to greet the boss. 

Shawn looked at the two of us for a few seconds before he nodded his head.

"I wanted to talk to you two." He said before he walked back to his office. Assuming that we're supposed to follow, Oliver and i looked at each other with confusion before we went after him. 

When Shawn reached his office, i saw Lucy Chaw standing up from her seat and greeting him with a big bow. Shawn didn't even look at her as he proceeded to walk in to his office. When Lucy Chaw caught the site of us, he bowed a little and took her seat.

Now this woman is confusing the hell out of me.

Oliver walked infront of me and opened the door to let me pass first. Shawn pointed over to the seats infront of him and asked us to sit. This looks serious.

As we sat down, Shawn looked from me to Oliver and then back to me.

"Is there any problem that i need to be aware of?" He asked and i looked over to Oliver who glanced back at me in confusion.

"No, sir." We answered simultaneously.

"Then why have neither of you been giving me the reports yourselves?" 

Shit.

I know what he was talking about but Oliver didn't. Because he always leaves a note for me to remind me to pass the daily reports to the boss. But i have been leaving them with Lucy Chaw instead.  

"Mr. Davis..." I hesitantly called out "I have been leaving the reports with tou assistant because... Oliver has taken permission to get off work after he finished his report and i have been very busy with competing for the promotion. It's nothing else."

My answer didn't satisfy him because he already knows that i stopped giving him the reports after he started sending the mugs again. 

And after what he pulled on my birthday, sending me that mug that said 'I Love You' i wasn't going to risk being in a room alone with him. Because, I can't trust myself around him or even look him in the eyes at his very moment.

Especially after my talk with Oliver, i knew that i needed to get more space between the two of us. And i feel like he already knows what I'm doing.

"Yes...the promotion." Shawn whispered and i looked up at him for a brief second before looking down again.

"Alright." He said "you can go back to work." He commented as he shooed us with his left hand and used the right to power his computer.

Oliver and I walked out with him glaring at me.

"What was that all about?" He asked as soon as we reached pur office.

"What was what about?" I played dumb and intensified Olivers glare.

"Princi." He warned and i rolled my eyes.

"It's what you heard, man. I gabe Lucy Chaw the reports so she can pass it to Shawn. What's the big deal?"

"It is a big deal if the boss doesn't like it." He mumbled.

"I just though it was for the best. Besides, I'm trying to take your advice. You told me to move on and i am trying to move on. Especially if i do get this promotion, i will move on for good...."

"Wait, wait, wait..." Oliver cuts me off "That's why you're after the promotion? So you can leave the company? Princi, i never said leave the company and avoid your ex. I said move on from you feeling if you don't see yourself with jim eve again. There is a lot of difference between what i said and how you interpreted it."

Before i could think if a reply for that, Sherry walked in to tell me that the second task for the senior manager position is up on the board and i should get to it as fast as i can.

With our conversation on pause, i went to take a look at the board as Oliver went back to work. I waked closer to the board to see eleven other managers looking up at it with a. Frown on their faces.

I walked over and stared to read the paper.

"Congratulations to the twelve managers who made it through to the second task. As it was mentioned earlier, the second task would have been posted much later but due to the short amount of time we have to fill the position, it has been bumped up for today.

Your second task will be an Investor hunt and the deadline is exactly seven days..."

***

"This people are crazy." I commented as i paced pur living room. "How the hell am i supposed to get an investor in seven day?" 

"Actually, you have six and eight hours left to get an investor." Oliver commented with a grin and i glared at him. He stretched him hands up in defeat with a laugh.

"Relax. I'm just trying to lighten up your gloomy mood. What with all the dress up anyway?"

I looked down at myself with a pout. I was wearing a blue dress that fail to my knees. I wore black slippers and MC had helped me with my hair and made sure it was all waves as it flows down on my back.

"Tonight is dinner night with the grandparents, remember?" I commented before flopping down on the couch next to him.

"Right." He chuckled and started to say something but stopped when he saw MC walking out of her room with blue heels in her hand. Oliver followed her with his eyes as she walked closer to us.

"What are you doing with those death traps?" I asked MC as i pointed to the heels in her hands.

"It's for you. It will look absolutely cute with your dress. Here, try them on."

I shook my head and refused to even touch them. "I'll stick with my slippers, thank you very much."

MC rolled her eyes at me before she walked back to her room. But not before she glanced at Oliver First.

"What's going on with you two?" I asked him and he sighed.

"Nothing. She's back with her ex and I'm her roommate. Nothing more, nothing less."

***

I looked up at the mansion with my jaws dropping on the floor.

"Dad, you used to live here?" I asked my father who was standing next to me and looking at the house with a different emotion in his eyes. He nodded his head before reaching out to ring the bell.

My aunt excitedly opened the front door and rushed over to hug my dad, my mom and then finally me.

"I'm so happy you guys made it." She squealed as she pulled me over to the giant house.

I looked at the garden and fountains- yes, plural- with wide eyes as she lead us through the front door. As soon as we walked in, i can tell this people wipe their asses with money. Everything screamed wealth. 

My eyes didn't know what to focus on as thy jumped from the floor to the ceiling to the panting on the wall. It was so...magical.

My Dad and Mom chuckled at my reaction from behind me and i felt my cheeks burn a little.

"You guys came just in time for dinner." My aunt commented as she led us to the dining room which looked more like a restaurant by itself.

I looked at the large table and the large man sitting at the head of the table. As soon as the man saw us, he stood up and approached us and we ended up meeting half way.

From the way he commanded the room with his heavy steps, i can guess that he ks the owner of the house and he is grandpa.

He is a tall man with wide shoulders that magnified by the sweater her wore. He is a big man. Even his shoes look twice the size of my foot. As he got closer, i was able to see that his head was partially covered with gray and brown hair and his beard was fully white. If he had a red had, i would have guessed he was santa Claus. Other than small wrinkles at the side of his eyes that looks like a result of narrowing the eyes to glare a lot, he didn't look over fifty years old.

I had no idea how the old man would react when he walked up to us. But his reaction was so far from the one I'd imagined.

As soon as we stood in front of him, he shocked everyone as he suddenly pulled my father in for a bear hug. I heard my father gasp from the sudden contact that he didn't hug his old mad back for a few minutes. But when my grandfather refused to let him go, dad slowly wrapped his arms around his father and i saw tears in the old man's eyes.

After a few second later, grandpa let my father go and looked over to my mother. My dad looked away to wipe his tears as my grandfather slowly walked over to mom and pulled her in to the same tight hug.

Unlike dad, mom didn't hesitate to hug his back.

"Forgive me..." Grandpa whispered in a rough voice and i heard a sob escape from my mother throat.

This moment, watching this people hug and cry made me really emotional. Not just me, my aunt was also a sniffling mess as the two of us watched he old man hug the hell out of my mom. 

He pulled back at little to look at her face and my mom wiled her tears away before she smiled at him. 

From little my mom has told me, i can already guess that their relationship was horrible in the past.

My grandfather smiled back at her before shifting his eyes over to me. I just looked at him as he approached me. With my short height, grandpa easily towered over me and i was next in that tight hug.

The hug was tighter than it looked but it was also very warm. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his thick waist and i felt his chest tremble. I can feel his deviation as he tighten the hug and whispered an apology to me too.

"I am am so sorry child." He whispered over and over again and he hugged me for what felt like an eternity.

It seems, Ron King was right. This man did miss his family.