Brink Of Bankruptcy

Less than an hour after Ann and Sophia left, the whole place was in chaos. Phones were ringing off the hook, and people were canceling appointments that had been booked a year in advance. 

The owner of the salon was about to have a heart attack. He couldn't understand why this was all happening—appointments that were hard to obtain at first were now being canceled for no apparent reason.

The man was in a state of confusion and distress, desperately seeking an explanation for the unfolding events.

He raised his voice, demanding answers from anyone who could provide them. Despite his fervent pleas, no one could offer an explanation that would ease his agitation.

The Salon owner, a person of great influence in high society, couldn't believe how quickly their business had been pushed to the brink of bankruptcy.

Worry gnawed at them as they considered potential culprits. "Could it be Ms. Sophia?" they wondered, acknowledging her status as a celebrity and the influence of her husband.

Nevertheless, they doubted that this alone could be enough to bring about such a dire situation.

"Maybe, just maybe, it is the girl who has done this," the owner thought, considering the possibility of a powerful benefactor shielding her from repercussions.

"I wonder who it could be?" They mused, feeling the weight of the mystery press down upon them.

***

When Ann and Lea arrived at Go Mansion, they found that Jeff was already home, eagerly waiting to greet them.

As soon as he saw Ann, his face lit up, but suddenly changed to concern when she saw that she seemed upset, "What's wrong?" He asked his wife.

"Nothing!" Ann replied calmly but with an unreadable-looking face.

"What do you mean nothing? We were treated like street children a couple of minutes ago. That's nothing! Are you out of your mind or what?" Lea blurted out without hesitating.

That was all Jeff needed to hear. "Ronald! You know what to do. Take care of it right now!"

"Yes, Boss! Leave everything to me." Ronald pulled out his phone and made a call to God knows who. After a couple of minutes, he hung up with a sly smile written all over his face. "All done, Boss!"

"Good! Now let's have lunch and forget everything that just happened; it's all taken care of." Jeff informs Ann proudly.

Ann looks at her husband, unsure of what's going on. "What's taken care of? What did you do?" She gave Jeff an accusing look while asking earnestly.

Jeff chuckled mischievously and wrapped his arms around her, leading her with a gentle sway toward the warmly lit dining room. "Let's finally eat, I'm famished," he exclaimed with a grin.

***

Jeff, Ann, Ronald, and Lea were having a wonderful lunch together. At first, Ronald and Lea wanted to leave them alone, but Ann insisted that they join them. And, after seeing the delicious spread they had at the table, Ronald and Lea decided to stay and enjoy the feast.

The lunch was terrific. They chatted while they were eating, or we could say that Lea did all the talking while the other three listened.

As they were nearly finished with their meal, Lea let out a piercing scream that startled everyone at the table.

"Oh my gosh! Look at this news that's trending right now," she exclaimed, her voice filled with shock and urgency.

[A famous salon is going bankrupt in the blink of an eye] 

"Ann, please take a moment to check this out. Can you believe this is the same resort we checked out from just an hour ago? It's quite humorous, don't you think?"

Lea was absolutely elated by the news, and her face lit up with a wide grin from ear to ear.

"Karma really does have a way of coming back around, doesn't it?"

Jeff secretly looked at Ronald, winked, gestured with a thumbs-up, and continued happily eating without caring in the world. Ann saw what transpired between the two confidants but had no idea what it was about and decided just to let it go.

"The 'Diva' probably had something to do with it, good for her! I will make sure to thank her when we see her next time." Lea said nonchalantly to everyone at the table.

Ann: "..."

Jeff: " ..."

Ronald: "..."

***

After lunch, Jeff kissed his wife goodbye while Ronald and Lea were chit-chatting, waiting for the lovebirds to come out from the bedroom. 

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, "CEO Go, please, excuse me, but you have a phone call from overseas." The Butler announced.

"Alright, I'll answer it here," Jeff replied.

"Hello! Grandfather, how are you?... What did you say? You're arriving in an hour, and you want me to pick you up personally?" Jeff wanted to make sure he heard it right.

"Yes! To all your questions." Grandfather Go replied, then hung up without saying goodbye.

Jeff scratched his head while contemplating how to tell Ann about his Grandfather and Vice Versa.

How does a man like himself explain to his wife that he has had a fiancée since birth, a union that his late grandfather had arranged?

On the other hand, how can he introduce his lawfully wedded wife to his Grandfather without distressing him?

Jeff found himself in a challenging predicament, torn between his familial obligations and his marital duties.

***

Four years ago, Jeff was startled by a call from his grandfather's doctor, urgently summoning him back home.

The doctor explained that it was a matter of life and death, and Jeff needed to return as quickly as possible.

Devastated by the news that his grandfather's condition had taken a critical turn, Jeff had no option but to leave Ann's apartment abruptly, departing early in the morning without being able to bid her a proper farewell.

As Jeff hurried home, his mind raced with thoughts of uncovering the situation at hand, addressing any pressing matters, and swiftly returning to confront the issue with his recently wedded wife. Little did he anticipate the complete unraveling of his carefully laid plans.

"He ended up staying away from his wife, feeling a deep sense of regret and turmoil. He found himself unable to face her, only mustering up the courage to visit sporadically in order to catch a glimpse of how she was coping.

The guilt and shame kept him from showing his face for the next four years."

Jeff was still tired from the long flight and only cared about seeing his grandfather before he passed away.

So he didn't waste any time and went straight to the Go family's private hospital, where his grandfather was supposedly dying anytime soon.

What unfolded in front of him was perplexing and made no sense at all. Initially, a man engaged in a serious conversation with his grandfather, giving rapt attention to his instructions.

Subsequently, having received his grandfather's request, the man bid a solemn farewell and departed without uttering a single word to Jeff, who had been standing by the door observing the entire interaction.

"What's going on, grandpa? Who was that man, and why was he here?" Asked Jeff angrily.

"If you must know, then I will tell you! He is a Private Investigator that I hired to find a person, or should I say, people. Why?- Do you have a problem with that?"

"My issue is with you," Jeff replied with frustration evident in his voice.

"I hurried back, fearing I might never see you again, only to find you here, bossing people around like you're as healthy as an ox! What do you want from me?"

With that, he collapsed onto the sofa, utterly drained and on the verge of passing out from sheer exhaustion.

He flew seventeen hours nonstop to see this. "What a joke!" Jeff murmured to himself.

Jeff was completely taken aback when his grandfather joyfully shared with him the surprising news that there was a possibility of reuniting with his first love.

His first love? Is he going senile or what?

At his age, what good would it do even if they reunited? They're too old already.

It's not like he can still get it up. So what are they going to do when they meet each other? Have a staring competition?

Jeff thought to himself, not showing any reaction whatsoever as the old man continued speaking.

"Don't give me that disapproving look, alright! If you need to understand, it's not for my benefit, but for yours!" Grandfather Go shouted angrily at his grandson.

"Could you please explain what you meant by that, Grandpa? I'm a little confused. If you can't explain it in our native language, maybe you could try explaining it in English," Jeff said to his grandpa, with a mix of humor and frustration in his tone.

Truthfully, Jeff was just happy to see his grandpa still kicking and making a fuss rather than being six feet under.

He didn't care if he was speaking to that person for himself or for someone else. As long as he could still talk, seeing his grandfather alive and breathing was important to Jeff.

Grandpa Go continued to regale Jeff with elaborate and vivid stories of his first love. However, as Grandpa Go concluded his tales, he noticed that Jeff had already drifted off to sleep on the couch, completely unaware that he had unwittingly become engaged in the midst of the storytelling.

Jeff was caught off guard when his grandpa suddenly asked for his help in finding and contacting his first love.

Before he could even respond, his grandpa's tone turned serious. He said, "If you don't want to see me six feet under anytime soon, you better not disappoint me and give me a heart attack in the process. You hear me!"

This unexpected request left Jeff feeling a mix of confusion, concern, and a hint of nostalgia.

Jeff's affection for his grandfather knew no bounds; he was willing to go to great lengths to assist him, even if it meant postponing time with his new spouse.

***

Using all of his connections and resources, Jeff managed to locate his grandpa's first love faster than the private investigator. In just a few days, he was able to pinpoint the exact location where she was living.

Jeff realized that if his source could find her, then the private investigator hired by his grandpa could, too.

Without wasting any time, Jeff instructed his friend Ronald to contact the private investigator his grandpa had hired and brought him in to discuss the situation.

Jeff needed to handle Ann's affairs overseas before he could introduce her to his grandfather and the other important people in his life.

He planned to comply with his grandfather's request and delay the meeting until Ann was prepared to be introduced.

Jeff had devised a meticulous plan that hinged on securing the cooperation of the private investigator (P.I.). After extensive negotiations with substantial financial implications, the private investigator consented to refrain from disclosing any information obtained from his grandfather.

The private investigator also agreed to share all of his findings with Jeff before informing Jeff's grandfather. If everything went according to plan, Jeff could then bring Ann home to meet his grandfather.

Of course, that was under the condition that Ann was willing to come and stay married to him...