Chairman

Employees were rambling back and forth all over the building like busy bees. However, they seemed to stop when they saw the two Roswell brothers, including me in between the two bad-tempered men. After a second, even before we could reach the reception table, a receptionist instantly came over to us and bowed his head slightly to recognize their future boss in the near future.

“Chairman Roswell informed us that you’ll pay a short visit this afternoon. Follow me, Sir,” the male worker then diverted his gaze on me before he continued, “And Ma’am.” He flashed a wide grin on his lips in excitement, perhaps, and the young man’s metallic gray orbs then glimmered as he gawked at my face for quite a while.

“Aww, he must be a fan,” I thought to myself. Thus, I returned his smile, which caused him to blush. However, not long enough, Jenn instantly interrupted between the male’s cute reactions to my simple smile. Well, ain’t I amazing though?

“Where’s the chairman?” Alistair queried in a domineering tone towards the employee, to which has directly been responded.

The man bowed once more before gesturing his hand to the hallways that were straight from where we were at the moment. While doing so, he finally opened his mouth to tell us to follow him. “My apologies, Sir. Now, let’s proceed.” Jeff Kohli, the male employee, as shown on his name tag pinned on the left of his chest, guided us to the elevator. He let me get in first before the two Roswell’s as if I’m the owner of these fine things rather than the real owners. Although, by thinking about it, it’s quite intriguing!

Even the mere thought of it sent both tingles and goosebumps!

As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, a more immense setting welcomed my eyes. All of it, from the paintings, then the furniture and portraits. A minute later of sauntering through the long hallways towards the far-end room, we finally reached the chairman’s office. Oh, boy, I’m speechless even just for the freaking door. Note that I’m not exaggerating at this moment! The door has a golden doorknob, for Pete’s sake! However, I couldn’t further scrutinize the details any longer because the male employee, Jeff Kohli, instantly opened it using the right knob since it’s a double door.

But what I do know for a fact is that this building alone may have cost a fortune! All the artifacts were taken care of, despite some of the modern twists of architecture. After a minute from opening up the chairman’s office door, an older man, perhaps in his early forties or mid-fifties, was then exposed with a focused face before tons of paper works in his desk. His glasses were positioned on top of his tall nose while he squinted both of his eyes to read the written documents.

When he finally noticed us by the door, he took off his spectacles and then placed them on his table. The Roswell’s chairman, the great Mauro Vann Roswell, was finally sitting in front of us, and his head was leaning on the dark maroon swivel chair’s headrest. After a while, the chairman spoke, “Finally! My two sons have now visited me. Oh, and could you leave us for a moment, Mr. Kohli?”

“Yes, Sir,” Jeff promptly replied, “I shall go back to the reception, Mr. Chairman. Have a great time with your sons, and call me if you need something else.”

“I’d sure will,” Chairman Roswell said in such a pompous manner. “Now, have a seat, Alistair. Sit here on my other side, Jenn.” However, as soon as his eyes darted on mine, a confused expression wrapped onto his face. “Oh, and you are?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mauro Vann Roswell. I am Matilda Hauxley,” I humbly introduced to the old man. Well, it’s better to knock off a good impression on the first meeting. The chairman was not as stiff as I expected him to be, though. He seemed to be a jovial type of person and father, despite the absence of her wife.

Chairman Roswell’s face crumpled after my introduction, and God forbid, I had thought that I may have said something wrong. Until Alistair then spoke to break the probable silence around the old chairman’s office. “She’s a celebrity, father. You must’ve heard, or even read her name on televisions and magazines.”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. I have heard it somewhere,” the chairman mumbled and nodded his head along as he agreed to Alistair’s suggestion. “Come in, dear. Join my boys for some tea that has been prepared not long before you’ve arrived here. Haa, it’s good to share a moment with you both, Alistair and Jenn.”

While the three conversed about something, to which I didn’t even understand, I only went to their office bench which is identical to the sofa benches at the two Roswell brothers' mansion but of different sizes. But the minute I plopped on the soft lounge, Chairman Roswell suddenly glanced at me and gave me a cup of tea before speaking, “You seem to be a fine lady, Matilda. How did you meet my sons?”

Before I could even open my lips, Jenn answered instead, “Matilda is my girlfriend, Sir, and we’ve planned to get married as soon as possible.” With utmost haste, I waved my hands to the chairman and repeatedly said the phrases ‘no’ and ‘he is just blabbering’ which made the old chairman let out a chuckle. Afterward, the old Roswell finally gave a statement as a reply to my denial reaction. On the other hand, Jenn looked indeed angry because of my decline. “It’s true, Sir, Matilda and I will get married before this year ends.”

“Please call me father, my son,” the chairman gently muttered, “Call me father.”

“Okay, father,” Jenn hardly spoke as if it’s the most difficult word he has to say when in fact, he had addressed the chairman as his father at the mansion. Although, those simple words had made the chairman smile as if he’s the luckiest father in the universe, merely because of his sons calling him a father. Then, his gape moved onto his oldest son, Alistair, before he again created a conversation.

“I suppose you’re here to discuss the inheritance and successor topics, though, my answers will forever be the same, so listen up. All ears on me, please,” the chairman declared, and thus, their family meeting then continued while I kept quiet about my position. As if I’m out of place or whatnot but then, my name was mentioned thereafter. It’s again Jenn who insisted on us marrying in front of his father, and I didn’t do anything except for sipping a cup of tea as if nothing had happened. Duh, I may be good at acting, but it doesn’t mean that I have a hint of what they’ve been debating on.

Nah, acting industries and huge businesses won’t ever meet.

“I have told you, father, Matilda and I will get married,” Jenn quarreled to the old man.

“But Jenn,” the chairman replied in such a gentle voice, “Alistair has finally changed his mind, and that he decided to take my place when the time comes that I need to leave this world. Jenn, you should assist your brother first before you jump straight into the highest position. It will be a failure on the investors’ part if we ever commit any type of mistake within the Roswell Group.”

Jenn’s guise turned into a more vicious one, and he took a glass of tea before throwing it on the floor near me, since we’re sitting close enough to one another, some of the shattered pieces shortly hit the side of my feet. I winced in pain because of what Jenn had done, even though he had no intention of hurting me at all. Hence, I stood up from the soft couch before grabbing a piece of the shattered glass, I then took Jenn’s hand, placed it on top of the table, and crashed the shattered piece on the table near his hand. It earned a startled face from him, until he has recovered from what I’ve done.

On the other side, the old chairman’s eyes expanded at the scene, while Alistair merely painted a satisfied grin on his guise. “Y-You frightened me f-for a second, young lady,” Chairman Roswell blurted after he somehow recovered by the sudden stunt I have just done right now. Shit, that wasn’t supposed to happen in such a brutal way! However, I was perplexed at the chairman’s next statements. “But that was so good to watch, although I’m worried for my son’s hand.”

It’s not one of my usual reflexes, although I have acted like that on drama scenes.

“Isn’t she great, father?” Alistair spoke meaningfully, including his stares.

Well, except for Jenn. “Great? Fuck, she almost had disseminated my hand!”

Ugh, he’s boiling the blood inside of me!

“Hmm,” the chairman hummed as if he had something in his mind. Afterward, the old chairman spoke once again. “Matilda seemed to be a great wife for you, my son, Jenn. I will approve the wedding, then, and the engagement party will take place after a month or so. What do you think? It’s good to have a woman to look after you, guide you, and help you throughout. Matilda seemed to be a perfect match.”

“But father!” Alistair slightly whined as a contradiction. As well as Jenn and I. However, it felt like my world had completely crashed, like the broken glass that I’ve previously smashed on the table when the old chairman plastered a knowing grin before uttering, “See you on your engagement day, Matilda.”

Oh, no! Alistair will take the successor title, yet I’m bound to marry Jenn! It can’t be!