Chapter 11

Penelope

Classless. 

To call the opening a flop would be an insult to the word flop. It was a mess, it looked more like a fancy party where James' friends could eat free food and drink to their satisfaction. I was irritated as I sat at a table in front of the hall with a view of everything happening, the table had six chairs, three on each side. It was probably for the investors. Vanessa tried to maintain control but she was falling miserably. 

The highlight of the whole opening was when the investors came in. 

Few weeks before the opening, I had hired people to pose as investors for the opening. They made contact with James and he sent his business goal and projects he would love to embark upon, which was impressive even to me, his ideas are great, if he had only taken the righteous path to build his company he might have done well. 

I picked out three investors, one of which would be posing as an Asian foreigner willing to bet his millions on James company. He will be the only investor who would be showing interest in the runnings of the company. His job is to put pressure on James. 

When they came in, James friends finally had the intuition to shut the fuck up. James was informed of their arrival by the ushers, he grabbed Vanessa's arm and ran to the entrance. I sat comfortably on my seat, with a wine glass in hand, watching how days of planning was finally coming into play. 

"This way Mr.Anderson, Mr.Willa" James said bowing slightly. 

"How humble" I muttered to myself as he led them to my table with Vanessa in tow.

"Thank you Mr-" Mr.Anderson said like he forgot James name after taking a seat right in front of me. When I picked him, I had this slight worry of him getting too into character since he is an actor. 

"Please just call me James since we would be like one big family now" he replied. They all laughed about it but I could see James' eyebrows twitch a little. He didn't like it. I had purposely sat on the middle seat at my side of the table, knowing James, he would have an issue with it.

"Babe, can you move to the other seat?" James whispered to me. 

"No. You should have kept tags on the seat if you wanted me to sit somewhere else" I muttered, audible enough for him to hear me. With a sigh he sat on the next chair to my right. Anderson kept looking between James and I hoping for an introduction but James is too slow to actually understand. 

"James, you haven't introduced the lady" he finally said.

"Oh, I am sorry. This is Penelope Mount, my wife" he introduced me. I was glad I decided to keep my family name in my past life and this life. 

The wife part still irked me.

"Mount? As in the Mount Family?" Anderson asked

"Yes, Mount as in Mount. Why are you so surprised? I sent out the broadcast with my name" I replied, extending my hand out to him. I never sent any broadcast, I wasn't willing to tarnish my family's name like that. 

"I didn't actually think it would be the Mount family. It is a privilege to meet a Mount in my lifetime" he stood up and shook my hand with so much vigor. 

Idiot he is making this too obvious. 

"The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for honouring our invite" while I was still saying that an usher ran over to our table again to inform James that the Asian tycoon just arrived. He rushed over with Vanessa again to welcome him. I spent a lot of money on this guy so he had better not be a waste. I leaned forward when it was just the three of us left on the table and said "Take it easy" looking directly at Anderson. 

He didn't have time to reply since James came in with the Asian tycoon dressed in Arabian attire. My stylist did a really good job. After the introductions, they got done to business, it looked like I wasn't paying attention to their discussion with me swirling my wine in its glass and looking at it intently but I was. I have to gather as much information as I can on his business, understand it well to destroy it well. Hard work. In about an hour, James had convinced them into investing in his company, now they were deliberating on the shares percentage to be given to each investor. 

"Before we continue, I have a condition for investing. Where I come from we have a culture that as helped young businesses to

thrive, I hope that you will adopt that too." Mr. Khalid, the Asian investor said with a deep accent . 

"Of course, go ahead" Vanessa said a while after, since James refused to talk. 

He doesn't like the word condition, at all. 

"For the first five years of business commencement all profits after deducting administrative expenses and of course, shareholders dividend, profit should be returned back into the business has capital" after he said that, the whole table was silent. 

James and Vanessa have the tendency to be extravagant, the only way he would keep needing me is if I am the only source to fund that lavish lifestyle, that is why I added this clause. They would only get paid as every other worker in the company would, no benefits as business owners. 

"What? It is my company" James jerked out of the chair. Show off, all this shit isn't even worthy to be called a company yet. 

"I also think that is a good idea, it will help speed up the growth of the company" Mr.Willa, the middle aged man I hired, finally spoke for the first time. 

"What you are trying to say if I get you correctly is that all company funds have to go through your approval before it is disbursed?" I asked so that James and Vanessa can understand correctly what they mean. 

"Exactly" Mr.Khalid said

"That shouldn't be a problem for you James, I mean you are married to a Mount after all." Anderson said smiling. 

James was still standing and I tugged

on his suit telling him to sit down. This was the time to convince them I was on their side, so I get to work immediately.

"Exactly Mr.Anderson. I am a Mount and everyone in this country knows what that means, I don't think this clause is necessary because we already have enough to spend" I said nonchalantly, like the spoiled brat I should be. 

"Yes, this is ridiculous,"James said, nodding his head in agreement to what I just said. 

"Forgive me Ms. Mount but this is business and like you said since you already have enough to spend this shouldn't be an issue" Mr.Willa called us bluff. 

"That is my only condition, if you don't accept I walk. Business is business" Mr.Khalid concluded. 

Sighting I looked at both Vanessa and James. 

"And you Mr.Willa?" I asked

"I agree with Mr.Khalid" he replied

"Mr.Anderson?" 

"It is really an honour to do business with a Mount but I also see reasons to what they want" he slightly shrugged his shoulders. 

"Would you give us a minute to discuss while you help yourselves to the meals we have provided?" I asked politely. 

"Of course" they all stood up and left the table. 

"What do you guys think?" I asked as soon as they were out of hearshot. 

"I hate it, they want to take my company even before I start. This is why I never agreed to this in the first place" James said glaring at me. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked meekly. 

"If you didn't spend your inheritance uselessly all of these wouldn't be happening, we won't even need them" he said raising his voice. 

"Now it's my fault?" I asked with teary eyes looking at him then at Vanessa. 

"This is exactly what I told you about," I said to her. 

"Sit down James! we need to think of a way forward and not blame each other" she said. 

Then they started a conversation like I wasn't even present. 

"We have to take it"

"What?" 

"It is just for five years" 

"I won't have control, they will undermine me!" 

"I know, but look at the bright side. They are bringing in a lot of money" 

"They should trust me with it then" 

"Would you stop being arrogant and think about the future, your future, our future?" she looked at me when she said that part, trying to include me. Fantastic. 

"Fine!" she finally succeeded in convincing him. 

"Good, I will go and get them." she said standing up

"Wait" I grabbed her arm, willing her to sit. "What is it?" James asked in disgust

"Since I am bringing in as much money as the shareholders are, I want a share in the company" I said looking at James. 

"What? Are you-" 

"Pen hon, you already have a share in the company, I mean James is your husband after all" Vanessa said cutting James rant off. 

"Van, since he is so blinded and won't appreciate our efforts we need to make him" 

"Us?" 

"Yes, you also deserve a part of the shares" 

I knew she won't be able to take James' side now that I mentioned him giving her out of the shares as well. 

"Oh" that was all she said. James noticing her switch immediately tried to talk her out of it. 

"You can't be serious, I am working my ass off for us here" he whisper-yelled

"You don't appreciate us enough. We did a lot for your dreams to be possible and you still blamed me for a decision I had no control over" 

"It isn't like we are going to use it against you or anything, we would always support you. You just have to show us here and now that you respect us. Right Van?" I said turning to face Vanessa hoping her greed would let her support me in this.

"Yes, I totally agree," she finally said.

"Fine, five percent each" James finally caved. 

"What are we dogs? What kind of offer is that? We do as much, maybe even more than they do and that is what you offer?" Vanessa was irritated at his answer. I knew I didn't have to talk much from here on.

"The shareholders are only taking forty percent in total, don't be greedy James. Thirty percent or nothing" She continued looking at me for my approval. I nodded and we both faced James. 

Few minutes later, after cursing back and forth, he finally agreed. Since I already accomplished my aim, I told them they should go on with the meeting without me. I stood up and said my goodbyes to the new shareholders and left. 

In my car, I couldn't help but smile. I own more than half of his company now, the forty percent from the investors plus my fifteen percent, I am the majority Shareholder has it should be.