3- TERRIBLE

    Coming back home, Zion tossed the wrecking crowbar under his bed and he directly went to his bed with a heavy feeling inside his heart because his boss didn't even listen to him. He was hurt and angry at Toni for the record and that is how his hatred toward her developed. 

    "What kind of boss is she? She didn't even doubt how the entrance door collapsed. She immediately fired me without knowing the real reason why the door collapsed. How infuriating! Is it because I didn't graduate that's why she judged me right away? They're all the same! Judger! Arrogant!" he pointed angrily while envisaging her face and remembering how she shoved him away just like that.

     —

    Morning came very quickly, Linda fixed her dress when she stood in front of Toni's door, she also arranged her hair to look presentable in her eyes, and then she breathed in as she is ready to face her boss. After fixing herself, she knocked twice and opened the door even without hearing a voice from inside. Toni, on the other side, is calmly standing in the glass window with her hands on the trousers in her pockets.

     ***

     After hearing Zion's testimony, she was restless and so, she went to the project site and looked at what he was saying, and to her observation, she did see traces that seemed to have been intentionally destroyed in her entrance door. Afterward, she looked at the opposite restaurant with a CCTV camera and because she wanted to know what really happened, she went in and begged the owner if she could see the video of the day when her entrance door collapsed. At first, the owner didn't agree but when she offered money, the old lady agreed and that's when she saw what really happened. She saw Linda intentionally wrecking the entrance door with the use of a wrecking crowbar and after it collapsed she went to the car that was parked at the side of the building like she was talking to somebody. She also saw that Linda took a white envelope that she assumed had money inside.

     ***

    "Good morning, Ma'am. What can I do for you this early morning?" Linda greeted nicely with a grin across her face even though she did something behind her back.

    "Tell me, Linda, where were you when the entrance door collapsed?" Toni asked first and she turned to see her face and reaction.

    "I-I was at my office, Ma'am," Linda answered that she got frightened so she stuttered but then again, she posed a smile as if nothing was wrong even though she had something to do with why the entrance door suddenly collapsed.

    "Really? But according to the CCTV outside you were out all day. And you said that you were at your office? Tell me, who was it?" Toni said seriously and frighteningly towards her. She then sat down on the couch without looking away from Linda as if she is waiting for her to speak the truth.

    "Wh-Who? What are you talking about, Ma'am?" Linda stuttered again because she ran out of excuses, and because she got caught red-handed. And because of her questions, she was sweating sticky, and cold.

    Toni in response smirked because she knows what she is trying to do and that is to escape from her queries. "I am not stupid, Linda, and you know that. Tell me, who told you to destroy the entrance door and who was behind it, and I will spare you," she said bluntly and showed the tablet that was on the table in front of her to let her watch the video of her wrecking the entrance door.

    To Linda's surprise, she gasped and gaped because she didn't think that she was caught on video while she was doing it. "Ma-Ma'am, I was just following orders to destroy the entrance door," she quickly confessed that she knelt in front of her so that she could pity her.

    "Orders? The who?" Toni said briefly with an emphasis in her voice as if she is ready to confront the person who intentionally destroyed her entrance door.

    "Mr. Ray and his daughter, Ma'am," answered Linda without hesitation, completely dropping who ordered her because she didn't want to be imprisoned since she knew her boss very well.

    "Very well," Toni said standing up on the couch but her eyes didn't leave Linda. "Surrender your ID and resignation letter to HR now because from now on you are fired. I don't want to see you again. How dare you point your finger at someone else. You are nothing but a peasant than to those two employees that I fired because of what you did," she pointed out and walked to her desk to pick up the telephone and dial a number. But then, she looked in front of her and saw Linda still not coming out of her office which annoyed her. "What are you waiting for? Do you want me to open the door for you? Get out," she demanded.

    Linda didn't answer because she knew what she did is wrong, so she didn't do anything but leave her office and go to her desk to put away her things since Toni already fired her.

    After some time, Mr. Ray knocked at Toni's office door.

    "Come in," Toni said as she stood up from her desk and walked to the middle of her office.

    And as to her order, Mr. Ray got inside and stood in front of her but before anything else he bowed his head to her to pay some respect since she is higher than him.

    "Good afternoon, Ms. Wayman. My secretary said that you wanted to see me. May I know why?" Mr. Ray greeted her with a smile like he didn't know anything like he is innocent.

    "Mr. Ray, can you tell me how much money did you invest here in my company?" Toni asked in a business tone of her voice while she was staring at him.

    "How much? I think I owned 15 percent share, Ms. Wayman," he confidently answered with a smile on his lips, arrogantly.

    "15 percent...hmm..." Toni said and she started walking around him like she is analyzing things. "But according to my audit, you get more than 15 percent share here in my company. I saw a lot of illegal transactions in the system. I have also talked to the people you cheated and they all said the same thing, you are a con man," she elaborated to him and she stopped walking when they finally faced each other.

    "Wh-what are you talking about?" Mr. Ray asked nervously and he took a step backward because he didn't like what came out of her mouth.

    "Please, let's not play hard to get here because I already caught you," Toni said with a smile and she stepped closer to him, intimidating him.

    "I—I don't know w-what you're talking a-about," Mr. Ray denied still doesn't want to admit it even though his heart is beating fast as if he was going to have a heart attack because of the tension he feels.

    "Oh. Really? Then, explain this," Toni pointed out seriously and she took a white folder on top of her desk and handed it to him to show him all the proofs she got.

    He anyways gets the white envelope and reads what's inside and as he keeps on reading his eyes widened because all the illegal transactions that he did are on it. "H-How—I don't know about this. This isn't true," he denied even though he saw the evidence that he was still holding in his two hands.

    "You are not going to tell the truth? Okay, fine. How about this...I will post your name and your daughter's name in the tabloid and I will make sure that the news will spread all over the world so, they would know what kind of father and daughter you two are. Do you like that to happen? No one will surely hire you two ever again which will be the reason why you will suffer. And because of my influence, everyone will shoo you away. Now, speak or I will," Toni boldly and sharply threatened him that he didn't give her a good option.

    Mr. Ray swallowed his saliva because of her threat. He didn't speak for a minute and just stared at her to weigh in on what he would choose, behind bars or being poor because no one will ever hire him and his daughter ever again. "You got me," he stated when he finally surrendered and lowered his eyes as he is guilty of everything she accused.

    "You made the right decision to speak now," she declared and returned to her desk. "However, I am not tolerating what you did. You hurt two innocent men so because of what you did, I am going to tell the whole world what kind of a person you are and your daughter. See you in prison too for destroying my project. Get out of my sight now and get ready for the charges that I will throw at you because I would want to see you behind the bars...for good," she told in a menacing tone that she did not let it escape because he made a terrible sin for colliding at her, but most importantly to the two men she expelled even they did nothing wrong.

    Meanwhile, Zion was walking home when he saw from afar that three men are going out of his house, the three were familiar to him because he owed them a debt that he still couldn't pay so, he hurriedly ran inside alone to find his younger sister on the floor with blood on her mouth and two arms which means they touched and hurt her. He also found that the house was in a super mess because of the three boys messing around. His temper immediately rose when he saw the situation of his younger sister and so, he walked to his room and took the wrecking crowbar from under his bed as he is ready to attack the three men who hurt his only family.

    "Brother! No! Zion!!!" Sarah shouted who was forced to stand up to stop her elder brother from putting blood on his hands because she knew what was going through his mind right now and that is to kill them so that they would stop bullying them.

    But he didn't hear her and when he came out he saw three big men walking with their backs facing him, he took that chance and hit the three of them on the head so hard that they immediately lost consciousness. After seeing them all on the ground, he let go of the crowbar he was holding and ran inside the house to fetch his younger sister and all the things that they need to live like a few clothes, an album with pictures of their family when they were still complete and money. Afterward, they took the bus and sat down like nothing happened and everything is fine.

    "Zion..." Sarah modestly called her older brother who was on her right and looking from far away like he is thinking of the next move they will do.

    "We did nothing wrong, Sarah. We are just protecting ourselves, self-defense was all I just did," Zion said as he explained their situation to her then, he took his phone and changed the sim card on it to make sure that he will not receive any more texts or calls from their debtors.

    "Where are we going?" Sarah asked curiously as she noticed the view from the window.

    "I don't know. Just far from this terrible hometown," Zion answered briefly and leaned his back on the chair as he relaxes and frees his mind from thinking too much.

    — — —

    Toni, on the other hand, breathed out while she is staring at her business phone as she is hesitant to call. "I hope they agreed to come back," she mumbled and she started to dial Drew's number. After two rings someone picked up the call. "Good afternoon, is this Drew Kano?" she asked for assurance. "Hi, Mr. Kano, this is Toni Wayman, the owner of Tri-Way Company and I am here to call you because I want you back here in my company. There's a misunderstanding about what happened at the entrance door so, tomorrow I want you to report on duty. Thank you so much for answering and I apologize for the misunderstanding. Bye," she directly mentioned without telling the full details of what happened at the entrance door. Then, she dialed Zion's number but he is not answering until she finally put down the phone. She stared at the phone and said, "Is he that upset and he's not answering my calls? Well, his loss, not mine." And she stood to walk out of her office without minding it because she had other things to do.

     — — —

    Lunchtime, Toni is patiently sitting in the fancy dining restaurant when she hears her stomach rumbling and so, she ordered food and the food arrived after a while.

    "To hell with that man, I am starving," Toni whispered to herself and started eating.

    She had finished the main course when suddenly a man came and stood in front of her.

    "Hi, I am so sorry and I'm late. I can see that you have already eaten. Sorry if I keep you waiting," the man said with a smile and sat down in front of her.

    "Stand up," she spoke in a menacing tone and she wiped her mouth with a white napkin.

    "Excuse me?" replied the man who lost the smile on his face.

    "I said stand up. Are you deaf?" Toni commanded seriously, giving him a sharp look.

    "And why would I?" bravely asked the man who didn't budge from it.

    "Because I didn't let you just yet. Don't you have manners?" she annoyingly responded and raised an eyebrow to intimidate him.

    "What?" He chuckled at the behavior she was showing that he didn't like. "Do you even know who am I?" he asked and his facial expression suddenly changed into a serious one.

    "I don't care who you are but as far as I know, I am richer than you. Now, get out of my sight before I call the guards. You are one hell of a sight," she madly stated with so much control in her voice but still with authority.

    The guy smirked with annoyance and he got up from his chair, he threw the napkin he was holding on the table, and then he left without saying a word because he knew that he had nothing against someone richer than him.

    And with that, Toni continued eating as if nothing had happened.

    Eventually, Toni arrived at the coffee shop, she looked around to see a familiar face when her eyes fixed on the man who is sitting and playing on his phone. Automatically, her eyes rolled because according to what she could see, the man wanted to do nothing but play and he was not interested at all in their date. She cleared her throat when she reached the table but the man ignored her and so, she just sat in front of him even without his permission. Silently, they both sit down and just mind their own business.

    "This is a waste of time," Toni said out loud to get his attention and because she was irritated by his attitude.

    "I know you are here because of your mother. So, am I. If you have other things to do you can go now. I don't mind," said the man who didn't even look at her because he was busy playing on his phone.

    "Fancy that. I'm leaving now," she seriously replied and stood up, leaving him because she didn't want anyone wasting her time as she is a busy woman.

    Moving along, Toni stood in front of the simple resto for quite some time because she is wondering why she is at a cheap restaurant instead of an expensive one.

    "This better be good," she whispered to herself and went inside even though she was full of wonder.

    Meanwhile, a guy in a white shirt and black pants is patiently waiting at his table and he doesn't take his eyes off the entrance to watch for his date. He keeps looking at his phone too to see if his date has arrived or not. Then all of a sudden, the time seems to slow down and a beautiful woman enters with a strong appearance. He scanned her and just the way she dressed immediately attracted him, and when he compared the girl to the picture he was holding inside his phone, his eyes widened because finally, the date he was waiting for had arrived. He quickly hid his phone and approached her to formally introduce himself to her.

    "Hello, my name is Lawrence Franco. You must be Toni Wayman, right? It's very nice to meet you. You look lovely," he introduced himself with a smile and extended his right hand between them to shake her hand.

    "Likewise. Tell me, do you really want us to date here?" Toni asked hesitantly as she looked around with judgments already inside her head, and without shaking his hand.

    "Trust me, the food here is delicious. You will love it here. Come," he offered energetically and he pulled her waist for them to get inside and go back to the table where he was a while ago.

    And like a true gentleman, Lawrence pushed the chair so, she could take a sit, and then he sat in his chair.

    "Excuse me! Order, please," he called, raising his right hand so the server could see him, and then he looked back at Toni. "So, how are you? Can you tell me something about yourself? I am curious," he said cheerfully to make her feel comfortable.

    "There's nothing to tell about me. How about you? Do you have anything to tell me about yourself?" she answered without giving it a sensible answer so instead, she threw the question back at him.

    "Well..." he hummed but before answering he drank some water. "I am an outgoing person, I love adventures that's why we are here now. I am giving you a taste of my adventures and I am telling you even though this resto is small the food here is amazing," he said happily.

    In a minute, the server arrived and Lawrence chose the food since he knows the resto better than her. Eventually, the waiter came back with the food so they started eating, and she is classy as ever as he immediately noticed. They actually had a good time while eating because he kept talking and entertaining her until they finished eating. They left the restaurant together and stood on the side.

    "So, do you have plans after our date? Or, do you want to come with me to my flat?" he questioned with a naughty look.

    And at that moment, Toni's view suddenly changed, which was the reason why she took a step backward away from him. "Okay, stop right there. I am not going anywhere alone with you. Actually, I have a lot of things to do so, I've gotta go," she said seriously, obviously avoiding him.

    "Hold up," he mentioned and he grabbed her right arm to stop her from walking away from him. "You are not going anywhere. I showed you the other side of me so now, you have to come with me to show what's inside of you," he told in a cold tone of his voice.

    "No way. Let go of me. I said let go!" she immediately responded and angrily pulled her right hand from him.

    For a moment, they both stared at each other as if they were measuring who was braver between them.

    "Try to touch me again and I am going to make sure that you will not see the sunshine tomorrow. Don't dare me," she threatened him and she walked away without looking back at him.

    After what happened, Toni entered her car and closed her doors immediately because somehow she was afraid of what he did. She even clenched her teeth because of what happened.

    "What a day. I feel terrible. I am not going on any date ever again," she told herself and then, she started the engine of the car and left.

    To be continued...