Read with BonusRead with Bonus

9

The Dday finally arrives. We find ourselves; Oliver and I outside the deans office. We are early no one is yet to arrive. Not even the dean.

"What if he lied to Andre? Oliver is standing at the notice board. My attention is drawn when I see an announcement for those that meet the requirements can start on the graduation application. I am drawn back when Oliver speaks again."On the card you received it did indicate he was out to get back at us." Oliver says worried. I know how much being in this university means to him.

"Whatever happens we deal with it." I encourage him.

"Then you better be ready." A voice says. I look up to find Quinn's hard stare on us. He is alone.

I stay tight-lipped. If I speak I will vex him and that will be bad for Oliver. Any day It would be my pleasure to argue with him. However Oliver has other plans...

"If you think you can terrorize us like your father did to mine. You are wrong!" Oliver hisses at him.

"No one that is terrorizing you. And neither did my father. Your father was a cheap liar, a fraud, a money launder and worse a dishonest business man."

The words that comes out of Quinn's mouth send me flying next to him. He doesn't see it coming when my palm collides with his hard cheek. The slap makes him unconsciously whip his head back. How dare he speak in that manner about my father. I am yet to meet a more integrity soul than him.

"Don't ever speak about him like you knew him." I sternly point at him. Waving my index finger.

He takes my finger between his strong grip, he countlessly grits his teeth, "Don't ever, and i mean ever do that again." There's darkness in eyes as he stares back at me.

Oliver jumps between us tearing his hold on me. "Don't ever threaten my sister!" Oliver warns him.

"She then should learn never to hit a man."

"You should also learn how treat women."

"Oliver allow him to continue..." I pull Oliver back.

Quinn brushes the tip of his nose. "I said all that was to be said, if you sketched your way into my life for some revenge mission. I am sorry for you. You should get your facts right first." He remarks.

He is impossible. I can't stand him.

"I have my facts right and can prove them. Your father set my father up. He could not fathom how a simple boy that had worked for him as a gardener later his chauffeur could rise beyond him. How a mere nobody topped the Forbes. My father was celebrated, he was a story to tell and be read. A rag to riches story. And soon when your father's business was having financial crisis, he stepped up to finance some of his operating expenses. But your father was out to destroy him. He audited his company and released false information that my father was involved in fraudulent activities including but not limited to money laundering." I sit down. I am super furious. "He got arrested, few months while he was in jail awaiting court hearing he was murdered. And everything became clear when my uncle, the brother to my father, took over my father's businesses and " gifted" your father some of my father assets. Saving your father's troubled business. They were all in this together." I am out of breath, my mouth burning with dire need to quench unexplainable thirst. I blink severally not to lose it. It is like I am reliving those horrible days spent on jail corridors. The screaming of guards, "no touching" whenever I tried to hug my father.

Quinn is silent for a moment.

He huffs, "You are very wrong. Did your 'saint' father tell you that it was my father that gave him money to start his first business of food truck?" Quinn questions me with so much gravity.

I humorlessly smile, and nod. "He did. And he paid your father every single cent. Did your father tell you that he threatened him when he declined to sell him his business when it started to grow?"

He exhales and goes mum, obviously, his father didn't tell him. Mr. Nickel did send hooligans to vandalise the two other food trucks my father had acquire. They burnt them. At that time my mother had just given birth to me.

"Thought so," I say to him.

"That doesn't change the kind of man your father was..." He lets out.

"And that showed the kind of man your father is" I speak my truth.

He runs his hand over his hair, it is in a hot mess.

"I will prove to you Cooper, how wrong you are."

"And I will bring justice to the one's that wronged us, Nickel." I match his tone.

Someone clears their throat, we both turn to find the dean's secretary eyes on us. I quickly move when I realise I am on her way. I mumble an inaudible sorry as she walks past me.

Quinn shoots me a last glance before he heads to sit the other side. Oliver joins me. I am still whirling in anger, he just had to provoke me. Say the nastiest lies about my father when he was just a victim of his family's greed.

We stay for a while before the dean and the rest of the board arrives wasting no time and calling Oliver and Quinn to the boardroom. Courtney shows up later to show support to Quinn which is expected as they will soon be tying the note.

As soon as a decision is reached Oliver walks out first. His head hanging on his shoulders like a papaya. It must be bad news and Quinn lied to Andre.

"How did it go?" I ask him as we exit the dean office building.

"I am not getting expelled." He mutters sadly.

"Isn't that exciting?"

"It only makes Quinn feel like he owns us."

"I don't think that's how he feels."

Oliver ignores me and unlocks his SUV. It is really in a bad condition. I watch him drive away before I get into my Audi. I have an afternoon interview.

I can't believe that I am actually doing this. I am going to face the people I have avoided all through.

The Cooper Tower comes to view. I rub my sweaty palms against my skirt suit. What if they recognize me. I halt in front of it and pick the folder with my resume and credentials. I breath in and out before stepping out.

Soon all this will be mine again, one day at a time.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter