"What's happening?" Tom asked. "What have you done to Oscar? Why has he disowned me?" He was whining, but he was so depressed that he barely cared how he sounded anymore.
Maryann let a small smile curve her lips. Alex clearly had sway over Oscar Steadman, and that was impressive. If he could influence the Steadman family, then he must be a powerful person in Baltimore.
When things are going badly, it never rains, but it pours, she thought, looking at Tom.
Alex gave a faint smile. "Don't worry about why; just focus on the fact that Oscar doesn't care about you anymore. These things happen." He shrugged.
Tom still couldn't understand what was going on. "You're too arrogant. Oscar has way more status than you, and you can't control him." He bit his lip as he thought quickly, and then he dialed another number.
"Alice," he muttered. "I'll speak to her, and she'll help me. You wait and see."
Tom pressed the buttons fiercely. Alice was always on his side, so she would persuade her husband to retract his earlier words and help Tom out. After dialing the number, he pressed the hands-free button so that Alex and Maryann could hear his conversation.
Nobody answered at first, so he tried again, and again. In total, he dialed eighteen times. Surely Alice knew nothing about what was happening. She wouldn't refuse to speak to him, would she? If she had seen the news, then surely Alice would call him to see how he was.
Nothing was normal now, and he didn't like it one bit.
Tom still couldn't believe the Steadmans were blocking his calls, so he pulled up Edward's contact details.
He dialed the number, and the three people in the office listened to the phone ring.
Tom looked happier. Edward would speak to Oscar and would help Tom plead his case. The phone kept ringing.
Tom tried to wait patiently. He told himself he had to calm down, that everything would be okay. He told himself Edward would find a way to save him.
The phone disconnected.
Tom tried to dial again. This time, the call was cut off immediately.
"Damn it!" He was furious as he continued to dial the number. This time, it didn't even connect, and a disembodied recording could be heard telling him that the number he had dialed was unavailable.
He was growing more and more desperate. His world suddenly felt frightfully cold and bleak, and the network of relationships that he had been proud of weaving for many years was turning out to be worthless. Nobody was coming to his aid.
Tom raised his head and had a good look at Alex, who seemed unperturbed by Tom's anguish. Alex radiated a confidence that only came with enormous self-belief.
Tom realized he had been foolish to underestimate Alex. He had been around long enough to know that you should never make assumptions about someone based on their appearance.
Even if Maryann had ordered Alex to make the phone call on her behalf, Alex must have had enough influence to ensure the orders were carried out quickly.
Idiot! he thought. He had been so sure of himself, so convinced things would play out as he had planned, that he hadn't seen what was right in front of him.
Tom closed his eyes and tried hard to recall everything that had happened, seeing his mistakes in slow motion. He opened his eyes again and said, "Maryann, I'm sorry. I got this all wrong. I spoke down to you when I should have respected your position as CEO of your company, and I should have apologized when this man told me to."
Maryann nodded slowly. "It's not just me you need to apologize to." She gestured to Alex.
Tom turned around and said to Alex, "I was wrong. I've been blind and stupid. Please, forgive me."
He had lost all his earlier arrogance, and he humbly hung his head.
Alex's face was expressionless. He just looked down at his fingers, examining his nails.
Tom spoke again, gathering confidence. "Maryann, let me make it up to you. I'll deal with the protesters outside, and I'll arrange compensation for them."
He believed that aligning himself with Robinson Winery was now his only way out of this situation. "Please, give me a chance to make things right."
Maryann was secretly satisfied with Tom's apology. She had never thought she would see him plead for mercy, and this outcome was a thousand times better than her original expectation of a dead end.
Alex had made just one phone call, and Tom's company had been destroyed, which had been entirely unexpected, even to her. Maryann didn't want to make a show of her pleasure at the way things had turned out, but she struggled to keep a smile from her face.
"Alex, you see… I think…" Maryann's thoughts were unfocused. She took a breath and gathered herself. "If we let Tom do this, then Robinson Winery won't have to be directly involved. It's a good solution for us."
Alex, however, hadn't forgiven Tom at all. His face was like stone as he said, "In case you've forgotten, I told you to kneel and make your apology."
"What?" Tom was taken aback. "I've admitted I was wrong, and I've apologized to both of you. But you still want to humiliate me? Isn't destroying my entire company enough for you?"
Tom's humility was rapidly disappearing. It was one thing to make a sincere apology and to offer a way to make amends, but he was not prepared to kneel to these people.
"Cut the crap and do what I say." Alex's tone was light, but his expression was deadly serious.
Tom bit his lip, seething with hatred. Wasn't it enough to ruin his life? Why did Alex have to insist he demean himself? But it seemed he had no other options left.
Tom stood up slowly.