It all happened like I was in some kind of movie, now that I was back at the office, I was reliving the what had happened in my head seeing the warehouse up in flames with the terrified employees staring helplessly at the futile efforts of the firefighters to save whatever is left of the building.
".....I.. heard there was an electrical malfunction" Cherry said in between sniffs, and I was forced back into reality to look at her swollen face, her make up was all ruined but I remained unfazed, solving this problem would require much more than crying.
"How much can our insurance cover?" I said almost emotionless, I was already overwhelmed with worry and Fatigue.
"Not too much to handle the outstanding debt and new debt" she said pulling herself together and before I could say anything else my door barged open and I saw my father marched in with a sign of worry written on his face, my face plastered with some kind of relief, is he worried about me?.
"Dad" I said standing up from my seat, cherry did the same too.
"I heard there was an accident at the warehouse.....how bad is it going to affect the company?" He said concerned written on his face, I felt my inside twist in disappoinment.....I had thought he was worried about me.
"Dad please have a seat, cherry will explain" I said and took my seat, looking away to hide my weariness the last thing I want my dad to see me as is incapable while cherry sat beside him. There was no need to hide anything about the state of the company from him again, cherry made him realize the huge debt the company had run into and the regular decline in the sales of the goods and how it's been a miracle that I had held on this far. It took hours and hours of showing him endless accounts on debts that was still unpaid, his face was emotionless while cherry trailed on and on and I bit my Lower lip trying to contain my anxiety, how can he not ask me how I had been coping all this while?, Does the company means so much more to him than I do?. Suddenly he stood up from his seat and walked towards the window, he had probably heard enough of my incompetence and he'll probably give me a piece of his mind.
"I can't believe this" he said to him self but loud enough for me to hear.
" What dad?" I said standing up from my seat to walk towards him, cherry too was now on her feet.
"I'm disappointed in you Flora" He announced turning from the window to face me as I sighed deeply.
"Cherry please excuse us" I said and I heard her leave immediately, "dad ...just like any other company we are having our own share of a bad time" I said trying to keep my emotions in check, I shouldn't give him anymore reason to be disappointed in me.
"You know what this company means to your mom and I, your sister put her all into this company, is this how you repay all her hardwork and sacrifices she's done for our family?" He asked his face filled with pain at the reference to my sister, he's obviously still grieving over her death, after all this years, that proves am nothing compared to my sister no matter what I do. I can't compete with her even when she's dead.
"Dad I'm sorry.....I tried all I could but things just kept getting worse and worse, I'll do my best dad....I'll get the company out of this situation, give me another chance" I pleaded, it's the least I could do, I had not only let him down but I have also disappoinment him, why am I so Ill-fated? why do I keep failing everyone in my life including myself. First the company, Tim, my parents, my sister, when will I ever stop being a disappoinment?. he stared at me closely for a while not uttering a word before his gaze shifted from me to the table behind me.
"Being here..... reminds me a lot about her" He suddenly said after taking a quick look around the office for a while, his eyes showing hint of sadness
" I'm sorry dad, I didn't mean to hurt you" I apologized again hoping that would ease the pain he was feeling at the moment, I know how he feels like, I felt the same way when I stepped in to the office few years ago, this was the first time in a while he was coming to his late daughter's office and hearing the news that her hardwork and dedication is crumbling to ashes is obviously more than he could bear.
" I know you're overwhelmed.....you certainly don't understand what this means to your mother and I, it's the only thing that reminds us of her, the company was her dream and ambition, it was everything she ever wanted Flora....to make the company a success and soar to great heights. When I learnt of your desire to continue her dream, we were glad....her name won't have to fade away...but...now that am learning about your struggles...l... feel like am loosing her over again" Dad confessed sounding broken.
"Dad.....I'm so--"I said but was interupted.
"I have a friend..... he'll help you out with some loans if you visit him..... your sister goes to him when she's having a hard time with the company" he suddenly said his face returning back to it's emotionless form walking back to the table.
"Do you think that friend of yours can help out with this huge amount of debt" I quizzed talking back in my businesswoman tone, I had to show him I'm tough enough to handle the situation.
"Yes Flora" was his short reply
"Well who would give out that amount of money as a loan without going bankrupt or something?" I asked curiously walking towards him as i watch him scribble something down on a piece of paper on the table.
"I know you are still new to the business world Flora, but you'll get to understand something soon, our friend is not just anyone Flora...they own the business world" Dad said now facing me. " Our goal as a family is to fulfill your sister's dream of making this company one of the best in the city" Dad said placing his hands on my shoulders "let's fulfill her dream so that she'll rest in peace" he urged with a sad smile on his face.
"Okay dad, I'll make you proud and fulfill her dream" I assured and he smiled sadly at me again before he gave me the paper he had scribbled something on. I took a look at the paper and saw some numbers scribbled on the paper, I looked up at him curiously.
"Call the number and tell him my name, he'll quickly fix up a meeting with you, make sure you go..... I'll tell him you're going to call" he said his face void of emotions, he must be really disappointed in me. I can't make him grieve any more. I have to stop causing anymore pain for him and mom and if saving this company will do that, I'll do my best to make sure the company doesn't fail.
"Okay dad, I promise I'll make things right, no matter what it takes" I assured him. He gave me a slight nod with his cold stare and walked out of my office, I felt myself release the air I didn't know I had been holding in and cherry entered immediately he left.
"Oh gosh, Are you okay Flora?" she gasped seeing me breathing heavily, I sat down at the edge of the table with my arms folded across my chest, of course I wasn't okay, no matter what I did I could never outshine my sister's legacy, they would just keep rubbing her accomplishments in my face while I struggle to keep her legacy intact, it's overwhelming, I've lost myself even more trying to comfort everyone around me except for myself, now there's no going back. I have to quit being a disappoinment, taking Fionna's place in the world would do that for me. I sighed loudly and looked at Cherry's concerned face.
"I hope all our employees at the warehouse are alright" I asked her and she walked towards me with concerned written on her face.
" Yes everyone is fine." she said suddenly stretching her arms to pat my shoulders "Your dad wasn't to harsh on you, right?" she asked rubbing my shoulder warmly.
" No.... on the contrary, he helped us on how to get some loan from some kind of business god or something" I said silently already diving into thoughts on other alternatives on how to save the company.
" Wow that's great! what a relief, I was already thinking of how to cut down on the budget i spend on make-up because I know salary payment won't be as steady as before" she said dabbing fake sweats from her forehead, I realized she had fixed her makeup and was all dolled up like she was in the morning. I gave her a cold glare. "Seriously! reducing her budget on her cosmetics is the worst thing that could happen to her if the company begins to falter in the payment of their staff's salaries" I thought to myself. As if reading my thoughts she flashed me a nervous smile and suddenly changed the topic.
"look it's almost time!" she announced delightedly.
"For what?" I blurted out Walking back to my seat my eyes now fixed on the scattered files on the table and I began to arrange them, cherry joined me but didn't stop speaking.
"Oh don't tell me you've forgotten, you have a reunion party with you high school mates this night, it's 7pm already.... your friend texted you the address and time back at the warehouse" Cherry explained as if certain I don't remember a thing about my schedule, my eyes widen in realization and sighed out defeatedly.
"I can't go cherry, the company is more important at the moment" I said sadly, I knew I was letting my old friend Bianca down.
" But-----but" Cherry protested but was interupted by my phone call, I picked up my phone and sighed at the sight of the ID caller, it was Bianca.
" Am sorry Bianca, something came up and I don't think I can make it to the reunion." I said not waiting to hear her excitedly squeal my name out
"Bulls*** Flora!... I'm right at the front of your office staring at you through your transparent wall, and damn!.....I also don't think you can make it to the reunion dressed like Ellen DeGeneres's twin sister but not to worry your bestie's got you covered" she squealed into the phone excitedly and I looked up to see a figure with a blue hue standing through the blur part of the glass with the face of the figure plastered on the clear part of the glass wall with a huge smile, it seems she was calling out my name through the glass but it's all muffled and undecipherable.
"who's that?" Cherry asked squinting her eyes to see the figure at the door.
"That's Bianca Harts.... the girl who doesn't take "No" for an answer" I said my mouth dropping in disbelief.
"Why won't she just come in, the door's open? Cherry quizzed completely lost at the sight of the glass disfigure her face into comical shapes.
"Obviously because she likes to cause a scene and my slow-witted secretary won't open the damn door!!Get the door cherry!!" I barked forcing cherry back into reality as she impulsively dashed over to the door causing all the books she had stacked up neatly to fall to the ground, I sigh in frustration running my hands through my hair as Bianca barged in with what seemed like all the entire clothe section of a store.
"Did somebody say parrrrrtttyyyy?" she squealed striking one of her modeling pose with her perfectly endowed figure, cherry squeals and claps her hands together like some kind of child excited to see a house full of candy, she had realize that the woman that was standing before her was none other than Bianca Harts..one of the world's most famous international models.