CHAPTER 9… PROMOTION
"It's beautiful, right?" Timothy mumbled.
Selena looked at him before looking up to the sky. She hummed.
"It's serene and safe."
Timothy nodded.
"What are we talking about?"
Selena started to walk towards a bench at the side and Timothy followed. When they were seated, she started to speak.
"I don't mean to pry, but what happened to Bella?" She asked.
Silence.
Selena sighed.
"Bella isn't one to be beaten down by a mere fever, something must be wrong somewhere."
"She's traumatized," Timothy mumbled. He looked up to meet Selena's eyes and said, "she's traumatized by something. I don't know what."
Selena took a moment to think before nodding her head.
"Why doesn't she like the housekeeper? Or rather, why does the housekeeper not like her?" She asked again.
Timothy shrugged and looked away.
"I don't know. They just don't get along the least bit."
"Thanks for the meal, it was good." Timothy mumbled and Selena smiled and nodded.
*****
Selena stood in front of her brother's bedroom and shoved her hands in her pocket.
"You can crash here for the night," she said. "It's Rick's room and he won't be returning until evening."
Timothy nodded.
"Thank you. About your brother, where does he work?"
"Oh, Rick? He works at the Grand Conglomerate." Selena replied.
Timothy arched a brow.
How did he never find a name like that in his staff files?
"What's his job?"
Selena thought for a while before she said, "He's in the technical department. I guess."
Timothy nodded.
"That's nice. Goodnight, Miss Scott."
"Goodnight, Mr. Lancaster."
Selena got into her room and laid down beside Bella. She wrapped her arms around the child and closed her eyes to sleep.
Meanwhile, Timothy laid on the bed, unable to sleep. He grabbed his phone and placed a call across to Marcella, his assistant.
Marcella sleepily picked up the phone, internally cursing at Timothy for waking her up from sleep.
"Marcella, I want you to give me a list of everyone in the technical department by morning." Timothy ordered and before Marcella could respond, he had hung up and tossed the phone aside.
He noticed a photo on the table in the room. Timothy stood up and reached for it.
After staring at it for a while, he realized that the man in the picture must be Rick. He looked very much like Selena too.
Timothy returned the photo and laid down. He kept thinking of what he couldn't even understand until he fell asleep.
*****
Timothy woke up to a knock on the door. He opened the door to find Selena. She was already dressed. In her hands was something, it looked like a folded blanket.
"Hey, good morning" she greeted with a smile on her face and stretched her hands.
"Good morning,"
"I figured you'd need these." She nudged at the clothes. "They were my brother's but, he's added weight and outgrown them. They should fit you properly."
Timothy took the clothes and smiled faintly. He looked at Selena.
"Thank you."
Selena nodded and took a few steps back.
"You should get dressed already."
"Sure"
Timothy returned to the room and looked at the clothes. They weren't expensive but she was right, they would fit him just right.
He bathed and got dressed. When he came out, Selena and Bella were seated at the table and waiting for him.
They had breakfast. When they were done, Timothy left for work, leaving Bella in the hands of Selena.
"We've got all the day to ourselves, what should we do?" Selena asked after Timothy's car disappeared.
Bella smiled.
"Where's the cookies?"
Selena laughed and led the way in.
"You didn't forget right?"
"I love cookies, Miss Selena" Bella replied.
*****
Timothy's Office…
Marcella came in with a piece of paper in her hand. She went to stand before Timothy and placed it on the table.
"Sir, the list and everyone in the technical department."
Timothy looked away from his system and ran a quick check over the paper. His eye trailed down until it stopped upon the name he was looking for:
Rick Scott.
"This-" he pointed to the name and looked at Marcella, -"what's his position?"
"Rick? According to the system, he is just a normal worker." Marcella replied.
"Who is the head of department?" Timothy asked, leaning in his seat.
Marcella replied, "Mr. Kim Xushi."
"Mr. Kim has been in office for too long. Prepare a letter of transfer for Mr. Kim back to the South American branch office. He and his family." Timothy said after a moment of thought.
"Yes sir."
"Also," he continued, "prepare a letter of promotion for Rick Scott. He is to succeed Mr. Kim with immediate effect. Prepare the letter and bring it to me in ten minutes."
Marcella nodded. "What office is Mr. Kim to resume in South America, sir?"
Timothy bit his lower lip before replying.
"Branch director."
Marcella frowned, taken aback by Timothy's reply. They had no office for branch director, only branch managers and the South American branch had a manager.
"Sir, you're aware we don't have provision for a branch director, right?" She asked but Timothy just raised a brow at her.
"Then one should be created ASAP."
Marcella nodded and left the office. Whatever made Me. Lancaster want to secret an office that never existed in the company had to be serious.
It's either Mr. Kim or Rick Scott, but, one of them had stepped on the good side of the devil.
*****
Marcella walked into Timothy's office and gave him the promotion letter.
"Is that it?" Timothy inquired, skimming over the contents of the paper.
Marcella nodded.
"Get me a cup of coffee." Timothy said to her and when she left, he put the letter away in his drawer and continued to type.
When Marcella returned with the cup of coffee in her hand, she placed it on the table and stood at the side, watching Timothy type.
"Put a call across to the technical department and get me Rick Scott." Timothy mutted and she nodded. "Now."
"Yes, sir"
*****
"Come in," Timothy responded to the knock on his door.
Rick came in, walking slowly into the office. He was nervous, he had never had a one on one meeting with the CEO. So, when he received the message from the CEO's personal assistant, he knew he must be losing his job.
"Sir, you called?" Rick stood before Timothy and kept his eyes glued to the floor.
Timothy pointed to a seat.
"Sit, Mr. Scott."
Rick frowned and went to sit. Although, he was sure that one didn't get a seat when he was being sacked.
"Mr. Scott, how would you like to become the next head of department of the technical department?"