Christopher woke up feeling sluggish. His mouth was dry and his head was pounding. He winced as he stood up, barely able to recall how he got back to his room. He remembered a glimpse of Emilia, her shy smile and her golden blonde hair. His heart ached at a reminder of what caused his upset the night before. His wife that he started having feelings for chose another. At least she didn't lie or go behind my back, he thought to himself with a self-depreciative smile.
But even if he felt like he could stay in bed, he had a planned day ahead, and a busy one at that. His coping mechanism for years was to focus on work and it wasn't going to be any different today. After taking a cold shower and changing into yet another black suit, he made his way downstairs. He felt nauseous at the thought of breakfast so he went straight to his car. The day dragged but the pinnacle was the business conference within the city.
As he got there with another cup of coffee in his hand, the conference hall was filled with bustling attendees, exchanging business cards and engaging in lively conversations. None dared to approach him yet. It was hard to tell if it was his reputation or his resting bitch face that was particularly prominent this morning.
Christopher, pushed through the crowd, a sense of annoyance etched on his face. He spotted Patrick near the doorway to the lecture hall, also sipping on a cup of coffee.
"Cosby, I can't believe I let you talk me into attending another one of these conferences. You know how much I dislike them." Christopher's voice was tinged with annoyance as he approached Patrick.
"I understand your frustration, sir. But it's a great opportunity to network and learn from others in the industry. You might even find some inspiration." Patrick chuckled under his nose, used to Christopher's moods. He took out a pack of aspirin from the pocket and passed it to Christopher, also knowing him well enough to recognise his state. Christopher shot Patrick a skeptical glance as he begrudgingly took the aspirin.
"These things always feel so forced and artificial. Everyone is just trying to sell something, without genuinely connecting. A bunch of self-congratulatory industry assholes patting each other on the back. People pretending to be interested while they're just waiting for their turn to talk about their own damn business." Christopher continued to grumble as they were walking towards their seats. Patrick nodded sympathetically, understanding Christopher's sentiments, but he still passed him the booklet with the agenda. "Earthly has a slot on sustainable business?" Christopher asked in surprise as he scanned through the pages. "Oh, great. More presentations about how to change the world with business innovation. Just what we need. I wonder how Mr Bleam will try to sell sustainability to the business vultures."
"We'll see, Mr Hayden." Patrick said patiently.
"If I do not doze off by then." Christopher still was filled with frustration when he found his seat. It wasn't a surprise that he was given the front row VIP seat. Nor was it a surprise that he found the first three hours as boring as one could expect. Each presentation started the same way: good morning, my name is blah blah blah, and I work for blah blah blah.
He was tapping the armrest with his fingertips impatiently. He would rather use his time more efficiently than this. He would rather look through the new company policies than this. Or discuss emerging industrial threats with his research department. Or anything that could genuinely progress his company. Or… he could see Emilia. Maybe she chose Jacob because he wasn't paying her any attention. His eyes somehow became distant towards the end of the presentation as his mind wandered. He was playing with an idea whether he should fight for Emilia or let her be with Jacob. I shouldn't care, he reminded himself.
The audio speakers crackled again, drawing everyone's attention. The announcer introduced the next speaker from Earthly.
"I hope this won't be as mind-numbing as the last one." Christopher scowled at the stage, anticipating to see Jacob Bleam, the very person his wife chose over him. Hatred rushed through his veins, even if his face remained composed and on the outside he looked equally bored as before, on the inside he wondered how easy it would be to conceal murder.
He awaited to see the man in his late twenties emerge from the darkness onto the stage. But Christopher's eyes widened in surprise, and all his frustration faded away. He straightened up in his seat, his attention fully captured by the person on the stage even before the light shone onto her. Patrick glanced at Christopher, noticing the shift in his demeanor.
Emilia wore a light pink suit that only highlighted her rosy cheeks. Her hair was tied in the bun but a few locks escaped the bun, or it might have been intentional as somehow the lose strands seemed to draw attention to the lovely shape of her face. She had her hypnotising smile on her face, inviting the onlookers to give her the attention. She broke the tediousness of seeing yet another serious faced the black suit dressed middle aged men of the conference, who all spoke with monotone voices.
Emilia gracefully stepped onto the stage, bringing with her the the air of freshness but also authority. Her presence commanded the attention of the audience.
Christopher temporarily forgot about his new found hatred for Jacob, and it was instead replaced by curiosity and a mix of conflicting emotions. His wife represented a different company. But he was equally excited to see her.
"What is Emilia doing representing Bleam's company?" Christopher whispered towards Patrick who shrugged, equally surprised.
"I have no idea, sir."
Christopher's attention became solely focused on her, as if the rest of the conference faded into the background.
"Imagine for a moment that your everyday life can have a positive impact on the world around us." Emilia started with confidence in her voice that Christopher has never quite heard before. She omitted the usual introduction that most were accustomed to, trying to appeal to the audience as soon as she could, hooking them into the topic by making them see why whatever she was doing was important, "Imagine that the way you invest could make the world greener, better, safer for the future. It's hard to adjust to a change. as many sustainable options currently available in the market offer lesser quality or are more infringing on our time, hence making them more challenging to incorporate into our daily life. What can we do to make a change without influencing the quality of our lives? Well… I'm here to talk to you about Earthly's latest breakthrough in sustainable solutions. We have started expanding our work beyond fashion. Our new portfolio of work is to make your business greener by using innovative products and services but without impacting the quality."
"Looks like she's making quite an impression, doesn't she?" Patrick asked in a whisper.
Christopher nodded. He was torn between the envy of Emilia representing Jacob's company over his own and the joy of seeing her succeed. Despite his personal feelings, he found himself genuinely enjoying her presentation.
Emilia's words resonated through the hall, captivating the audience. She had a strong presence on the stage and even a stronger influence within the room.
Her recent events made it easier too. Many people from affluential circles where within the business circle. They already knew her.
Besides, Emilia's presentation was nothing short of remarkable. She effortlessly navigated through her slides, discussing Earthly's strategies, successes, and the positive impact they've made on the environment.
"We live in a time when businesses must prioritise sustainability, not only for the environment but also for the longevity of their operations. Innovation is key, and by embracing sustainable practices, we can drive positive change while still achieving remarkable growth." Emilia summarised her message. "I'm Emilia Vincent from Earthly, and I thank you all for the attention."
Christopher's heart swelled with pride as he listened to Emilia speak. He admired her passion, and her intellect.
Towards the end of the presentation Emilia scanned the audience and only then she caught a glimpse of a familiar face. The bright light made it almost impossible to recognise anyone. But there was no doubt about the man in the front row with dark hair and blue piercing eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and only now she had to squeeze the remote she held in her hand to conceal her hands starting to shake nervously.
As Emilia concluded her speech to thunderous applause. Christopher's face broke into a proud grin. He couldn't wait to congratulate her and share the excitement of her success. It was the loudest applause of the day which accompanied her off the stage. Once she was out of everyone's sights she sighed with relief and leaned against the wall.