"I'm so sorry, Mr. Galen," the man apologized as he turned to face Mr. Galen. I apologize if my wife offended you. I apologize for bringing her into your celebration. I'll ask her to give you an apology right away."
The middle-aged man was popular within the nouveau riche, her spouse and director of a newly formed high-tech company.
She had always been bossy and imagined that she could just tell off others as she wished because she had too much to spend. She thought it was not worth mentioning to give a cleaner a lesson but did not want to displease mister Galen.
Her husband stepped in to fix that. You didn't want to get on that guy's bad side.
Mr. Galen glanced at the two before saying, dripping with sarcasm and scorn, "Your wife should apologize to her; I don't need her apology."
Elara, who had stood silently by, came in for the point of his finger.
The woman had been arrogant. She said, "You want me to apologize to a cleaner?"—and had seemed faintly shocked at Mr. Galen's announcement.
"An upholsterer?" Galen said, shocked. He looked like he had just heard a marvel. "You said she cleans? That's ridiculous! Not only should you apologize to her in words; you and your wife should get down on your knees and beg her pardon. What a stupid and ignorant woman!"
Mr. Galen's cruel remarks embarrassed the couple like an icy pail of water pouring over their heads.
Elara, on the other hand, continued to be treated as an outcast and was merely observed. She hasn't said a word since she woke up, but the accuser has gotten especially nasty.
Mr. Galen became livid and turned to the CEO of the hi-tech company, "You ruined my celebration and insulted my most honored guest." When neither of them replied he added, "I may not have been in Casier long, but I'll be dammed if I let you guilt trip me. I'll fight you both until my last breath."
I mean, it was obvious to anyone with a brain that what Mr Galen had said was harsh.
But Elara?
The girl from farm background. Was she the most significat guest of Mr. Galen's?
Everyone out there were not in the terms to accept and question what was going around.
The Kincaid had come back with dumbfounded expressions when they got the message.
Tamsin looked as if she were eating slime. Elara was the honored guest at this party, and still, a moment ago she'd considered her beneath contempt.
Tamsin was shamed by being slapped.
The head of the IT business had a cadaverous look. He dragged his wife forward and told her to apologise to Elara and beg her pardon.
Mr. Galen had the most important guest in Elara!
But when Mr. Galen said that, the lady assumed Elara was just a maid. She was embarrassed; her face turned as white as snow. She hadn't expected a famous guest to be dressed so simply.
Woman, scared because she was losing face, finally musters the courage to approach Elara grudgingly, "Apologies, my lady. I just wanted you to feel bad. Please forgive me?"
All focus on Elara.
No one knew what would happen.
Elara gave the woman a stony stare partially because she was much taller than her.
"Why don't you just apologize to me in the way you prefer, considering how much you love having people down on their knees?"
Elara spoke in a plain manner, but the others were stunned with what they heard.
"This country girl of Elden is too overbearing!" the crowd said. Not even her father, Jareth, can make someone else kneel!"
Why would you. From their perspective Mr. Galen was defending Elara just like she was a guest.
Now that Elara had asked for something so ridiculous everyone else wanted to see Elara make a fool out of herself. They didn't think Elara was old enough to be where she was supposed to be.
The crowd expected it, but Mr. Galen's look grew still darker as he approached Elara.
They didn't know that Mr Galen hadn't scolded Elara when he'd been right there beside her. Instead, he'd shouted, 'Did you not hear her?' at the woman in front of Elara. 'Don't waste any more of our time and apologise to her however you see fit!
Mr Galen shot the woman's husband a threatening look and the man wilted under the hostile air around him.
The man couldn't stand to wait another second longer, never mind to contemplate what might happen if he roused Mr. Galen's ire.
His wife was down on her knees in front of Elara as he mashed her into the dirt.
Elara looked at the woman but didn't alter expression—she remained ice.
That's boring, Elara remarked.
Mr. Galen immediately parroted her words back. He sounded like he was trying to brown-nose with Elara.
You're right Ms Kincaid. These people are boring and rude. Right this way please.
Mr. Galen bowed and made an invitation, guiding Elara to follow him.
It was Elara who stepped forward first. Mr Galen interrupted the others in the room who wished to ask more.
"You entertain my guests," he told his assistant and indicated him curtly to leave. "I wish to speak with Miss Kincaid."
Mr. Galen followed Elara then in a hurry, as if he thought she'd refuse him.
The Kincaid was most bewildered, along with the other guests.
Tamsin stomped her foot in anger as she watched Elara and Mr. Galen disappear around the corner. Her father was unfortunately the recipient of her wrath, "Dad what the heck?! Why does Elara get to show off again?!
Tamsin had gotten all dolled up for Mr. Galen today, she wore her best outfit. She wanted to wash away the humiliation of that funeral and show how much she could do after all! It was time that she made sure her dad won this guy over.
Elara was still the one in the spotlight, though.
Tamsin's hands clenched so hard with fury that she was determined to make Elara pay because she'd never been so embarrassed.
Not even Jareth knew what was going on, and Tamsin certainly didn't.
Elara had known Mr. Galen a very long time – if he'd only known, could have brought Elara to see Mr. Galen… what a terrible waste.
No one noticed that there was a person standing by who watched the whole thing and recorded it on his phone.
Perrin had gone to the party for the show and was not disappointed. He sent Desmond a video of what happened.
[Watch the juicy stuff, Mr. Ackerley!]
Desmond was in an office of the Ackerley Corporation on a top level, video-conferencing with people from all over the world when his phone signalled and he picked it up to see what was up.
Perrin texted him, but he didn't read it. The pretty face on the television sparked something in him, and he grazed on the vid.
Desmond turned up the sound when Elara started talking.
The camera crew leaders were universally shocked by the unanticipated female voice. Unnerved, they shot stricken glances at one another, each coming to the same uncomfortable realization that no woman had ever entered their president's inner sanctum.
Desmond wasn't used to being around women–that much was common knowledge. The Ackerley Corporation's upper management might as well have been an all-male seraglio for all the healthy female pulse it contained.
The others' curiosity had been piqued as well, by the voice that shouldn't have been there.
Desmond watched it, set his phone aside and paid it no mind when eyes continued to look at him through that screen.
He hadn't realized how observant the girl from the Kincaid was. Desmond's mouth barely twitched and he raised one finger in his direction.
Stellan looked up at Ackerley. "How can I help you?" he said imperiously.