Chapter 281
glanced at Bonnie. She was gazing at Neil, her smitten eyes totally for real.
admit, Neil’s looks were indeed flawless.
When Neil made an appearance, a lot of people would hop up to chat with him. Even though everyone present had some kind of status, Nell’s was still the op dog among them
pulled my gaze back and started to sort through the documents I brought. That day’s opening speech was for me to give. I had done ample prep work efore and even revised the speech a few times.
ven though I had taken over the company only recently, I wasn’t scared, but rather a tad excited. Showcasing myself at the meeting could potentially elp me reel in some partners.
leil was seated a fair distance from me, so I felt pretty much at ease, but I could still feel his gaze lingering on me from time to time.
here were some rubbernecks who would look at Neil, then at me. Their eyes showed curiosity towards us.
ust then, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Neil, “I pulled an all-nighter at the office last night, so I didn’t make it home.”
tock a peek at Neil, who was not far away. He was busy chatting with someone. His demeanor showed an air of arrogance, making him come off as a atural born leader.
didn’t reply to Neil, pretending I didn’t see his message.
bout a minute later, Neil looked at me again. This time, there was a hint of displeasure in his eyes.
lonnie had been keeping an eye on me. She glanced at my phone, then at Neil. She seemed a bit peeved.
avoided Neil’s gaze. Just as I picked up my phone to check the time, a call from an unknown number came in. I hesitated for a moment, then answered.
I know who offed Oscar. If you give me 20 grand, I’ll hand over the evidence,” an odd voice came from the other end.
“aken aback, I instantly asked, “Where are you?”
Don’t worry about where I am. Is there a crowd around you? Too noisy. I’ll call you next time.” The person on the other end was about to hang up.
Wait” I got up and moved to a quieter spot, hoping to continue the conversation.
But when I asked again, the call had already been terminated.
tried calling back, but there was no way through.
Who was that caller? The voice sounded like it had been altered, making it impossible to tell the gender
The call got my heart racing. Oscar was still lying in the morgue. His kin would come to handle his affairs in the next few days.
His folks were just ordinary people. Even if they thought their son had died unjustly, they were powerless to do anything about it.
With a heavy heart, I returned to my seat.
The summit officially kicked off. Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, I composed myself and walked on stage with my speech.
Upon opening my speech, froze. The paper in front of me was blank.
The venue had already quietened down. Everyone was waiting for me to start my speech. My speech marked the start of the summit, but there was, standing under the spotlight, looking at the blank paper in my hands, feeling utterly lost
If I made a blunder on this occasion, it could take a toll on both my personal and company image
I scanned the place where I was seated just now. Bonnie next to me gave me a smile and lightly lifted the documents in her hand.
“Ms. Finch, is everything okay? Any issues? The host had already come forward to ask.
“Ms. Finch might be too nervous. Her company has been going through many difficulties recently. It’s really not easy for her to attend this summit today. Let’s give her some encouragement Gloria’s voice rang out. Her hypocritical voice clearly was audible to everyone through the mic.
She was undeniably trying to put me on the spot
Applause erupted in the venue, making me feel even more nervous.
Neil was frowning at me. He seemed to have noticed something was off, but I had to figure out a solution myself, or else I would be a laughingstock. Then someone spoke up, “If Ms. Finch is at a loss for words, maybe someone else should take over.”
That was obviously bad news for me. Since I had just taken over the company, I was in desperate need of that opportunity to let more people get to know me.”
she has been getting a good response in the market recently.”
“I think Ms. Tueley from StarGlow Enterprises can take over for Ms. Finch he “Indeed. Why not let Ms. Tueley share her experiences with us? We would all like to hear the thoughts of the younger generation.”
“Let’s welcome her to the stage with a round of applause!”
The industry veterans, one after another, suggested Bonnie take my place for today’s opening speech.
Gloria sent Bonnie an encouraging look. Bonnie glanced at the documents in her hand and seemed more confident. She got up and walked towards me
I didn’t say anything; I just took two steps back and let her take the stage.
Bonnie gave me an apologetic look and asked me with pretend modesty, “Ms. Finch, Is it okay?”
pier
“Of course” I smiled and answered calmly
The main content of my prepared speech was actually a summary of that year’s Rosemont economy as well as a look into the future. Bonnie’s voice was clear and sweet. She held the speech I had meticulously prepared and delivered it confidently
I stood beside her, not leaving the stage, attracting some strange looks, but I didn’t care.
“And the other part is “Bonnie stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence. She looked at the next page of the speech, her expression suddenly becoming very complex
The people sitting in the audience thought Bonnie was waiting for applause, so they all started clapping.
The corner of my mouth lifted slightly because I knew the rest of the speech was blank. I only wrote an intro to give myself a bit of confidence. For the rest of the content, I planned to improvise on stage. It was also a way to hone my public speaking skills.
Then it was the host’s turn to ask Bonnie.
“Bonnie was biting her lip, not even daring to lift her head to look at the audience,
4
“Ms. Tueley, cheers for reading the opening of my speech,” I forced out in a hoarse voice. “My throat’s been acting up, and I didn’t know how to start. I really appreciate your help, Ms. Tueley. You did a bang up job reciting my speech I’ll take over from here for the nitty-gritty on market economics.”
No sooner had I said that than Bonnie’s face turned beet red, tears glistening in her eyes.
The folks whod just been singing her praises were then feeling awkward, realizing she’d been reading my script. They glanced at each other and shook their heads.
Bonnie was representing StarGlow Enterprises. Her blunder was a direct hit to her personal and company image.
“If that’s the case. Ms. Tueley, you might as well step down. Let’s not waste any more time, Neil said coldly, adding salt to Bonnie’s wound.
