BROKEN

32. BROKEN

'Don't allow your background to put your back on the ground'

~NICK~

Fueled by rage, I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. The noises around me were doing nothing to justify the rage boiling within me.

"Silent!" I thundered stamping my palm on the table. My jaw was ticking on its own and they knew what next will follow if anyone say another word. The whole conference room fell into a breathable conducive atmosphere, "Now that I get your attention, shall we begin?"

And just like children who heard the word candy: they all put on a business-like look waiting for me to open the meeting.

"This meeting will begin irrespective of who is not on the seat because I refuse to waste my precious time waiting for some unprofessional individual" I added flipping through pages of documents but not giving attention to what's written therein.

The rich grown untrained foes that I call shareholders breaks into groups of murmuring as I expected they would, it would have been nice if the murmuring was kept at a minimum but it sounded more like an uproar.

I took in a long breathe and exhale harshly. I was losing it with these unprofessional foes before me. The only thing recognizable about them was their wealth and nothing else seems attractive about them as far as I'm concerned.

"What are we? Kindergarten children? If this is meant to be a cooperate meeting then why the noise? " I asked out loud ensuring my voice was as audible as a speaker.

"This meeting cannot kick off without the D.O.A," One of the shareholders said which name is Mike, a conic man in his late 30s whose ways are not pure; how he got into my art firm is what I can't figure out, he's neither a lover of art nor painting but manage to buy his way into the firm may be to be a pain in my butt. Mike and I never see things in the same perspective and he'd do well to ensure that was finely established for all to see. Hillary suggested onetime we'd kick him out but I insisted we let him be; Like the saying goes 'the usefulness of a thug is appreciated when there is a war'

I duck my head to the side and twist my mouth tactically to contain my rage. He should have shut his hole of a mouth and let someone more respectable speak.

"Last I checked, I am the CEO and have every goddamn right to proceed with this meeting or do you have an objection with that?..." I pause straightening from my chair to lock eyes with him. Surely, he was ever ready to throw an attack. His smile broadens as he swings on his chair. I've never seen a man who enjoys battle as Mike does.

Mike went silent for a while then chuckle to himself as the rest of the shareholders watch the show knowing our little comeback will not stop if someone doesn't interfere; initially, Hillary will have cut Mike off in his track with believable threats and Mike would not have voiced a word in disagreement for the rest of the meeting but Hillary was the reason I called for this meeting; I needed to put Hillary in his place. I pray he doesn't show his pathetic face in this meeting.

"The regulations of this reputable art firm states that 'any major decision or meeting cannot hold without the sitting of all board of directors" Mike voice out, laced with a challenging tone waiting for the rest to back him up which they eventually did as they all nods in agreement. He turned towards me with a smirk.

I look him over and back to the rest, "Thank you for your acknowledgement that we are indeed reputable. Nevertheless, let's not forget that the same regulations state that in the absence of one or two of the directors, the CEO and the highest shareholder have the right to jump-start the meeting. And both designations happen to have my name in them"