215 First Executive Board Meeting

Looking at the door while blocking out all the noise from the directors and other personnel that had assembled in the room, Jonathan tried to control the simmering anger within him.

This morning, they had all received an email intimating them about the new appointment of a Director of Operations.

In the history of this company, and probably all companies in the world, he was pretty sure that this was the only case where a mere assistant was directly promoted to an executive role.

At this moment, he felt as if all the prestige and pride that represented Happle had been ground into dust, by being stepped on and trampled by the CEO who couldn't separate his love life from his professional one.

Although it did stand that the man and his family owned most of the stake in the company, this was still something that he, a 54-year old senior Vice President who had clawed his way up the ranks with hard work, could take with impunity.

Directors, junior and senior vice-presidents, and presidents were the bedrock of this trillion-dollar company, and this was a private circle exclusive to Harvard and Ivy League level college graduates who deserved to be here.

As for a washed up gold digger who had graduated from some nameless place and had used her body instead of mind to get appointed?

She had no place here.

This was exactly how most of the others were thinking, too. All of these were people who took home hundreds of thousands of dollars and lived in the upper class, from where they loved to look down on all others.

They seldom looked up, but when they did, it was to motivate themselves to work harder and reach even greater heights.

"Jonathan, what should we do? Most of this bunch are wusses. Those of us who have the confidence that we are valuable enough to not be fired just because we aren't ready to accept the CEO's fling should band together and speak up."

As Jonathan heard the man next to him say this, he nodded.

Looking around the room, he noticed that while many were disgruntled, they didn't look like they were ready to make a scene and risk their jobs, and the goodwill of the CEO. Whatever the man's choices were, everyone had to admit that he was a genius in the task of carrying out his executive duties.

So, that duty fell to him, and a few others among the 30 people in the room.

Turning to the man who had spoken, he said, "Let's do it. Call everyone together. I'll take the lead. The CEO is a hopeless cause in this matter. He won't be swayed, so it'll just be a waste of time if we try to convince him. Instead, let's focus on her. By the time we're done here, she should beg her boyfriend to fire her."

This strong statement made the man frown and raise his eyebrows, but Jonathan continued while twirling his mustache.

"Oh, don't misunderstand me, Ben. It'll all be professional. The CEO can't be seen stepping in to help his girlfriend in everything, either, so she's at our mercy. What executive skills can she have, anyway? Failure after failure will definitely break her, until the only thing she will be left with will be an urge to flee."

The words made the Ben, who had been addressed, feel a little bit of chill, but Jonathan was someone known for rising to his spot by stepping on the heads of many, many people. If he said he could do this, then he definitely would.

Hence, as the door opened to let in the CEO and the latest Director, while everyone stood up, Ben smiled wide, looking forward to showing this woman her place.

…

Liz had put on the first dress she could find, which was a grey shirt with a white blouse. She hadn't even had time to adjust her hair properly, so it was in a ponytail as she walked into the first ever executive board meeting in her life.

As soon as she and Will entered, everyone in the room stood up, but there was no clapping.

Instead, there was a solemn atmosphere, while Liz felt so many eyes staring daggers at her that she was sure that she would have died a thousand times over if these people could make their wishes reality.

Was she perturbed, though?

Definitely not.

If she had had to go through this without that experience where she had gone up against the man who owned the largest food chain, she might have felt a little scared.

Yet, that absolute feeling of satisfaction that had engulfed her when she proved herself to him and made his jaw fall had been so special, that it had filled her with enough self-confidence.

Also…she had to admit that she was almost craving for something similar again.

Putting those thoughts to the side, Liz smiled, following which the CEO gestured for everyone to be seated.

As he took the seat at the head of the table, she took the one beside his, and got ready for the first meeting in her new job.

…

2 hours later.

As Liz walked out of the meeting room, she had to take a quick jog to the bathroom to wash her face and cool her head.

On the outside, Happle was just a software and hardware company which sold some of the world's most stylish and refined products.

Yet, just now, she had discovered that there was so, so much more.

Practically every field had something or the other to do with this company, which stretched its tendrils throughout all industries like a monster with infinite tentacles which wanted to absorb the whole world, itself.

As Liz reeled from the shock, she heard the door of the bathroom open.

At first, she didn't bother to look, but she had to when the newcomer stopped beside her and spoke in a cold voice.

"Elizabeth Redmaine. Congratulations on your promotion. But get ready to feel the wrath of all these people who think a woman from a common background has no right to sit among them. I faced the same problem, too, myself. And it took years for them to accept me. I wonder how you'll fare. Good luck. Welcome to a new world."