[Nancy’s Point of View]
Ron’s arms were around my waist as the elevator lifted us upwards. I stood waiting and watching at the dial as it slowly increased one floor at a time. When the elevator dinged, the metal doors slid open and we finally stepped out. Ron still stayed close to me, so close to a point where his body completely blocked mine.
“You seem like you have a lot on your mind,” he suddenly spoke. “Didn’t you like your dinner with Tavia?”
I smiled. “Why wouldn’t I like it? I haven’t gotten to talk to her face to face for such a long time. Thank you for setting it up.”
He nodded and smiled, revealing the little dimples on each side of his cheeks to me. “Then you must be tired. How about we stay home and relax for tonight?” He asked as we headed down the hall. “We could decorate that empty room next to the baby’s.”
I nodded. “That room will be the study for you and your work.” I then sighed as he placed his strong arm around my shoulders. “Moving is so tiring, but yet so fun,” I smiled.
As we approached the door to our new apartment together, Ron and I stopped short when we saw a familiar man sitting on the floor beside our door. He looked up, surprised but happy we showed up. He suddenly jumped up off the floor and smiled once we locked eye contact.
“I’ve been waiting for you guys for hours!” Steven expressed as he patted his legs.
“What were you doing sitting beside our door?” Ron asked, laughing a bit.
“And how did you find out where we lived?” I added.
“Please, we all know Kenneth can’t keep a secret from me, even if his life depended on it,” he answered with a joking tone. “I actually came here because I really wanted to discuss something with you guys, something important about the whole family crisis and company battle going on here.” Steven spoke all in one breath.
Ron’s expression changed immediately along with mine when Steven mentioned it. “Let’s go in and talk,” Ron spoke as he dug for the keys from his pocket and opened the door.
I led Steven over to the couch as we all took a seat. Ron brought us quick drinks from the refrigerator and sat down. The expressions on all our faces spelled out something far from satisfactory. Ron and I sat waiting for Steven to speak. He caught his breath quickly and cleared his throat, beginning to inform us more about what we call the struggle between the Lams and the Yeungs.
“I don’t know if you two know about this, but all of a sudden Bernice Liu is making big moves in Raymond’s company,” Steven began speaking. “I heard that you and her had some,” he paused a moment to find a word describing the complications between us. “…some misunderstandings, but I think it might have caused her to go over the edge or something.”
“Steven what is she doing that’s so big?” Ron asked.
Steven seemed reluctant to say, but he spoke anyways. After all, that was the reason why he was here. “She somehow found out about the huge pit hole in my stocks bridge. No one knows about that but me and Kenneth, how did she find out? But she went to me one day, giving me all the money needed to patch it up nicely and permanently. I was in a desperate situation, so I took it. She then made me do her a favor I couldn’t refuse.”
“What was the favor?” I asked, anxious to know.
“She made me gather up all the loose shares of the company held by the older folks in the board. After I gathered them up, they totaled to 30% of AVC. Then she made me sell it to Damian Lau. Now he has 30% of AVC, matching Bernice’s 30% and only losing to Raymond’s 10%. This is getting really bad.”
The blood in Ron’s face drained completely, leaving him with a pale white complexion. He grabbed my hand and held it tightly as if fearing something. I could feel the thoughts going quickly through his mind as he tried to calculate what we should do, or even if we’ll do anything at all. Inside my mind, I wanted so much to go ask Tavia and Raymond about this, but staying with Ron now, his decision always proved to be best.
“What do you think she’s doing?” Steven asked. “What are you guys going to do? I want to help but the more I stay in this, the more people keep using my stock holes against me.”
“We’re not going to do anything,” Ron replied with great assurance.
“What?” Steven asked, surprised and confused at the same time.
“We’re not going to do anything. Everyone caught up in that circle is already calculating enough. If we put our hands in there we’ll just be messing with their pre-made plans and we’ll cause even more trouble. I fear that there’s more to this struggle than we can see,” he sighed, falling back into the cushion of the chair. His eyes were staring off, seeming to be looking at some place far, far away from here.
~*~
[Ron’s Point of View]
After Steven left, it was all silence between Nancy and I. I continued to rest on the couch, pretending to be asleep as I tried to solve the puzzle as to why Bernice was doing all of this. I wanted to know the real reason why because somewhere inside me I knew she wasn’t doing all of this just because I had caused her pain. I was sure there is something more to her side of the story. I just have to find out what it was.
Sitting there for a long time, I could feel Nancy’s presence next to me every second. I could feel her warmth as she sat quietly beside me, watching me with her worried eyes as she pretended to be reading an e-mail on her laptop. I stirred gently just to feel her warm hands on me as she worried even more. I opened my eyes, taking her hands and pulling her closer to me.
“You’re awake,” she smiled ever so gently as she stroked my cheek.
“Nancy, are you ok with just sitting on the sidelines and watching? I know Tavia is your friend and so is Raymond, but…”
“I’m alright,” she cut me off softly. “Staying with you for so long, I could tell that in business, your decisions are always best. It’s smart to listen to you, so I’ll do as you say.” She spoke with a smile so beautiful, it must’ve picked up my heart and taken it away.
She was always so gentle and tender to me. I couldn’t help but pull closer to her. I smiled, but just then I saw a quick grimace of pain in her face. “What’s wrong?” I asked her.
She smiled again and shook her head. “It’s just the baby kicking,” she answered.
I smiled, placing my arms around her and pulling her onto my lap. As I rubbed her large belly gently, I could feel the life of my baby inside of her. I smiled again and couldn’t help but laugh with great joy at the baby stirring inside. “Bad baby,” I spoke as softly and gently as I could. “Don’t kick mommy.” I could feel Nancy’s hushed laughter beside me as I placed my ear on her stomach and listened closely to the fast heartbeat of our baby boy.
~*~
[Bernice’s Point of View]
I passed by the thin glass that pierced a view into Dominic’s room. Looking at him inside, lying weakly on his bed, I couldn’t find the words in me to talk to him. I’m not sure if he could take another trauma, but I still have to do this. On my scale, I’m standing between me, and him. Selfish as I am, I’d rather hurt him and attain what I want, rather than hurt myself. As I made it clear in my mind, I’m not strong enough to hurt myself just so someone else could be happy. I’m not strong enough to do that.
I took a deep breath and then continued inside. Pushing the door open, I saw the surprise that shifted to joy in his eyes. “Mr. Lam,” I greeted.
“Bernice, I haven’t seen you in so long. How have you been?” He asked me with a smiling face.
Unable to look into his eyes, I avoided his gaze completely. “Fine, thank you. Are you doing any better?” I asked, trying to slowly get into the topic.
He nodded. “I’m feeling a lot better now. What brings the elegant Miss Liu to come see me?”
Hesitation drowned me for a moment, but then the words still rolled out all because of my selfish self. “I know your secret,” I began.
“What?” he laughed and became nervous. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I took a discreet breath as I began. “I know that out of Raymond’s 40% share he received from both you and Michelle, you took back 10% simply because you don’t trust him when he keeps moving back and forth with Tavia. So now, the only share holders to AVC are me with 30%, Raymond with 30%, you with 10%, and newly added Damian Lau with 30%. Without your 10%, we’re all even, and I know you Dominic. You don’t trust Raymond with Tavia by his side, so you’re not going to give him back that 10%.”
He smiled as he slyly covered his real reaction with a mask. “So what do you want?” he asked.
“Instead of having the three of us prolong this game any further, why not end it here with your decision? Give the 10% you hold to me, or Raymond?”
“You want the last 10%? What makes you think I’d give it to you over my own son?”
“Just having Tavia by his side is enough to make you lose trust in him. I know you. You wouldn’t risk the chance of Tavia stripping AVC from him. And I know Raymond. He’s too foolish to realize that Tavia’s only using him.”
He merely laughed at my response, but yet behind his laughter I could feel that he too agreed with me. “And so I’ll take one last gamble with you. What are you going to do with AVC after you take full control of it?”
“Give it back to its rightful owner.”
“Alright…” he smiled, pausing in thought for just a moment. “Where are the papers I need to sign?” he asked me soon after.
~*~
[Raymond’s Point of View]
As if it had become an everyday routine, I stepped out of the elevator to see my dad. He’s been in the hospital for almost three weeks now, but luckily the color had returned to his face and he seemed a lot healthier. With my hands in my pocket, I walked into the room, eyes staring down at the floor.
“Don’t wear such a sad face to see your dad Raymond,” a shockingly familiar voice called.
I looked up. “Bernice?” I asked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Just finishing some trades with your dad. Thank you for the last ten percent Mr. Lam.” She smiled and held up a tan folder to me and my dad before she left.
The sound of Bernice’s heels clicking against the floor rang and echoed in my ears as she left, walking down the hall. I couldn’t explain how I felt, but I knew it wasn’t a good feeling. Scared, I turned to my dad. Just by one look in my eyes, he could see that an explanation is needed at this time.
“Raymond,” he began. “Bernice will now take over the company, with the total of 40% share.”
“What do you mean dad? You didn’t give her your ten percent did you?”
He was quiet and avoided my eyes.
“Why did you do that? I told you I had this under control and all worked out. Why did you give Bernice the last ten percent?”
“I felt it was a better bet than giving you the edge while you have Miss Yeung by your side.”
I was in shock. I couldn’t believe that even my own father wouldn’t trust me. Sure I have Tavia by my side, but she had given up with the company. The only real competitors were Bernice, Damian and me. Why didn’t he trust me? Instead of giving me the last ten percent which will ensure our company a solid base, he gave it to Bernice. I couldn’t understand why my own father would do such a thing.
“Dad, I don’t get you.” I sighed helplessly.
“Uncle,” Steven’s stable voice interrupted us as the door to this room opened.
Steven appeared at the door, and he slowly walked in. When his eyes met mine, they cowered back in shame. He didn’t speak to me, and avoiding me completely he only made his way over to my dad. I watched as Steven whispered something into his ears, and though I tried to listen closely, I still couldn’t hear a thing.
My dad only smiled and nodded, giving Steven a gentle pat. I couldn’t believe it. My father would trust Steven over me. A traitor is what Steven is and he would go and put his trust in him. Ever since I found out about how Steven had gathered up the remaining shares from the other board members and sold it to Damian, I could never look at Steven the same way again. He was no longer my close cousin, but just a money hungry traitor.
“Sorry to interrupt you two,” Steven apologized, still avoiding my stare. “I’ll leave now.”
“You stay there,” I spoke as I grabbed his collar and pushed him up against a wall. “Why did you do that? Are stocks and money really that important to you that you’d go and sell out your own family?” I asked him, forcing him into a position he couldn’t move.
“Raymond,” my dad called. “Let him go. We all have our reasons,” he added.
I loosened my grip as I turned to my dad. “Alright, we all have our reasons, and I have my reasons for staying with Tavia. Yet you won’t even trust me, and I’m your own son.” I spoke, feeling a hard lump in my throat, too hard to swallow. My body felt tense as it heated up, watching my father’s speechless stare.
~*~
[Bernice’s Point of View]
Walking for the past hour, I slowly took my time upon arriving at the Hong Kong harbor. Standing there, I kept quiet for some time, breathing in the fresher open air and staring out onto a vast and endless skyline that extended far beyond my eyes could see. I didn’t know how long I stood, but I was lost within my own wandering thoughts.
Some time must’ve surely passed, and I felt the presence of another standing behind me. Turning around, it was the person I had expected. He stood there, holding a soft grin on his face, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his black trench coat, and he waited. I shook myself free of all the fantasies that had wandered through my mind, and reluctantly returned to reality.
“I did everything you had asked,” I began. “I talked to Raymond and warned him, I took the shares from his dad, and now I’m giving it to you.” I spoke as I gave him another envelope in my bag that transferred all my shares over to him. “It’s all yours. Just remember the terms we made.”
He smiled. It was a little tricky smile that someone like him would have no trouble revealing. “Of course, after all we’re on the same boat. We both love a person, who doesn’t love us. We both are victims of a one way love.”
I sighed at his sudden mentioning of past events. “Mr. Kenneth Ma, please refrain from mixing work with personal times.”
“I’m sorry,” he replied. “But thank you.” He spoke, taking the envelope from my hands.
“I know you have absolutely no interest in AVC,” I started. “So tell me, who’s paying you to do this?”
He laughed softly at my remark. “Do I seem that usable? Just because I took Raymond’s company from him doesn’t mean that I did it only because someone paid me to.”
I folded my arms. “So tell me why.”
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