All Chapters of THE UPSTANDING DAVID MALCOLM: Chapter 1
- Chapter 10
10 chapters
Chapter 1
The man’s voice rang clear in the boardroom.“Five million dollars!”“Three million dollars! And the last on the list is one million dollars!”Then he paused, adjusting his glasses as his sharp eyes swept over the room.“According to the new rules of the Brown family,” he continued, his tone calm but heavy, “if anybody does not match up to that amount, they will forfeit their position here on the board. The company will determine a lesser position for you or this could very well be your departure point from the company.”At that moment, the words dropped like stones in water. The air shifted. Chairs creaked, whispers spread, and a low hum of voices filled the space. But it wasn’t panic. No. What rose from the room was joy, almost relief.More smiles broke out. Some leaned back with grins, others clapped their hands together in quiet triumph. A few exchanged looks, eyes gleaming with excitement, as if this change had been long awaited. The air carried laughter, nods, and small cheers o
Chapter 2
The words were ice, sharp and cutting. Her expression matched her tone.David sat back slightly, taking his time to let the weight of her declaration settle in. The silence stretched, heavy, as his eyes locked onto hers. Then, his voice broke through calm, but carrying a depth that silenced the air around them.“By the company,” he asked slowly, “do you mean… you no longer need me?”David’s words were as sharp and unyielding as Elizabeth’s, his face just as unreadable, a mask stripped of emotion.“Yes, I no longer need you.”Elizabeth’s reply landed without hesitation, cold and exact, as if she had been waiting to deliver it. The sound of it struck David’s chest like a hammer. For a brief moment, his heart twisted. He couldn’t believe Elizabeth could speak with such detachment, no pause, no falter, no sign of the love they once proclaimed to each other.He wondered then had she ever truly loved him? Was it his soul she once cherished, or was it only his remarkable talent in business t
Chapter 3
Elizabeth’s smile stretched wide, almost triumphant. She tucked the signed document neatly back into her bag, her voice smooth and dismissive.“You can cash out the check on your way out,” she said, her tone dripping with finality.But David’s voice broke through the air, calm and cutting. “There’s no need for the money.”Elizabeth’s brow lifted, but before she could respond, David went on. “I wish you luck with your grand push in the social rankings. But let me warn you in advance once I step out of this building, this company will go bankrupt immediately.”The words fell heavy, but Elizabeth couldn’t contain herself. She burst into laughter, sharp and loud, her shoulders shaking. “Oh, David,” she said mockingly, “you’ve always been intelligent, but this? This lie is beneath you.”Her eyes gleamed with scorn as she leaned forward, her voice cutting like glass. “You seem to have forgotten what I’ve built. The company is worth a hundred million dollars now. Five of the city’s elites ar
Chapter 4
David had already turned toward the door when a voice called after him.“Wait.”It was Benjamin. He stepped forward, closing the distance, his brown blazer neat and pressed. His tone was calm, his steps steady, but there was a weight of mockery in the way he carried himself. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, snapping it open as he extended it toward David.“Mrs. Sofia,” Benjamin said smoothly, “Elizabeth’s mother, asked me to return this to you. She wanted you to have your wedding ring back. She couldn’t believe you actually bought such a cheap thing not even worth a dollar for her daughter.”The words dripped like poison sugar.Elizabeth’s lips curled in disdain the moment her eyes fell on the ring. She leaned closer, her voice sharp with scorn. “It looks like a stone from a brick.”Benjamin chuckled softly and nodded twice in agreement. “Exactly. David, you were being paid five thousand dollars a month by the company, yet you couldn’t save enough to buy a proper
Chapter 5
Hearing what the guards just said, The old man tilted his head toward the guard, his voice calm but steady. “Tell your master I am almost done,” he said, nodding as though his presence here carried its own weight.Without waiting for permission, he dipped his trembling hand into his pocket and pulled out a handful of shimmering stones. They clattered onto the cashier’s table, the faint glint of their fractured edges catching the light. It became clear to everyone watching he was here to trade precious stones for cash.Gasps rippled through the hall. All eyes locked on him now. To stand his ground after the order of Alexander’s bodyguards was unthinkable. To defy them meant, in turn, to defy the Money Giant himself. Yet the old man dared.“How much are all these?” he asked the cashier, his voice carrying a sense of urgency as he emptied the last of his pockets onto the counter.Immediately the female cashier glanced at the stones briefly, then back at the tall figure of Alexander stri
Chapter 6
David’s voice cracked through the marble hall like thunder, sharp and unshaken. It stopped everyone where they stood. The guards froze mid-step, the old man still dangling between their grips. Heads turned, eyes wide, and whispers rippled through the crowd as they searched for the one who had dared to speak with such authority. When they saw him, disbelief washed over the room. David? The workers of the bank were stunned. Mouths hung open, brows lifted high. Of all people, it was David of all people to challenge Alexander George, the Money Giant. Murmurs rose quickly, contempt mixed with amusement. “Is he insane?” one clerk whispered. “He’ll get himself killed,” another muttered. The scandal had already made its rounds through the building. Everyone knew David had been sacked. Everyone knew about his public humiliation the CEO, Elizabeth Brown, divorcing him in front of the board. To them, David wasn’t a man of weight. He was nothing but a gold digger who had finally been expose
Chapter 7
Immediately Alexander’s face twisted. His brows pushed down hard, his fury boiling to the surface. His pride roared inside him, wounded beyond repair. “No one has ever disrespected me before,” he growled, his voice low and dark. “For this, you must pay with your life.”He snapped his fingers, the signal was clear.At once, the rest of his men moved. All ten bodyguards surged forward, encircling David in a tight ring. It was ten against one.The ten men tightened their circle around David, their heavy boots stomping against the marble floor. The workers and customers pressed closer together, excitement flashing in their eyes. Phones were raised high, recording every second. To them, this was justice in the making. David, the fool, was about to be beaten into dust for daring to step out of his class and challenge the Almighty Alexander George.Whispers filled the air.“He deserves it.”“Finally, he’ll learn where he belongs.”“What a fool, thinking he could stand against Alexander.”Ale
Chapter 8
David’s hand cracked across Alexander’s face once more, sharper and harder than before. The sound tore through the dead-silent bank like a whip. Alexander’s body jerked and he collapsed to the ground.His ears rang as though a thousand bells clanged inside his skull. His vision blurred, stars dancing across his eyes. His head throbbed like it was about to split in two, yet it didn’t. Instead, heat rushed through his body, hot and unbearable, like boiling water flooding his veins. His chest heaved, his heart hammering like a car engine revved past its limit.What is this?! The thought screamed in his head. Never in his life had Alexander felt pain like this. Pain that stripped him of his pride and dragged him down to the level of every man he had mocked. His breath came shallow, his confidence shattered.David crouched before him, calm and collected, one hand raised as if ready to strike again. His expression didn’t change. His eyes were steady, his presence terrifying in its stillness
Chapter 9
At that moment Alexander’s chest burned with rage, his pride shredded into pieces. The thought of giving away two million dollars to a worthless old man twisted his gut like a knife. But every time his eyes met David’s, the fury in his heart was drowned by a stronger fear the fear of being struck down again.He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, but he forced a smile and nodded over and over. “Yes… yes, the old man deserves it,” he stammered. His voice cracked as he added, “Forgive me… I was wrong to offer him less.”The crowd looked on in shock. Some could hardly believe what they were seeing: Alexander George, the untouchable heir of the George family, nodding like a whipped dog and apologizing to a nobody.The old man’s face lit with tears of relief. He clutched the heavy briefcase to his chest as though it were his very soul. His knees bent as he bowed low toward David. “Thank you! Thank you, young man! You saved my daughter’s life!” His voice trembled, but his
Chapter 10
Alexander screamed until his voice cracked. He slammed the car door so hard the sound shook the narrow street, then sweat ran down his face. His hands trembled like a man with fever.He had parked a few blocks from his family house, but the distance felt like miles. He could not go home not today. He was supposed to fly for a big business deal, but how could he leave now? Two men had humiliated him in public. Two men one old and weak, one had taken everything from him: pride, face, and control.His chest burned with shame. His heart raced fast, wild like a hunted animal. He wanted to grab David, press his hand hard against David’s throat, and squeeze until he begged. He wanted to force the old man to spit out the names of who helped him. How could he let that old man walk away with two million dollars? Never.Alexander’s jaw worked. He stared at the street. His mind replayed the slap, the fall, the way everyone had watched him fail. If he did not get revenge, respect would slip away f