A POWERFUL SON-IN-LAW

-8-

“Why did you come at this time of night, Daren? Is there something you don’t understand at the company?”

Mrs. Hoodie, who saw Daren coming to the Hoodie family’s main residence, finally asked. Apparently Mrs. Hoodie was quite curious about this matter. Whether Daren can take control of the company or not at all. Because until now, Mrs. Hoodie had never heard any complaints at the company.

“I just wanted to tell you a few things that I only found out in the last two days, Grandma. And maybe this will make you feel a little surprised.” Daren sat down and handed a file to Mrs. Hoodie.

“What did you find out, Daren? Did you find out that being the head of a company is the most complicated thing in the world? Because if yes then I will really laugh at you. You useless guy, you didn’t deserve to work as a CEO in the first place, why are you still acting up? Remember who you are, you should look in the mirror first.”

“Shut up, Miles. I’m not talking to you!” Daren shouted.

In fact, just with Daren’s shout, Miles, who was initially confident enough to take Daren down, immediately fell silent. Miles didn’t even think why he could be this reluctant towards Daren. According to Miles, the poor man who was now wearing an expensive suit really had quite a different appearance.

“Just look, Grandma. I hope you are not surprised by the results I showed you. And this is a fact which in reality is like that.”

Mrs. Hoodie read the contents of the file, then she glanced at Miles who was still pretending to act stupid.

“Is all this true, Miles?” Mrs. Hoodie asked then.

Miles, who suddenly heard the question, was of course confused. He didn’t know how to answer the question.

“What do you mean, Grandma? What is it about? I don’t understand at all, Grandma.”

“From this data, it shows that several percent of profits from the company, even though it is really very small, go into a personal account. And when it was investigated, that account belongs to you in another country. If you collect all the money you transferred to your personal account, in fact it is far more than the cost of producing a product in our company.”

Miles was shocked beyond words, he didn’t understand at all how all this could happen? Then he glanced at Daren. He didn’t know what was happening but it was impossible for Daren to find out about his little act, even so many smart people in the company didn’t know about this.

“I don’t understand what Grandma means. Isn’t the money from our family company my money too? So if I need money I just have to ask you and my father, so why should I steal small amounts of company money and make the company lose money? Of course that’s impossible. I’m sure that the report given to Daren was made up, he was just jealous of me and wanted to destroy me, that’s why Daren tried to find fault with me. Because he didn’t find anything wrong with me, he made something like this. He framed me in this terrible way.”

“The company funds you took are not small amounts. The percentage is not even one percent, indeed. But not even one percent of one hundred million dollars or one hundred billion dollars and many times is not a small amount. You did it so smoothly and deliberately took small amounts but often. This is of course to deceive even the board of directors and grandmother who will definitely never feel suspicious about this. You were safe and everything ran smoothly. If you think I framed you, I accused you and I did something terrible because it was all fake, you can ask the new secretary at the Hoodie family company named Cassandra. For two days and two nights we didn’t go home just because we wanted to solve the problem of what was happening at the company, why is it that a company like the company owned by the Hoodie family never makes significant progress and the answer is you, Miles. It turns out that you are a termite that eats the profits and progress of your own family company, now what can you be proud of? Of course nothing, right? I can only hope that you stop pretending and be honest with grandma. And after that return all the money because I already have other plans to change and make the company have new innovations so that the Hoodie family company seems trendy and not old-fashioned like this.”

Miles clenched his fists, he didn’t expect that all of Daren’s words would really hit his heart so hard. He didn’t expect that it was Daren who spoke so long and eloquently. In fact, all the words that came out of Daren’s mouth were truly like a trained businessman who was truly professional.

“I’m sure your thoughts don’t come from you alone, right? I’m sure that your thoughts are none other than that woman named Cassandra, because that woman is the best secretary owned by the Wiles family company. And now you are imitating Cassandra’s opinion to say here so that you appear to be a smart figure in front of grandma so that grandma praises you for being a respected company leader in this world? Remember, Daren. You’re just a part-time food delivery worker in a rundown restaurant, you’re poor and uneducated. You should remember about that!”

“It’s not about where I came from and who I was, it’s about you. Do you think that I can’t study? Let’s just say that if what you said is true that I learned all this from Cassandra. In fact you are still in the wrong here, Miles.”

“You—”

“Stop arguing, Miles. Now just admit it. Is what Daren said true? All the evidence is already in my hands!”

Miles was silent when his grandmother shouted at him in that way. Miles’ mouth became numb, Miles’ body shook violently because he was afraid. In fact, the money was almost used up for his luxurious lifestyle and his life to please his beloved girlfriend. What if Daren asked for the money back?

“I … I —”

“Return the money immediately, Miles!”

“I have spent the money, Grandma. I have spent all the money. So how can grandma want to ask for the money back?” Miles finally cried out in tears.

Mrs. Big Hoodie was shocked beyond words, she immediately collapsed from her seat. Mrs. Hoodie never thought that her grandson would be like this, committing despicable actions that would be detrimental to the company.

“For now, stop touching any companies, Miles. I absolutely cannot tolerate anything you have done. You’ve gone too far!”

“Grandma, give me a chance. I promise not to do anything, I will prove it to you that I would change. Everything I did was just a small mistake I committed when I was young, Grandma. I will not repeat it again.”

“Even this month you have taken many percentage of the company’s money, and you are still claiming that it was a mistake when you were young, tsk!”

“Shut up, Daren! You have no right to speak because you are just the grandson-in-law in this family! Not only are you now a company leader, but you act as if you are the most instrumental figure for our family company! You are just an outsider!”

Miles immediately grabbed Daren by the collar of his shirt, but at that time Daren didn’t speak at all. His jaw tightened, his gaze sharpened straight into Miles’ eyes. A gaze full of defiant courage, a gaze that contained no timidity at all.

“You’re challenging me, Daren? You look like you’re challenging me, huh?”

“Aren’t we betting right now, Miles? Let’s see which of us will be destroyed first. Was it me, orb… you?” Daren said confidently. He brushed off Miles’ hand which was gripping his collar, then Daren straightened the collar of his shirt. He said goodbye to Mrs. Hoodie and then he stepped boldly and confidently out of the Hoodie family residence.