Married To The Secret Billionaire

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.

CHAPTER 5: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.

The party commenced, and the guests, dignitaries, made their way to greet and gain the acquaintance of Jack Rosker, the new President of the Rosker Group. 

Jessica and her family stood afar off. They had totally lost enthusiasm. They were more scared than they cared to admit. The discovery of who Jack, the son-in-law they had despised, truly was, was a slap in the face. They had been underneath him all along and never knew. 

They all sat as they watched the now transformed Jack mingle with men of notoriety, billionaires, and politicians, while they sat down quietly, trembling as they recounted all the despicable things they did to him.

"How- How is this possible, Jessica?" Mrs Sean asked, turning to her daughter.

But Jessica didn't care to reply. She was plagued with all sorts of thoughts at that moment.

"How did you not know that Jack was the sole heir of the Rosker family, for Christ's sake, Jess? He was your husband, and you lived together for years. Yet you didn't know who he was?" Mrs Sean asked, fuming. 

"Are you trying to put the blame on me, Mom? How the hell was I supposed to know?" she retorted furiously.

"Come on, guys. This isn't the time for this. We have a more dire thing to worry about right now!" Mr Sean interfered in an attempt to de-escalate the brewing tension.

"No matter what, you should have known. There should have been a clue you foolishly ignored, and look what it has cost us. You've ruined us, Jessica," Mrs Sean wailed.

"I ruined us?" Jessica fumed, seething with rage. "Don't even get me started, Mom, because we both know who is to blame for this." 

"Guys, that's enough!" Michael said. Peggy sat and watched, smiling. It was as though she found pleasure in the fact that her elder sister and mother were throwing blame, bickering.

"We're doomed! We're going to lose everything," Mrs Sean continued wailing.

"No, we're not," Michael argued.

"How aren't we doomed? Jack owns our company. He owns us," she replied.

"He is the one who most likely helped us miraculously secure the funding behind the scenes," Jessica rightly reasoned, feeling totally hopeless.

"Jack wouldn't do us any harm. He's too good a person to do such wickedness," Michael replied. 

"Dude, he just pulled the plug on us," Peggy responded. "And who can blame him? We treated him in a shitty way for a very long time. I think forgiveness is off the table right now."

Michael glared at Peggy. 

"Don't give me that look. I'm just stating the obvious," she shrugged, pursing her lips as she looked away. Michael sighed, confused and troubled about what to do. 

"What do we do, Mr Sean?" Michael asked. Jessica's father sighed tiredly, running his fingers through his hair as he gave the matter some thought.

"We have no choice but to see him. Even if it means we grovel and beg, we will do so," he replied. Mrs Sean looked irritated at the thought of the suggestion. Their fate was now in Jack's hands. 

Jessica was terrified the most about having to face the man she betrayed. Was it the fear of losing the things she had, or the fear of owning up to the wrong she did him that terrified her? 

While the Seans were caught up in their dilemma, Jack was having the time of his life. Standing gallantly, with a glass of wine in hand, he spoke with the Secretary of State. The press made sure to capture the glamorous event. 

"Your father has so much faith in you, and so does the US government, and we pledge you the same support we gave your father," the Secretary of State said. 

"I'm truly honored. I'll do my best not to disappoint," Jack replied, nodding slightly with a smile.  

He went on to be introduced to other dignitaries by his father. Then came the heads of the various subsidiaries of the Rosker Group after the high-profile folks were done exchanging pleasantries with him. They introduced themselves and pledged to work faithfully with him.

Noticing the latter, Mr Sean spoke up, "I guess that's our cue." 

Even though Jessica sighed, trying to calm her nerves, her heart still raced faster than usual. Whether they liked it or not, they were obligated to go see Jack, their boss. 

As they made their way toward him, he spotted them by the corner of his left eye while he spoke with the others who met him.

When they got close, Mr Sean cleared his throat before he spoke. "Uh, Mr Rosker? Excuse me, Mr Ros-"

"Hello," Jack responded to a group that approached him from the other direction with a generous smile, ignoring Mr Sean. Jessica's father stood there feeling stupid, but swallowed it.

Jack spoke with more folks who came, totally neglecting Jessica and her folks. Jessica honestly hoped he'd just ignore them till they left. But that hope was short-lived as Jack was soon free.

"Come on," Mr Sean urged them to move forward to where Jack stood. His wife moved reluctantly.

"Hello, Mr Rosker," he greeted again, smiling awkwardly. 

"Hello. And you are?" Jack asked, smiling. Mr Sean chuckled nervously, looking back at the rest. 

"I am Sean Thomson, and this is my uh, daughter, Jessica, the uh, the CEO of Sean's Mining Industries," he introduced, gulping. 

"Oh. I see," Jack responded. 

"And I'm Michael. Michael Trent, the CEO of Trent Industries," Michael spoke as well. Jack simply nodded his head, smiling mildly. 

They all had to play along, feigning ignorance just as Jack feigned ignorance about them.

"For one who is the boss of a company, your daughter looks awfully timid. Does she have what it takes to run such a male-dominated company?" Jack asked. 

"Yes, she can, sir. Can't you, sweetheart?" Mr Sean asked. He had to nudge her with a bump, startling her.

"Yes. Yes, she can. I mean, I can." Jessica looked down, shaking her head within her, feeling stupid and nervous. She looked down all the while she replied.

Jack smiled mildly, looking at them. But there was a wicked stare behind that smile. 

"Mr Rosker, please we would like to plea-"

Gordon walked up to him at that moment, interrupting Mr Sean and whispering to Jack. 

"Well then, help yourself to whatever you want. Some other time, I hope," Jack said, then he walked away.

"But Mr Rosker?" Mr Sean called out, but was ignored. 

"We need to see him by all means," Mr Sean said, turning to the rest. They were all nervous, terrified of the possible future right before them.

"I need to get some air," Jessica said, and quickly walked out of the conference hall. 

"Need some company?" Michael asked, but she ignored him. She was overwhelmed. Peggy took great pleasure in seeing her sister in that state. She was the only one who looked unbothered at the predicament they were in.

Outside the building, Jessica walked to the corner and leaned against the wall. Holding her hair in frustration.

"Fuck!" she yelled, then she began sobbing. 

With her makeup ruined, she boarded a taxi and headed back to her house, not joining the rest, nor informing them that she was leaving. 

_______________

Jack returned home from the inauguration. He freshened up and was seated outside on the patio, not far from the pool. He was deep in his thoughts.

Hearing footsteps approaching, he turned and saw that it was his father. 

"Quite a night, huh?" Mr Norman said as he sat on the other side of the sectional couch upon which Jack sat.

"Yeah. It's been quite a night," he replied. 

"The way you handled yourself around those idjits is worthy of applause," Mr Norman noted. "Never let your prey know what you're truly thinking. That's how a predator operates."

"I learned from the best," Jack smiled. His father smiled proudly at him. 

Jack had plans.