Rise Of Billionaire Bruce Ace.

Chapter Seven: ‘I need to buy it’.

Jade looked in the mirror and smiled. She looked good in her gray dress. Jade heaved a sigh, hoping that her day would be as good as her dress.

"You look good," Bruce complimented as soon as he saw her. "I love your dress."

Jade smiled. "I found a thrift store where I can get quality clothes for little money. It's a really nice store."

"Thrift store?" It was surprising to hear that a billionaire's daughter would choose a thrift store over fancy cloth shops.

"I owe Tekbos a lot of money. I figured that I'll have to cut down on my expenses." Jade drew in a huge breath and then exhaled. "I regret accepting my father's terms. I just realized how—"

"Impossible?"

"Yes, impossible. No company would be willing to pay me $850, 000 per month. How much would they be earning monthly? I can't believe I fell into my father's trap."

"You'd be fine and that's a promise." Bruce knew she would. The richest man on earth was by her side after all and he will do anything to make her happy.

"Are you sure?" Jade looked hopeless.

Bruce nodded in affirmation. "I'm a hundred percent sure. You look nice. If I was the person recruiting, I'd give you the job immediately after you walk in dressed too nicely. Good luck."

Bruce knew luck was on her side already. He would make sure the job was hers.

~~~

Jade's face twinkled as soon as she arrived at Alpub. With high hopes, she walked in.

After a few hours of waiting, she finally met with Mr. Jones, the hiring manager for an interview.

"Jade Fulton," Mr. Jones began with a smile plastered on his face after the interview. He looked pleased.

"It's Jade Ace," Jade corrected with a smile. She raised her fingers to show him her ring. "I'm married now, so I no longer bear my father's name."

He smiled back at her. "Oh, Mrs. Ace," he said, correcting his mistake. "You're not just a graduate of an Ivy League College, you graduated with a first class. In this interview, you've proven yourself to be more than capable of the position you're vying for. If there's a word better than qualified, I'd have used it."

From the way Mr. Jones smiled, Jade was positive that the job was hers. She could see it coming.

"I've finally found myself a new colleague. The job is definitely—"

"Mr. Jones." A short, plumpy man barged into the office.

"Mr. Luke, that wasn't professional. I'm in the middle of an interview."

The plumpy man drew closer to Mr. Jones. "Hope you haven't given her the job," he whispered, but Jade heard him and her heart fell.

"She's good, so I—"

"The job is taken. Tell her you'd get back to her," Mr. Luke chipped in a hushed voice but Jade could still hear him from where she was.

"But—"

"But nothing. I heard her father disowned her and she's married to a good-for-nothing man. What do we need her for?"

"She's qualified for the job," Mr. Jones said in her defense.

"A more powerful person requested that the job should be given to someone else. We have to give it to whoever this person wants."

"But —"

"You owe me one, remember? You have to do what I want you to do."

"Who are we giving the job to?"

"The daughter of Hugh Steele, Tricia Steele requested that the job should be given to her friend."

Jade clenched her fist. She knew Tricia Steele very well. Tricia was the daughter of the CEO of a company that sells a similar market to that of Tekbos. She has been Jade's rival since childhood. A rivalry instigated by her mother and Jade's mother who were both sworn enemies. Jade's father and Tricia's father on the other hand were cool with each other and their companies had a healthy competition while their women tried to make it look like one family was better than the other.

Mr. Luke grinned. "We would surely get to be on Mr. Steele's good side and that's the only thing I'm interested in. I heard Tricia would get married to Bryan Athen. It'll be in our best interest if we do what Tricia wants."

Jade froze. She could not believe Bryan Athen had moved on so quickly.

"They deserve each other anyway," Jade muttered to herself.

Mr. Luke moved away from Mr. Jones, who looked up at Jade with a sad face.

"They'd be here soon. Treat them well," Mr. Luke said and walked away from the room.

"Jade Fulton," Mr. Jones began.

Immediately, Jade stood up on her feet, ready to leave. She knew what he was about to say.

"I'd take my leave now," Jade announced and made her way to the door.

When she got to the door, it opened and Tricia walked in with a lady who Jade recognized to be Tricia's closest friend. Her name was Vera and like Tricia, she hated Jade.

"Jade Fulton, long time no see," Vera greeted, grinning mockingly at her.

Without answering her, Jade tried to walk past them.

"I knew you had a pathetic life, but I'd never have thought that you'd be dragging a job with Vera, a follower of mine," Tricia said.

"Childish," Jade scoffed. Vera seemed okay with Tricia calling her a follower and Jade thought it was hilarious.

"How dare you speak to me in that manner," Tricia flared up. "Your identity as Jade Fulton has been ripped from you. You should know your place. You're nothing but the wife of a church rat. I am getting married to Bryan Athen, the heir of the Athen family. Since you were stupid enough to give him up, I told my Dad to get him for me. Very soon, he would become my fiance. His father's net worth is about two hundred billion USD. I'm better than you Jade."

"So you're not betrothed to him yet and you're spreading rumors that you are. Pathetic," Jade scoffed.

"I'd soon make him mine and prove to you that—"

You're always trying to compete with me," Jade pointed out, interrupting Tricia. "I, on the other hand, have no time for your childish competition."

With that, Jade walked away. She sulked until she got home and Bruce noticed how sad she looked.

"How was it? He asked.

"Today is not my day. I'd try somewhere else tomorrow. Hopefully, I'd get favored," Jade replied.

"They rejected you? Were you not qualified?" Bruce frowned.

Jade's cheeks flushed. She seemed embarrassed and Bruce wondered why she should be. Her eyes were filled with tears.

Bruce clenched his fists. "Did someone at that place hurt you?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Jade replied. That was all Bruce needed to know what exactly had happened.

He watched Jade walk away. When she was out of sight, he brought out his phone and dialed a number.

"You were at Alpub just like I asked you to, right?" He asked immediately if the person at the other end picked up the call. "I want you to tell me everything that happened during Jade Ace's interview. I want to know if a first-class graduate of an Ivy League College got rejected for not being qualified. I also need to know who was more qualified to have gotten the job this first-class graduate wanted."

Bruce gritted his teeth as everything that happened was told to him.

They wronged Jade because they thought she married a church rat who had no power or riches, but they thought wrong.

"I would show them just how powerful Jade Ace's husband could be whenever he wants to."

He dialed another number.

"How much is Alpub's worth? I need to buy it."