At the end of the day, he could only hide his secrets. His life had already been open to the public.
"Jacob, what has happened in the past is none of our business nor we care about it. But your present
private life is extremely turbulent. It has caused an uproar in our company. Don't you think we are
worthy of an explanation?"
Jonathan crossed his hands on his chest, a devilish smile appearing on his face. Those who were on
Jacob's side widened their eyes at Jonathan's question.
In spite of the questions they had in their mind, they chose to remain silent. Nobody wished to get
themselves into trouble.
Jacob, on the other hand, was very calm and composed. With his head lowered, he tapped
rhythmically on the table. Receiving such indifference from him, Jonathan let out a cold laugh.
"Answer me. Or do you think you can get away without uttering a single word? Who will you call to
save your ass this time? Are you going to yet again hide in your shell like a turtle?"
Jonathan went on. He was starting to get on James's nerves. His words awoke such fury in him that he
had difficulty controlling his impulse to slam his hands against the table. Burning with rage, James
looked at Jonathan, his face expressionless.
His eyes then fell on his nephew. Jacob looked eerily calm. James didn't know what was going on in
his mind. Knowing Jacob was a smart man, James decided it was best to not fret over it.
"I quit,"
Jacob announced and stood up. He spoke in a casual and relaxed manner. He dropped these two
words and watched his audience for their reaction. It had been easier than he had expected.
Jacob wasn't going to argue with anyone. He simply put forward his decision. From experience, he had
learned arguing would get him nowhere. It would simply exhaust his energy.
Everyone looked at him, ashen-faced with shock. They had anticipated several outcomes but this was
unexpected. It caught all of them off-guard. The smile on Jonathan's face froze. From Jacob's attitude,
it could be discerned that he wasn't attached to his position.
The things he had been dreaming of held no value in Jacob's eyes. For some reason, such indifference
frustrated Jonathan.
The directors, on the other hand, felt panic shoot through them. If Jacob resigned, they wondered what
would happen to the company. They knew very well only he was capable of supporting the company. If
he resigned, they would become helpless.
Until now, they hadn't realized how important he had been to the company. It wasn't just the company
that would have difficulty in thriving without Jacob. Even the directors were used to him.
Hence the news came as a big blow to all of them. The issue they had earlier wished to deal with
seemed quite small in comparison. They could pay some money and everything would be sorted. But
Jacob's announcement was the actual loss.
Everyone glanced at Jacob nervously. None of them dared to utter a word. After all, they worried what
the others would think. Whoever spoke first could end up being hated by the rest.
James looked at Jacob from the corner of his eyes. Nervously, he said, "Jacob..."
His voice was so low, Jacob didn't hear it. The truth was, he was immersed in his own thoughts. Even
though he seemed confident on the outside, he was surprised nobody tried to stop him. He tried to
shrug these thoughts, telling himself none of their words would make him stay.
Since he had made a decision, he was determined to stick to it. He sat, lost in thought.
"Mr. Jacob, there is no need to resign over such a trivial matter. Besides, this is a family business. I'm
afraid it would be a big blow for everyone if you leave,"
someone said, after mustering up a lot of courage. Everyone seemed concerned for him. They knew
Jacob was simply a victim. The real culprit was the man who spread the news.
"Yes, Mr. Jacob. It's not a big deal. We didn't call you to blame you. In fact, our intention was to discuss
this matter and come up with a solution,"
another director added, gazing sympathetically at Jacob. One after another, people began to speak,
persuading him to stay. Seeing their efforts were in vain, panic spread through them.
Jacob squinted his big eyes. He was pleased with their words. It made him feel appreciated. He was
glad his efforts as a CEO in the past weren't in vain.
But it did nothing to convince him to stay. If anything, it made his resolution to leave stronger. This was
a place where his private affairs had been discussed. Just the mere thought of it disturbed him. His
pride wouldn't allow him to stay. He hated pity and couldn't tolerate it.
His defiant gaze fell on Jonathan. 'Even after everything, I still win, ' it seemed to say.
Jonathan's eyes were fierce but he slumped in dejection. For once he thought he would win! In this
bitter moment he understood that even if Jacob resigned, the victory would still be his.
His eyes were ablaze with fury. Now it dawned on him that his wishes would never come true.
Jonathan clenched his fists, thinking about the injustice of life.
Feigning a brave look, he spoke. "Well, look at you all supporting him! You are all fence-sitters. You
keep changing teams! Now that the situation doesn't seem to be in your favor, you are bowing your
head to him!"
Jonathan's disdainful gaze regarded all the directors. He pursed his lips with disgust. In private, they
spoke ill of Jacob. However, now they were clinging to him.
"You!"
Some of the directors looked hot and rather flushed listening to this accusation. They knew if Jonathan
became the CEO, he would make their lives a living hell.
This was a thought that was present in every director's mind. Under the circumstances, it was only
natural for them to take Jacob's side. As this conversation continued, James maintained silence.
The other directors didn't say anything either. They were hoping James would interfere and persuade
Jacob. They all knew his uncle had power over him. But surprisingly enough, he didn't.
Jacob stood like a lonely hero with a firm decision that nobody could change.
"Well, that's it. Let's call it a day. This will also be the last time I appear in the company. I wish you all
success,"
Jacob said, wearing a smile. There wasn't an ounce of remorse on his face. Hearing his decision once
again, a shudder of fear ran through the directors.
Without Jacob's support, they didn't think the company could prosper. Everyone knew how vital he was
for the company.
In fact, he had done a lot for it. It surprised them to watch him look so calm and composed. They were
severely depressed but couldn't think of a way to dissuade him either.
They were left feeling helpless. All of them gaped at him in desperation.
Cindy, who had heard everything, was deeply shocked. She was aware of her heart thudding in her
chest. She hadn't anticipated such an end to their journey.
A look of gloom overtook James's face. It wasn't because he disliked Jacob's decision of leaving.
Instead, he was disappointed because he believed Jacob was keeping something from him.
He would have liked his nephew to confide in him. Hence, this concealment made him nervous. 'What
is it that he knows?' James wondered.
At this moment, he felt like a student waiting for the teacher to give them the right answer. Even though
deep in his heart he had some suspicions, he was eager to hear it from Jacob. Everything was clear as
the daylight, but he wished to delude himself.
He thought it would be best if Jacob knew nothing about it. Otherwise, James worried his nephew
would be devastated.
Michael had looked forward to Jacob taking over the company all his life. But today, Jacob finally
relieved his shoulder of the burden.
He walked out of the meeting room, leaving everyone present in utter shock.
From the beginning till the end, he had spoken very little. There was something firm about his attitude.
His confidence was a cause of envy to many.
And now, all the directors dreaded giving Jacob's position to someone annoying.
Dead silence ensued in the room. After a few seconds, James too got up and left. Soon, Cindy was
gone too.
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