Her facial expression went sullen. Has Andre gotten another job that he has to resign from the Wood's Electroworld. And Mr Benson Wood likes him a lot. What happened?
“I had to leave mom. I knew I was going to eventually leave the company but I didn't anticipate it to be so soon. Something came up that triggered my interest to leave and I got accepted by another multiple million company” he explained.
“Tell me exactly what happened, son” Alice persuaded. Andre is not someone that just does things out of haste. To have decided to leave, it means he was hurt and leaving was the best option for him.
“I told you back then that CEO Benson's daughter has taken over the company, right?” He asked and Alice nodded, yes, he told her. “When she took over, a few things happened and I felt I had overstayed my welcome. I needed to look elsewhere” Andre narrated.
Alice was not convinced. Benson's daughter taking over has nothing to do with him except those few things meant the company was going bankrupt. Why isn't Andre telling her exactly what happened?
“Andre, what happened? Don't dare to lie to your mother” Alice asked, placing her hand on her scratch face to feel the surface of it. She's feeling pains in that part of her face.
“She humiliated me. She used abusive words on me, slapped me and slashed down my salary by 50% for the past 3 months. I was to take home half salary for two years for causing her losses and delays in productivity.
I was innocent of what she accused me of but I didn't fight back. I want her to feel hurt and ashamed of herself the day she learnt the truth, that's my best revenge mom. And then last week, I was arrested and sent to the police station…” Andre explained.
Alice sniffled.
She glanced at her son and nodded, “you did the right thing Andre. How could you not have told me that your take home, was just half of what you earn, I would have added my savings from the pension bank”
“It's fine mom. I have paid off what Camella thinks I own the company and we will be moving to England soon. It's a good offer, way better than I had expected. So mom, be ready, we're leaving N.Y soon” Andre explained.
******
By evening, Benson Wood was sitting on the balcony. He hadn't been himself when he heard that Andre had resigned. He didn't get the full details of what happened but there was a misunderstanding between him and his boss and he left the company.
Wood's Electroworld cannot do without someone like Andre Torello. How can Camella not know this? Why wouldn't she realise that some employees are indispensible. One of them is Andre.
Soon, he saw her Lamborghini drive into the vast compound of his estate, he descended the stairs and they met in the sitting room. Camella sighed softly and said “Good day dad”
“What is good about the day? Tell me huh?” Benson sneered. He had raised his daughter independently and had spoiled her with love but he doesn't tolerate nonsense especially regarding the business and she knows it.
Camella shrugged. She's not in the best mood. Has Jack said anything to dad about their outing the previous evening? Such a response from dad comes when something isn't right.
“I heard Andre Torello resigned from the company?” Benson asked. He was unhappy about the news. He can't afford to lose that young man from the team of employees.
“Yes, I received the resignation today and it came as a shock to me” Camella answered. No matter what happens, resignation was not what she was expecting from Andre at all. He could express his dissatisfaction but definitely not resort to resignation.
“You will tell me exactly what happened and transpired between you both. And don't you dare lie to me because I have the information already” Benson demanded. He doesn't have the details but he was told Andre left because of the CEO, there was a misunderstanding.
“I've never lied to you dad, and I won't start now. Yes there was a misunderstanding….” Camella explained everything to her dad. The salary slash, the arrested and all of that.
She bowed her head and continued “I accept being at fault, absolutely. He was right all along and I didn't realise it. When I got to know everything that happened, I decided I was going to apologise to him and what I saw next was his resignation letter” she concluded.
“You want to ruin the company like you're trying to ruin your relationship with Jack, right?” Benson bellowed, walking round her in a circular motion. He sneered and continued “I raised you to be a virtuous woman, perfect, whole and lacking nothing. I wanted you to become one of the women people look up to in society as role models.
I gave you the best any father can offer the daughter. I got you paired with a responsible man and you blew it off. I haven't said anything to you since last night when you returned from your supposed dinner with Jack. And today you flopped again, right?
I will not be quiet anymore. I won't let you destroy my life long investment and hard work because you are rigid, stubborn and arrogant. I didn't take another wife after your mother died, I loved her and transferred all that love to you.
Today, I see how wrong I was to have had only you as my child. You want everything to go down the drain, right, Camella Wood? What is wrong with you, Cam, what is wrong with you?” Benson bellowed.
“I'm sorry dad…” she apologised.
“That isn't going to solve anything. Andre Torello is the lifeline of the mechanical team. He is the only one who has that expertise and if he leaves, we wouldn't be able to produce automobiles anymore.
I deliberately do not let him know his importance so he would not think too highly of his skills and decides to leave one day. If that young man falls into another hands, they'll triple his income and if we fall, our automobile's production unit will crumble.
Get him back before he goes too far. I don't want someone else to hire him” Benson Wood declared.