Oftentimes when people are lonely, they always feel like they are facing a storm alone. Jacob was feeling exactly that way now. He had so much desire in his heart.
He stood up and walked slowly towards the conference room with the confidence that he was going to win.
Meanwhile, in the conference room there was a squabble ongoing. "Mr. Jacob summoned us for a meeting. Why hasn't he shown up yet?"
"Maybe he is busy."
"Then why schedule the meeting in the first place? Shouldn't he summon us when he's less busy?"
"Mr. Jacob must have his own reasons. Oops! I don't want to gossip about him right now. Someone might blab to him about what I said."
"Presently, the company is in grave danger. Who knows when everything will collapse?"
Suddenly, there was silence.
The once noisy boardroom had become quiet. This was because Jacob had just opened the door.
James had previously felt sorry for the directors. However, after he heard all that they said, he no longer felt sympathetic.
Miserable people always found faults in others. Probably, this was the same way the directors behaved. However, no matter the hatred they gave Jacob, they couldn't change anything.
With a cold face, Jacob walked to his chair and sat down. Cindy was glad when her boss walked in and the whole room became quiet.
Until now, she had felt that she was in hell. But with Jacob's arrival, she was relieved. Everyone in the room remained mute.
"I heard you all discussing something just now. Don't stop because of me. I also want to hear your opinions."
Jacob placed his hand on the table and stroked it. His expression was calm.
The directors didn't say anything. They were as quiet as snakes during winter. When Jacob glanced at some of them, they held their breaths immediately.
"What? You guys have nothing else to discuss?" Jacob bellowed. With this, everyone was afraid and quieter.
James stared at Jacob with admiration. Now, Jacob resembled his elder brother more than ever before. The others could tell that Jacob was already angry. Even though he didn't say anything, everyone in the meeting was already trembling with fear. Some directors even lowered their heads. At that moment, Jonathan looked at Jacob with a smile on his face. Lately, Jonathan was behaving unusual. He just grinned without saying anything.
Jacob knew that this was a dangerous signal. But there was nothing that he could do to Jonathan.
After all, he wasn't a psychic. So it was impossible for him to know what was in his mind. Besides, Jacob was too busy to bother about that. Jonathan could do whatever he liked.
Jacob cleared his throat and said, "I am sure you all know why I called for this meeting. Then I will go straight to the point."
With a serious face, he stood up with his hands in his trouser pockets.
"Yes, I summoned you all to discuss the reduction of staff. I know that everyone is worried about the issue. And so many of you don't support it. I think I was a little erratic with my decision,"
Displeased by this, he reasoned that this action wasn't commendable. He wouldn't know what they were thinking, unless they expressed themselves.
"Mr. Jacob, I don't know how you are going to handle this matter. But we just think that there are very few ways to ensure that everyone wins. Someone has to make a sacrifice,"
one of the directors said calmly. But Jacob could hear a hint of nervousness in his tone. Indeed, he was anxious. This wasn't surprising because this matter would affect the future of his family and friends.
Jacob looked at the director and smiled. "Yes, you are right. We barely have ways to ensure that everyone wins. Because of this, we have no other choice but to settle for a better alternative."
The directors were stunned. But most of them didn't think it was a good alternative. As they stared at Jacob, they thought that he was about to make trouble again.
Cindy stood next to Jacob. She already knew what he was capable of doing. This was after the time he set new rules for the board. And now, Jacob would be stricter than the last time.
Cindy struggled not to laugh. At this moment, the board members were like cats on hot bricks. They were nervous and helpless.
"What way?" At that instance, the director's face turned pale. He felt uncomfortable in his heart. He really regretted asking such a stupid question. However, he couldn't take it back.
Jacob looked at the director with sympathy. At that moment, he decided not to go straight to the point.
"I know that you all are not excited about the dismissal of employees. This is because some of them are your relatives and friends. I know that this would cause an awkward situation. Also, it wouldn't be good for our partnership."
Jacob glanced at the faces of the directors. Just as he had expected, none of them wanted to speak. They were all gloomy.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Ex-wife, Please Come Back