Offer to the CEO

20th wedding anniversary

Amanda sat quietly waiting for Yao Tan to arrive home to their villa.  How life had changed.  The day that they got their wedding certificate she had such hopes and dreams about what their life would be like.  Having waited so long for him to make the ultimate commitment to her, she believed that her life would only get better.

The problem was that in the last few years their marriage had become hellish.  Ever since little Jasmine broke all the rules and ditched the guard before convincing a taxi driver to take her to Hou Yi and Anna's villa.  After she and Tan told her no, she called Anna and Hou Yi to convince them to get them to change her mind.  The refused, but the child that was a stubborn as her father did what she wanted.

Now all of them were paying the price.  Jasmine, with the physical and psychological consequences of the accident; all the other children with the protectiveness of Yao Tan; Hou Yi with the loss of his friendship with Tan who, despite him having no role in the accident; Anna with the impact on their relationship, and most importantly Yan Tan and herself.

The problem was that Yao Tan did not want to deal with the impacts for them.  He had made up his mind as to who was responsible for the accident, and he was not moving from that. The problem was, it had gotten her to the point that she had enough.  It was ruining her marriage, and that was something that she never thought would be the case.

But, now in the recent past Alecia had added to the problems and the blaming of everything on Hou Yi that Tan was doing.  At the time he appointed Junior, Amanda warned Tan that parachuting Junior into a position senior to Alecia, when he had no business experience nor any knowledge of the company was thwart with danger.  While she could appreciate Tan was right in his position that he could appoint anyone as a executive if he wanted, he would not see the intra-family conflict he was setting up.  Ton, like Alecia took a junior position and worked his way up through the company.

Ton, however, about two months before Tan appointed Junior to his position, had told both of them he did not want to become the company CEO.  She could still remember Ton's words.  He knew that he was not suitable to be the CEO and said that of the three of them Alecia was the most appropriate person to be CEO after Tan.  Amanda suspected that that announcement prompted Tan to convince Junior to return with the promise that he would become the CEO eventually.  She just hoped that that would not be something that he regretted in the future.

But given Junior was continually being promoted and Alecia was stuck at junior executive lever for the last 6 years, despite all her good work Tan blocked at every opportunity he ability to advance.  It was therefore not surprising that Alecia had taken Hou Yi's offer.  There she had the change to take the role, if Tan was honest, she was born to.

Amanda, turned and looked around.  Having spoken the Alecia, she offered for the twins, Jasmine and David to spend the night with them as there was no way, she wanted them around in case the fallout of the discussion was nasty.

Amanda heard a door open, and turned around seeing Yao Tan walking in, with Junior in his wake.  The two of them were talking about Alecia having formally taken the position of Hou Enterprises CEO.

"Grow up.  Tan, Alecia had reached highest position she was ever likely to reach working for you.  Someone else saw the potential she has and offered her a job.  And before either of you say it was Hou Yi, you forget I worked for Hou Enterprises for years and for senior positions, they not only look internally but externally.  And if they are considering someone externally, they directly approach them for the position.  Advertising is only a last resort and they rarely do that for senior positions.  The problem the two of you have is that Hou Yi went for Alecia for CEO."

"Well as dad has said, she never showed the basis to be promoted for six years, what makes her suitable for such a position."

"Junior, grow up, you are talking about your sister.  Plus you have not been here for that amount of time.  Now you promised me as it was our anniversary that you would leave us alone.  So go."

"No need to be snappy."

"It is your father and my wedding anniversary.  You are thirty-seven years old, and while I have no problem in having my children, regardless of their age live here, we need some time alone."

"But Dad and I have things to talk about."

"Junior, I am asking for one night's peace with your father."

"Junior, we can talk about those things in the morning, your mother is right.  Today is a special day for us."

"Fine dad, but remember what I said about Alecia and that she needs to be cut off from the family, as she abandoned us."

Nodding, Yao Tan responded "We will talk about it tomorrow."

Having gotten the message Junior left, and Yao Tan came and sat down beside Amanda.  Lifting her hand up he kissed her wedding ring and said "Apologise Amanda.  You know that things are upset in the office given Alecia's decision."

"Do not blame Alecia Tan, you and I both know that you want one of your sons to take over the company rather than your highly competent daughter who knows the company from the ground up.  While I will not interfere with the company, I will tell you my opinion.  That is something that has not changed."

"And I am grateful for that.  But why would Alecia abandon us and go and work for the person responsible for what happened to Jasmine."

"You forget, Anna is her sister-in-law and so she is working for family, as much as she worked for family when…"

"She worked for me.  True, but she is ignoring what happened…"

Pulling her hand away, Amanda quickly stood up and said "Tan, enough.  I am sick of this, and the constant impacts on our marriage.  Jasmine was in the wrong,  She did what she waned despite everyone else saying no.  The driver who crashed into the Taxi she was in is the one to blame, not anyone else."

"Amanda, why do you want…"

"To do this on our anniversary.  Tan, I am sick of this constant blaming of people you have.  Look deep.  Like Alecia, James, Ton, Hou Yi and Anna, I realised years ago I had a part to play in Jasmine doing what she did.   Jasmine realises now what she did wrong.  The only person who does not accept their part is you.  I am sick of your choices impacting our family, friendsh_i_p_s and my life."

"I have to hide when I see Alecia and James, Anna and Hou Yi because when I see them you become angry.  I am frustrated that over the last few years you have blocked me from having a career.  I left Hou Enterprises as ultimately me being there was not sustainable and with all the promises you gave me came to work for you.  You, however, after Jasmine's birth prevented me from returning to my position and then did everything for prevent me getting a job elsewhere."

"I cannot do this anymore.  Your decisions are s_u_c_k_i_n_g what makes me who I am from me.  I have allowed it, because I love you, but seeing what Hou Yi and Anna have done for each other, including Hou Yi now stepping away to allow Anna to pursue her political career I can take it no more.  I need to be me, and I am not me."

"Amanda…" cried out Yao Tan.

"Tan, no.  I need to have my say, and you need to make your choice as to what is important.  Holding onto perceived problems and crushing the life from your family, or your marriage and family.  You wonder why Ton rarely visits us.  He is sick of your behaviour.  You wonder why Alecia and James keep their children away from you, they cannot stand how you treat everyone.  You wonder why Jang did not invite you to his engagement party, but invited Alecia and I.  You cannot accept Alecia has gotten to a point that she has forgiven Lu Jinhu for what happened to her.  It is all you, not us."

"But Amanda…"

"No buts Tan.  I do not want you to think.  I want you to tell me now what is important.  Our family and importantly me, or your need to hold onto your views. "

"I cannot make that decision."

"You need to decide, or I will make the decision for you.  You will not like that decision Tan."

"There is no way that I want to end our marriage.  When we got our marriage certificate you knew I committed to you for life," came the impassionate cry from Tan.

"So, are you willing to move forward, forgetting the past and trying to rebuild things…"

"Why should I, Hou Yi caused so much hurt to us…"

"Tan," Amanda looked down at the rings on her fingers and slipped them off and handed them to him.  "Then this marriage is over.  I can no longer cope in the toxic environment that you are stuck in."

"Amanda, no…" cried a shocked Yao Tan.  "I love you."

"Tan, sometime love is not enough.  It takes commitment and a willingness to adapt and deal with what life throws at us, good or bad.  Your stubbornness has ruined things."

Amanda looked at Yao Tan, tears streaming down her face.  She did not want to be in this position, but she needed to put the children and herself before her marriage.  "This is hurting you Amanda." Responded Yao Tan as he wiped away her tears.

"It is, but the children and my wellbeing must to come first at the moment, and for you it does not." Amanda stood up and headed to the door.

Tan quickly moved and stepped in front of Amanda, gently placing his hands on her shoulders before saying "Will you give me a chance to change?" before picking up her hand and returning her rings there.

Amanda took a deep breath and said "If you promise to go to counselling and work to change yourself yes, but one more mess-up that is it as I will take it no more.  I need to pursue a career.  Anna contacted me and offered me the position on her staff.  She is fine for me to work from here, and I will take that, no arguments.  Also, you need to send Junior to an overseas posting.  I love him, but he is too much like his birth mother in that he wants things to revolve around him.  Have him prove me wrong that he is suitable to become the next CEO by proving he can do the job, rather than having it handed to him."

"That is not fair to him…"

"Tan, it is.  Let him show the potential you believe he has.  Let everyone judge what he does.  Alecia will, I believe, prove that she can take your place with being the CEO of her in-law's company for a period of times.  Junior needs to prove that he can do that as well."

"Fine, but I do not want you working…"

"Stop being so old fashioned.  Women are not simply mothers and stay at home.  For goodness sake, Anna is about to be sworn in as Vice-President this country, and her husband is all for it."

Knowing he was backed into a corner all he could do was say "Fine, but any risk to you, you leave the job, and if Junior proves himself you do not question my business decisions."

"Absolutely.  I am not stupid.  But you have to work hard to make our marriage work.

One year later.

Anna and Amanda were sitting in the gardens of the presidential palace, having finished all their work-related discussions.

"Do you realise how long it has been since we have been able to simply sit and talk."

"Madam President…"

"Did I not tell you when it is the two of us sitting here as friends, it still is Anna."

Laughing Amanda said "Well Anna, things have changed since Jasmine's accident.  After the choice I gave Tan twelve months ago he started to deal with matters.  I hated doing it, but it was the only chance I had to even save our marriage.  At least he did what he agreed to do, and things are getting better for us.  There is still a way to go, but if you had asked me a year ago, I would have said we would have been divorced by now."

"I know how all the children except Junior is.  How is he going?"

"Totally made a mess of the posting.  Tan has had to go and sort out all the problems, but the good thing that has come out of it was that Tan found out that ever since Junior joined the company he had been taking credit for Alecia's work, and with her at Hou Enterprises he could not find anyone gullible to allow him to do that."

"Yi, cannot stop about how well she is doing at Hou Enterprises.  Things have not missed a beat since she joined and she has everything in place for when she goes on maternity leave in a few weeks.  James cannot be more proud of her.  Jang, has only now decided that he wants to join the company, but he decided that he wants to take the same path as Alecia.  Start at the bottom and work his way up."

"Speaking of Jang, how are he and Grace going?"

"Grace wanted him to join Lu Corporation and take the senior executive role Lu Jinhu offered him, and his refusal caused an argument.  Grace is still angry about that even now.  The funny thing is Lu Jinhu said to Jang and Grace last week when he was here to discuss the wedding that he was proud that Jang refused the job offer, as it meant that he was serious about building a career, rather than expecting it to be handed to him.  That made Grace realise that making decisions without taking short-cuts was the right thing."

"So, how are you with him."

"Fine, as Yi and I told him after Grace and Jang left us, that while we will neve approve of all his actions, in the end it resulted in us being together, and ultimately he marrying the woman he loved, despite the distraction of Yang Lin."

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Thank you for joining the journey of this novel.  I hope you have enjoyed it to the end:

·         Lu Jingho got everything he deserved;

·         Lu Jinhu found some redemption and forgiveness for admitting his mistakes;

·         Anna was able to deal with the consequences of the abuse she suffered and came out of it stronger;

·         Anna and Hou Yi found happiness, and a balance in their marriage;

·         Anna fully adopted into her new country (immigrant to president in twenty years, maybe unrealistic, but with a powerful husband and a d_e_s_i_r_e to make a difference anything is possible as it means you are at the right place at the right time).

·         Alecia and James' marriage survived despite challenges thrown at it and found their career paths;

·         Amanda and Yao Tan, had their happiness, and despite the threat of Amanda due to Yao Tan's stubbornness, it survived

·         Jane Gang achieved her revenge.  While hampering Hou Yi's plans, it achieved his goal of preventing Lu Jingho from using his wealth to hurt others.  I did not give her an ending as I wanted her to be wandering finding what made her happy, given what happened to her during childhood.  I believe she got that eventually.

Most importantly I want to thank all of my readers for persevering with the story of a first-time writer.  I hope you have enjoyed the rollercoaster that his has taken, and I have always taken your comments onboard (and read every one of them even if I do not respond to them).

I hope to see you soon, reading the Solider Husband.  Anna and Hou Yi will not be forgotten and will make appearances at times (as side characters), and Lexi Yao's story will be explained.

Love klmorgan, 30 November 2019.