C5 The Authority of The Grandma

The personal room of Mrs. Daphne was specially designed for relaxation and made as comfortable as possible for an elderly aristocrat like her. She was no longer actively involved in managing the company. Her role was mainly to control her grandson, Gery Foster, to prevent him from relapsing into his unstable phase.

The woman was always impeccably dressed in semi-formal attire and sipped a warm herbal tea that afternoon. Yes, she no longer drank cold beverages as it had proven harmful to her aging throat. Regardless of the season or the time of day, warm drinks were always her preference.

"Madam, there is someone who wishes to meet you," reported a middle-aged woman who served as her assistant at the office and home. She had been devoted to Mrs. Daphne since the latter's younger days and marriage to the late Darren Foster, Gery's grandfather. They had been a couple who worked hand in hand to expand the family business, which eventually grew to its current size, even under the leadership of Gery's late father.

Mrs. Daphne looked up at her assistant. "Is it not my grandson?" she asked, surprised. Usually, she never received any visitors in her office other than Gery himself.

"No, Madam. She said she is a new marketing department employee and eager to meet you to discuss an important complaint," the assistant replied, slightly lowering her body.

Mrs. Daphne furrowed her brow in confusion.

"A complaint, you say?" she asked, confirming her hearing because it was unusual. What kind of complaint could a new employee possibly have for her?

"She is a brave young girl, Madam. I suggested that she go to the HR department to address her complaint. Still, she insisted that only you could help her with this matter," the assistant continued, evidently swayed by Eve's firm attitude outside the room.

The aristocratic woman sitting on the plush velvet sofa pondered for a moment.

"Very well, let her in. Let's see what this girl wants," she said.

In reality, she no longer wanted to be bothered by other trivial matters within the company, apart from acting as a supervisor for her grandson and providing guidance. However, the fact that a junior employee sought her out to express a complaint made her think it must be related to her grandson.

A few moments later, the assistant returned with a striking young girl. Even at first glance, Mrs. Daphne immediately thought that the girl before her must have effortlessly captivated any man she desired.

"Yes? What do you need from me, Miss?" Mrs. Daphne directly addressed the core issue. She became even more convinced that the matter must involve her grandson. Hence, she was eager to find out.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Daphne Foster. I apologize for my audacity. My name is Evangelin Ravenwood. I am an intern at this company. I recently signed a valid and legally binding contract with Vinestra Group. However, the issue is that Mr. Gery Foster felt entitled to use his power to terminate my employment without me committing any wrongdoing here, Madam," Eve gathered all her determination and courage to explain briefly what had happened to the lady.

"I'm sorry. Gery fired you on your first day of work? May I know the reason behind it? Because it's unlikely for him to terminate someone without any wrongdoing," Mrs. Daphne asked, now highly intrigued to hear the complete story from Eve.

"Please have a seat; oh, my apologies for my impoliteness," Mrs. Daphne continued, realizing that Eve was still standing before her. She had been so curious that she forgot to offer her guest a seat.

Eve sat on the sofa, facing Mrs. Daphne. The room needed the typical office furniture such as desks and chairs. Instead, it resembled a spacious lounge with one glass wall, providing a comprehensive view of the sky and the surrounding office buildings.

"I genuinely haven't done anything wrong here, Madam. I made a foolish mistake elsewhere ago, where I encountered Mr. Gery..." Eve began her story.

"Okay... so you mean you already knew each other before?" Mrs. Daphne asked, trying to comprehend Eve's narrative.

"No, Madam. We only met briefly, and it was entirely coincidental. We didn't know each other at all. It was a foolish act during my teenage years when my friends and I were engaged in some youthful game. We... um, I... slightly disturbed Mr. Gery's comfort, but it was merely a minor misunderstanding. It's truly unfair that I should be fired from a position I worked so hard for, going through rigorous selection, just because of such a trivial matter, Madam. I implore you to handle this matter with wisdom," Eve concluded.

She tried to place as little blame as possible on Gery and hoped that this grandmother of his would be more supportive of her than her all-powerful grandson.

Mrs. Daphne's assistant had now served a cup of cold beverage on the table before Eve and invited her to drink first. Eve nodded and expressed her gratitude. She immediately took a sip because conversing with someone of Mrs. Daphne's stature had drained her energy.

Suddenly, she felt dehydrated and needed fluids to restore her strength and stabilize her emotions. Ck! Goodness! The aura of the wealthy was different from ordinary folks; Eve silently thought to herself while feeling her throat becoming slightly more comfortable after the recent sip.

"I see... It seems it was just a minor misunderstanding," Mrs. Daphne said briefly as the old woman with wrinkles on her face but still radiating remnants of her past beauty gazed at Eve.

Her elderly eyes had been trying to scrutinize and scan Eve, searching for any gestures indicating lies, deceit, or even the slightest hint of dishonesty. Yet, she found none of that. Instead, what stood out about the brave young woman before her was her stubborn demeanor and an aura of unwavering determination to fight for her rights, even if it meant challenging the ultimate authority. Instantly, Mrs. Daphne felt a sense of admiration for Eve.

"What was your name again? Miss Evangelin, right?"

"Just call me Eve, Madam," Eve replied shyly. Deep down, she also feared being seen as an audacious employee who dared to meet Mrs. Daphne directly, considering she was not accustomed to meeting random employees. But she had no choice; this was her only opportunity to save her job.

"Alright, Eve. Please wait here while I summon my grandson," Mrs. Daphne said, her words sounding like a battle drum in Eve's ears.

This was when she would confront Gery directly and be judged by his grandmother. Who would come out victorious in the end?

***