Chapter 14 - Two Choices One Decision
"WHAT???" Tristan exclaimed in disbelief.
"You heard me, grandson. I don't need to repeat it for you." His grandpa nonchalantly told him before he sat down on the couch leisurely.
"You can't do that!" He complained, following his grandpa as he sat down beside him.
His grandpa glanced at him with a wide grin.
"Who told you so? Of course, I can! I am the Chairman of this company. I can do whatever I want. I hold the biggest share in the company."
"You can't… you have no legal grounds to do that. I am a well-performing CEO. I have good records!"
His grandpa laughed at his statement mockingly.
"Good records? My dear grandson… your reputation is bad because of your scandals with women! Tristan Davis- the famous handsome CEO of Heavenly Star Enterprise, a certified womanizer! Is that the one you want to brag at me, young man?"
Matthew, his assistant, quietly left them. He felt like it was inappropriate for him to continue listening to the arguments of his boss and his grandfather.
Tristan sighed deeply, feeling helpless. "Grandpa, you couldn't take away my position just because of that. Why are you punishing me like this? This is my personal life!"
'This is not a punishment. I am doing this for your own sake, kid.'
His grandpa turned to look at him with a serious expression on his face.
"Tristan… This time I could no longer tolerate you. You have to choose...either you will say goodbye to your carefree single life or say goodbye to your position as CEO." His grandpa told him firmly.
But Tristan didn't back down immediately.
"If I don't marry someone then who are you gonna appoint to take my CEO position?" Tristan said, challenging his grandpa.
His grandpa chuckled before giving him an answer.
"Who else? Of course, it's your brother, Andrew!"
The moment Tristan heard that name he fell silent. There were waves of emotions flickering in his eyes but he concealed it immediately when he faced his grandpa once again.
After his silence, Tristan let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Do you really have to do this to me, old man?"
Tristan called his grandpa 'old man'. This meant that he was already upset with him.
Tristan stood up. He didn't have any plan to beg his grandfather. He knew that once his old man made a certain decision, he would not change it no matter what.
This time he was cornered by his own grandfather, pushing him on the edge of the cliff. He clenched his fists and just stood there quietly.
Complicated emotions could be seen in his grandfather's eyes as he watched the back of his stubborn grandson. He spoke up once again to break the deafening silence.
"Andrew met your father yesterday together with Hannah. They will soon announce their engagement in the public. Your father was very happy to hear that news. Andrew's performance in the company is also outstanding. I think your father won't question my decision, just in case you want to throw away your position."
After saying that, his grandfather stood up as well. He didn't wait for Tristan to respond, after all, he knew that his grandson couldn't tell any words right now. He was aware that Tristan was having a hard time hearing that shocking news from him.
His grandpa knew his grandson very well. Though he was very strict with Tristan, he truly cared for him. He is the only one who could understand his true feelings.
"You are being chased by lots of beautiful women. But too bad… you can't have the woman whom you truly wanted. Stop playing around with women anymore… find someone who will be with you and will make you happy… who will give you genuine happiness. You have one month to decide… after that… tell me your answer."
His grandpa told him that piece of meaningful advice before he left Tristan speechless and frozen in his spot.
When he was left alone in the living room, Tristan slumped his body back to the couch. He felt like all his energy was drained after talking to his grandpa.
'What a ruthless and vicious old man!' Tristan thought to himself as he buried his face using his both hands.
Andrew and Hannah… those were the names he considered as taboo for him.
Andrew was his half brother. They had the same age, 28 years old. Andrew was the bastard son of his father with his secretary before.
Just like him, his father was a good-looking man, a certified heartthrob who was attracting lots of women because of his charms. He was also a playboy when he was still young, dating lots of women not until he met Tristan's mother.
His father fell in love with his mother. He changed his habits and became serious with his mother. Later on, they got engaged. But mistakes happened.
One night, they held a company dinner to celebrate the increase in profits. His father got drunk. Unknown to him, his secretary already had feelings for him and secretly loving him.
She also knew that Tristan's father was about to get married. She didn't want to have any regrets, that's why she used that opportunity to sleep with him. They had steamy sex at his office.
When his father realized what happened, he got mad. He fired his secretary and told her not to show her face to him once again.
But ten years later, the secretary showed up in front of Tristan's father and mother, holding a nine-year-old boy. That was Andrew. The fruit of his father's mistake.
The secretary was already dying because of stage 4 leukemia, that's why she brought Andrew to his father. Tristan's mother was an understanding woman so she didn't oppose the idea of taking care of Andrew. After that, Tristan suddenly had an instant brother of the same age as him.
On the other hand, Hannah, she was his childhood friend since pre-school. Their parents were close friends too. He had liked her since then. He thought to himself that Hannah was the only woman he wanted to marry. She was special.
Everything was going smoothly between the two of them but it changed the moment Andrew came into the picture.
He could still vividly remember that moment when he had a heart to heart talk with Hannah. He was about to confess his feelings to her but things didn't go the way he wanted.
{ "Tristan… I like… Andrew." }
He had not said anything yet but those last three words coming from her already killed his hope… his chance. In the end, he was not able to confess his feelings for her.
He started to distance himself from her. Then just one day, he heard that Hannah and Andrew became a couple. That's the moment he changed and started dating lots of women. And the rest just became a history.