@ ODILI ONUOHA

CHAPTER TWELVE

"Who in the world is knocking like that?" Susan grumbled as she approached the front door, the loud thud clearly interrupting her peaceful afternoon.

She swung the door open sharply and immediately, her face twisted with disdain.

"You again?" she spat with venom. "What are you doing here, James? Haven’t you embarrassed this family enough?"

James stood calmly at the threshold, wearing his usual tattered and weathered clothes. His expression was composed, though his eyes revealed the exhaustion of someone who had endured too much for too long.

"I just wanted to see Rita," he said quietly, his voice tinged with longing but not weakness.

Susan laughed, cold and cruel. "See Rita? Dressed like that? You look like you crawled out of a dumpster. Don’t you have any shame? This isn’t the street where you beg for leftovers. It’s the Ray residence!"

Before James could utter another word, Susan, holding a glass of water in her hand, flung it into his face with disgust. The icy splash soaked his shirt and clung to his skin. The suddenness of it made him flinch, but he didn’t retaliate.

"And if I see you here again, I’ll make sure you’re dragged out by your ears!" she hissed.

The commotion quickly drew the attention of Helen, Rita’s mother, who stormed to the door with a glare.

"What is going on here, Susan? Why are you shouting like" She stopped abruptly when she saw James standing there, drenched and still calm. Her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, it’s you," she scoffed. "What do you want now, you jobless disgrace? Coming here to leech again?"

"Mother, please, I" James tried to explain.

"Don’t call me that! I’m not your mother, and you are no longer part of this family!" Helen shrieked, before pulling out her phone. "I'm calling the police right now. You need to be removed from this property permanently!"

Inside the house, Rita heard the shouting and came rushing downstairs, her heart dropping when she saw her husband standing like a soaked stray dog at their doorstep, humiliation written all over his face.

"James… please," she whispered as she gently approached him. "Just go. Not like this. Not today."

His eyes met hers, and for a moment, his resolve wavered. He had come to see her, to remember what home used to feel like. But this place no longer felt like home.

Moments later, a patrol car pulled into the driveway. Two officers stepped out, firm and ready for confrontation. The lead officer, tall and broad-shouldered, approached the group until his eyes landed on James.

There was a brief pause.

Then, the officer’s face lit up with recognition. "Master James!" he exclaimed, breaking into a wide smile as he stepped forward and embraced him like an old friend.

Susan and Helen’s jaws nearly hit the ground.

"Kenneth?" James blinked in surprise.

"Yes, sir! It’s me Kenneth. Do you remember? You helped me when my son needed surgery, even when you had nothing! I’ll never forget that. What happened here? Who did this to you?" Kenneth’s voice shifted into concern as he noticed James’s soaked shirt.

"It’s fine," James said, managing a small smile. "Don’t make trouble here. It’s not worth it. Please… let it go. For my wife’s sake."

Kenneth frowned, clearly not happy, but he respected James too much to argue. He turned toward Helen and Susan, his tone now sharp and professional.

"You’re lucky he’s a merciful man," he said coldly. "Because if it were up to me, you’d both be charged with public harassment."

He gave James one last look, a mixture of respect and sorrow, before turning back to the car.

James stood for a few seconds longer, then nodded to Rita before stepping away, leaving the house that had long stopped being a home.

As the police car disappeared into the distance, Susan muttered under her breath, "How does someone like him even know the head of patrol?"

"Are you sure this is everything?" Lisa asked her assistant, checking through the neatly packaged folder she held in her manicured hand.

"Yes, ma’am. That’s the most outstanding project we have. If JP Enterprises approves, it could breathe life into Ray Enterprises again," the assistant replied.

Lisa gave a satisfied nod and stepped into the driver’s seat of the sleek black SUV. As the assistant secretary of Ray Enterprises, this was her chance to make an impression that could fast-track her rise to the top. Promotion was within reach if this proposal went well.

It was early afternoon when she arrived at the imposing glass building of JP Enterprises. The logo gleamed under the sun, a symbol of unmatched success and prestige. She walked briskly through the entrance, heels clicking confidently on the marble floor, and introduced herself to the front desk staff.

"I’m here to see the President of JP Enterprises. I represent Ray Enterprises and have a proposal that demands his attention," she declared with poise.

The general secretary, seated calmly at the reception, glanced up and gave her a professional smile. "The President is currently away from his office. You may have to wait a bit. Would you prefer to sit here, or would you like to be notified upon his return?"

Lisa gave a nod. "I'll wait outside briefly. I left my phone in the car. Kindly notify me once he’s in."

She turned and walked outside. As she approached the parking lot, she noticed a familiar yet irritatingly disheveled figure walking into the building.

James.

He wore his usual plain, faded clothes hardly fitting for someone walking into a place like JP Enterprises. Lisa didn’t hesitate to launch an insult.

"Back again to beg, are we?" she said mockingly, narrowing her eyes as she crossed paths with him. "This isn’t a shelter for street men, James. Some places are just too grand for certain people."

James didn’t respond. He only glanced at her with the calm of a man who knew something she didn’t. Lisa rolled her eyes and headed back to retrieve her phone.

By the time she returned, the secretary informed her, "The President has just returned. You may go in now."

Lisa adjusted her blazer, tucked the folder neatly under her arm, and proceeded toward the private elevator that would take her to the executive floor. She entered the spacious office, ready to deliver her well-rehearsed pitch.

But as she stepped through the grand doors, she froze.

Seated confidently behind the massive desk, dressed in a sleek tailored suit, was James.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"What... what is this?" she stammered.

James looked up slowly, his expression unreadable.

"Miss Lisa," he said smoothly, "I see you’ve come to present a proposal."

She was completely speechless. The same man she had mocked moments ago now sat before her as the very person she came to impress.

"I didn’t know"

"No, you didn’t," James interjected, his tone firm but calm. "Unfortunately, I won’t be reviewing this proposal. JP Enterprises is not interested in any form of collaboration with Ray Enterprises at this time."

"But sir"

"You may leave now, Miss Lisa. Kindly ensure you exit the premises without further disturbance."

He pressed the intercom. "Security, please escort the representative from Ray Enterprises out of the building."

Crushed and humiliated, Lisa nodded awkwardly and backed out of the office, her hands trembling. As she exited the building, every step felt heavier than the last. She had blown her opportunity. Badly.

She drove back in silence, and when she reached Ray Enterprises, she delivered the unpleasant news.

"He rejected the proposal outright," she told the board members, struggling to mask her shaken pride. "I think… he holds something against us. He was cold. Dismissive."

Robert frowned, deeply perplexed. "Why would the President of JP Enterprises be so dismissive without even reviewing the content?"

He mulled it over in silence for a few seconds before his eyes lit up.

"Charles," he muttered to himself.

Everyone in the room turned toward him.

"Charles once introduced me to someone he said would someday become one of the most influential business minds in the country. Maybe he has a connection. Perhaps if I reach out to Charles, he can speak to the President on our behalf."

Without wasting time, Robert made the call. Charles, ever the gentleman, agreed to meet him over dinner the following evening.

The restaurant was quiet, with soft classical music playing in the background as they settled into a private booth. Wine glasses clinked, and after casual pleasantries, Robert finally laid out everything: the rejected proposal, the mounting pressure on Ray Enterprises, and the family’s desperation for investment.

Charles listened patiently.

"I see," he finally said, placing his glass down. "This is… complicated. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll have a conversation with the President myself. He listens to me. I’ll get back to you after we’ve spoken."

Robert gave a sigh of relief. "That’s all I ask."

Charles nodded.

"Let’s hope it’s not too late," he said softly.

"He's agreed to the investment, but there's a condition," Charles said with a steady voice, lowering the phone from his ear.

Christopher sat upright in his chair. "What condition?"

Charles hesitated briefly before responding. "He wants eighty percent ownership of Ray Enterprises in exchange for the investment funds."

The room fell silent.

Christopher’s brows furrowed. "Eighty percent? That’s nearly the entire company!"

"And yet it’s the only lifeline we have left," Nancy chimed in, standing beside Charles. "It’s this... or collapse."

Despite the protests that echoed through the Ray household, the truth was unavoidable the business was crumbling and in dire need of immediate funding. Left with no other viable option, the family begrudgingly accepted the condition and agreed to fix a date when the President of JP Enterprises would arrive in person to finalize the deal.

The day of reckoning came swiftly.

Everyone in Ray Enterprises was on edge. Christopher, Helen, Robert, Susan, and the rest of the executives were already seated in the boardroom. They whispered among themselves, speculating about the identity of the elusive president. No one expected what was to come.

The grand doors creaked open.

Charles entered first, followed closely by Sandra. Then, a third figure walked in calm, composed, and strikingly handsome in an immaculately tailored suit. James.

He carried himself with a quiet authority that immediately drew attention. His posture was upright, his gaze clear and unwavering. Yet the moment the Ray family saw him, chaos erupted.

"What is he doing here?!" Helen spat, her face contorted in fury. "This is a boardroom, not a shelter for the homeless!"

Susan sprang to her feet. "Security! Get this impostor out now!"

But before things spiraled further, Robert rose from his seat and raised a hand.

"Stop!" he commanded, silencing the room. "Before you embarrass yourselves any further, you should know this man is the President of JP Enterprises."

The revelation hit like a thunderclap. Mouths fell open, gasps echoed around the room. Some blinked in disbelief, others stared as if seeing James for the first time.

"Impossible," Helen whispered, shaking her head. "He’s just a... a beggar!"

"He was never what you thought he was," Robert said coolly. "And now, he’s your only chance."

James stepped forward, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"I was prepared to invest and take eighty percent," he began. "But after seeing the way I'm still being treated, I’ve had a change of heart."

He paused, letting the silence weigh heavily.

"I want eighty-five percent now."

The words struck like a blow. The room erupted again in murmurs and disbelief. Helen clenched her fists, fury simmering just beneath the surface.

"You can't be serious," she growled. "You’re trying to rob us"

"I’m offering to save you," James cut in firmly. "This business is days away from total collapse. Take the deal, or lose everything."

Christopher remained silent, his mind racing. The truth was undeniable. Ray Enterprises had no bargaining power left.

"Do we have a deal or not?" James asked again, his voice now tinged with impatience.

Helen opened her mouth to object, but Robert spoke first.

"We accept," he said solemnly.

With no more time to argue, the documents were signed by both parties. Ray Enterprises was now eighty-five percent owned by James, the man they had once called worthless.

But James wasn’t done.

"One more thing," he said, looking directly at Helen. "I know you’re now the general manager, a position handed to you after forcing my wife to step down when she refused to sign those pathetic divorce papers."

Helen stiffened.

"Reinstate Rita as general manager, and I’ll increase the investment to one point one billion dollars. That’s an additional two hundred million for her."

A collective gasp echoed through the room. Helen’s expression soured. She had no choice. Robert nodded after a long pause.

"Consider it done," he said.

Satisfied, James rose. He glanced at Susan, who was suddenly all smiles, her tone syrupy sweet as she tried to engage him in polite conversation. He ignored her completely.

He left the building with his uncle and Sandra, dignity intact, power reclaimed. Later that evening, Helen sat in her room, seething. She dialed a familiar number. When Mark picked up, she wasted no time.

"He’s the President of JP Enterprises, Mark," she hissed. "James owns eighty-five percent of this company now."

Mark was silent for a long while before chuckling bitterly. "So that’s why I was fired... why everything crumbled. No wonder."

Even in their separate storms, they found common ground in one thing hatred for James.

Mark’s eyes darkened. "I swear, Helen. He’ll pay for this."

"We’ll make sure of it," Helen replied, her voice low and vengeful.