Chapter 22: Killing Three Birds With A Stone

"Well the main reason why we organised this urgent meeting is because we want to inform you that we all want to withdraw our shares from your company," Mr. Renold said to Xavier. "What!!" Xavier exclaimed in surprise. "This is a joke right?" Xavier asked them in a surprised tone. "No Mr. Xavier, this isn't a joke," another shareholder said to him with a serious tone. "Can I know the reason behind this drastic decision?" Xavier asked them in surprise. "You already know the reason behind this decision, and contrary to what you said, this decision isn't a drastic decision, we thought about it over and over again before taking it," Mr. Renold said to Xavier but he remained silent allowing him to say what he had to say. As we all know, the success of a company depends on it's image, both internally and externally but for over a month now, it has been from one issue to the other, when the first issue that shook vigorously the financial state of the company took place, we said nothing about it because we all believed that it was unlike you to allow such thing to happen and that you will improve in no time, but just last night you took your wife to a gathering filled with many businesses men and not only did she get drunk, she also humiliated herself before everyone and right now that we are speaking your images are trending on every social media once again. With everything going on recently, it's clear that our investments aren't in safe in your companies anymore, just as they say, prevention is better than cure, so o think that it's better to withdraw our shares now before your company sinks deep down completely," Mr. Renold said to Xavier who was still looking at him without uttering a single word. "I have heard what you said Mr. Renold, but you should understand that what happened last night wasn't my fault, someone drugged my wife, you guys should give me some times, I will prove to you all that I'm not to blame for everything going on recently, someone is trying to ruin me and you guys are supposed to be helping me out here not helping whoever is trying to push me into the mud," Xavier said to them in a pleading manner. "We are so sorry Mr. Xavier, but we are all business men like you and we all have enemies who wants our downfall, but we can't allow issues like this one to affect our business or business partners. If we left our shares in the company even after your father handed everything to you, it's because we believed that you had the same potentials as your father, but from the way things are going, it's already clear that we were wrong and we can't risk our shares because of you," one of the shareholders said to him with a serious tone. "Well from the view of things, it's clear that you are all determined to withdraw your shares from my company and there's nothing I can do about it, just as they say, it's in moments like these that you will know those who are on your side, I will use this opportunity to thank you all for your help and support right from the beginning; if there's anyone who wish to continue walking with me, let him simply raise his hand," Xavier said to them and only some of them raised to their hands while the majority didn't. "Take the names of all those who wants their shares back, it would be sent to them before the end of this week," Xavier said to his secretary who nodded in reply before writing down the names of the people who didn't raise their hands up. Meanwhile Claudia had droven to her mother's house which was the only place she could have gone to due to how her pictures have been circulating from one social media to another with tons of hate of comments. Once she drove into the compound, she parked her car and started heading towards the entrance of the house, immediately she walked in she noticed that what was playing on the television was the news about her getting drunk and humiliating her husband the previous night and the impact that was going to have on the image of her husband's company. Fuming in anger, she rushed to where the remote was and took it and switched off the television and at the same time her mother came to the sitting room. "Seems like you have turned to a celebrity over night," her mother said to her before walking to where she was standing while fuming in anger. "If this is what it means to become a celebrity, then I prefer to be how I am, have you even seen the hate comments circulating about me, I never knew that people hated me in such manner," Claudia said to her mother before sitting down on one of the couches. "Well that's one of the disadvantages of being the wife of a billionaire, people hate you for no reason. But come to think of it, how did you manage to get yourself drunk in such an occasion, I thought you don't drink alcohol," her mother said to her. "Come on Mum, don't tell me that you believe that I intentionally got myself drunk, you know well that I hate drinking," Claudia said to her Mum. "Yes I'm fully aware of that, so what happened?" Victoria Claudia's Mum asked her. "I was drugged," Claudia said to her Mum. "Drugged? By who?" Her mother asked her. "Who else is capable doing such thing to me if not Sarah, when I saw her at that party, I knew she was planning something about me, but I never imagined that this was how she was going to attack," Claudia said to her mother with a gritted teeth. "If she's the one behind everything happening to you recently, then she's really doing a good job, she's killing two birds with a single and if care isn't taken, she will soon ruin you and Xavier silently without anyone noticing it," Victoria said to her daughter. "Well she's already ruining us, Xavier's company keeps on sinking every passing day and due to everything that is going on, Xavier no longer spends on me as he used to do," Claudia said to her mother. "Well I think she's actually killing three birds with a stone not two, something needs to be done," Victoria said to Claudia. "Yes Mum, something needs to be done about but don't worry, I'm going to take care of her soon.. To be continued...