A Moment in Destiny

"Uncle, hand over all your shares; Marley will leave you with 8% of the shares, and you don’t have to worry about company matters! I’m confident that, with his abilities, he can make the Hughes Group prosper to higher levels. You just retire and live out your life! But, if you won’t turn your shares over, then it’s no big deal. Worse comes to worse, we’ll just liquidate the assets and head out separate ways!”

“You said we each only keep 8% of the shares?” Teddie couldn’t help ask.

“Wrong, it’s only 3% for you!” Sylvie coldly snapped.

“3%? Why is it different for us?” “Why do you get preferential treatment?”

“Because you don’t know how to manage it. If you had all 8%, you’d only squander it all. So 5% will go to aunt for safekeeping! Then your whole family will be insured!”

Hearing Sylvie’s words, both Kasper and Teddie were quite surprised. Kasper asked, “Sylvie, so you mean to say that, your uncle also gets 8% of the shares, but it’s divided with your aunt? He gets 3%, and your aunt and cousins get 5%?”

“That’s right!” Sylvie knew that, over the past few years, Teddie blew all of his savings on excessive spending. Her aunt, however, was a frugal woman. Not only was she unhappily married to Teddie, she needed to raise two kids on her own. Sylvie really admired her aunt, so she had to look out for her best interests. “What I don’t know is whether Marley will accept our proposal, but I’ll do my best to persuade him. If you all surrendered your shares and control over Hughes Group, you can just live out the rest of your lives in comfort and collect dividends at the end of each year. It might even be more than what you get from 10%, 15%, even 25 of the shares you have on hand now…”

Kasper and Teddie exchanged glances; Sylvie could tell her persuasion was working.

However, Teddie was dissatisfied with his share of 3%. “But how come I only get 3%? That’s unfair!”

“I think it’s just!” An authoritative, low tone suddenly boomed out from outside as the conference room doors swung open.

Sylvie stared in awe as her family members stood outside the doors. Her mother smiled brilliantly at her. In a split second, Sylvie’s face turned red, and she said under her breath, “Mom, dad, why are you all doing here?”

“Brother?!” Even Teddie stood up in awe.

“Brother, your health…” Kasper said in a concerned tone.

Sylvie thought to herself; at least they still had a trace of some conscience left to worry about Aiden’s health.

Aiden’s wife helped him enter the conference room, and Sylvie quickly pulled a chair for her father-in-law to sit down.

Aiden took a quick glance at Sylvie with admiration, but he didn’t say anything. Miriam took her hand and said nothing as well. Sylvie pulled up another chair for her mother-in-law as well.

“Come, everyone, sit down. I want to make everything clear today.” Aiden said as he scanned across the room.

Kasper sat down first. Though he still felt pissed, Teddie eventually sat down.

But from her past observations, she thought that Aiden treated his brothers rather kindly, so she assumed that her proposal would be accepted,

a moment of silence, Sylvie bit her lip, then

thinking!” Aiden cut her short, then looked at

to his brothers, “What do

pondered a bit,

asked Teddie again.

agree!” Teddie stuttered

Aiden looked at his brother without any expression on his

to spend at all!” Teddie managed to sputter out after a brief moment.

to say that, it’s not enough for you to gamble, right?!”

remind him to watch his temper. Instead, he gently held and patted her hand. Miriam looked at him again to make sure he was

exchange of gestures was incredibly heartwarming. The understanding they shared was a testament of their years of longstanding relationship. There was no need for words; just a slight gesture between them was enough to communicate, and it made Sylvie really feel respect for them to the point that she became teary eyed.

was in a tough spot, “Brother, you’re sick, so I don’t want you to worry. But I have too much debts,

again?” Aiden looked to Kasper.

for the right words to

his tone, “Tell me, how much does

finally spoke out, “He and Ernie owe

expression grew ill, “Ernie

about this; I will discipline my own son. As for the 8%, I accept the offer! So don’t you worry about these matters, you just focus

words. Ernie was Marley’s cousin, and Kasper spoilt him too much, so he does nothing productive all day. But she had only heard of these from word of mouth; she had never met Ernie herself, so she didn’t know him personally. Hearing Kasper speak about Ernie like this made Sylvie realized that he was doing all this to make amends for his impious

of remorse at all; she felt sorry for him.

come up with that kind of money?” Aiden began to raise his voice. “Teddie, you’re getting out of hand. And you even brought Ernie to

don’t get angry!” Miriam began to get nervous as she

as well, “Dad, are you

shook his

sick about Aiden, who had just managed to recover his health a bit. If he got angry and worsened his condition, then it’d have

to get some leverage and try to make a quick buck. It was Marley who tried to force me out of the Hughes Group. I thought that, if I’d won

just never learn. Brother, if you still can’t

my share of the work back in

done, did you really that both Marley and I don’t

he never thought his

to have a