DOUBTS

Richard was on a call when he heard a strange noise. His Secretary was trying to stop someone from coming into his office. "I'll talk to you later." He whispered to whom he was talking to over the phone and ended the call. "What is going in there?" He asked loudly and he saw John walking in with his Driver. "How can I help you?"

"Your Secretary doesn't know who I am?" John put his hands in his pockets.

"I'm sure he does." Richard was still sitting.

"I'm standing in front of you and you are sitting, get on your feet." John's voice sounded threatening.

"What?" Richard wasn't sure if he heard his nephew right.

"You heard me, I'm the managing director of this company, how dare you disrespect me?!" His voice went louder.

Gently and with shame, Richard stood and moved closer to him. "What do you want?"

John faced the Secretary. "You are fired from now on."

The Secretary looked at Richard in utmost shock and fear.

"You can't just decide to fire my employee as you wish John-" He tried to defend his ally.

"We are in an official space, refer to me as Mr. John." He paused. "You said he is your employee? How sure are you? Did you employ him or I did? Who pays him his salary?"

Richard closed his eyes in yet another disappointment and defeat. "What do you want?" He asked again.

"Resign honorably from your post." Everywhere was silent. "You heard me resign honorably from your post before I fire you."

"I don't know what has gotten into you but I want you to know that you can just push me out of the company, I am the third biggest shareholder of this company."

"I didn't say I wanted to take your shares from you, I just asked to resign from the official position as the Director of Public Relations Office."

"Did your mom ask you to do this?" Richard asked with shock in his eyes.

"I'm giving you three hours to resign." John moved closer to him and whispered in his ears. "I think it's because you get to come to work every day and see her that's why you have the guts to insult and bully her." He returned to his previous position and smiled. "Maybe you should learn to bully your dead brother as well, if your brother hadn't found my mother sexually attractive enough, what happened this time 25 years ago wouldn't have happened."

Richard laughed briefly and sucks his tongue. "You never cease to amaze me my dear nephew. You are indeed the true son of the woman who birthed you."

"No." John shook his head. "I'm the true son of your dead brother." His uncle kept mute. "Or did you think I wasn't going to know that you conducted a DNA test immediately after my father passed?"

"How-" Richard suddenly paused. "How did you know about that?"

"My dear Uncle, you see your change in attitude was so sudden and unbelievable, it even made me ask myself if you know something about my father's death."

"John! How dare you? Are you trying to accuse me of killing my brother?"

"You were with him when my mother called and told him I was missing, he was said to be having a drink with you. You might have put something in the drink, who knows?"

"I didn't!" Richard yelled.

"Then why didn't you follow him that night? You have always wanted to go everywhere with him and you loved me so much. But that particular day, you decided not to help him in search of me." John paused and looked at the Secretary. "What do you think about that Mr. Secretary? Isn't that suspicious?"

"John!" Richard yelled again. "Stop what you are doing."

"You have been yearning for this company like a little girl yearning for candy for a while now, and you've been trying your best to kick my mother and me out, but it's never going to work as you plan. Get your old hag ass out of my father's company." He said and walked out.

**************

"Is everything you said in there true?" Neo asked as he drove John home.

"What are you talking about?" He asked as he flipped through some pages of a book.

"When you were with your uncle earlier, you said some things to him, were they true?"

John closed the book and dropped it close to him. "Never mention what you heard to anyone."

"Yes." Neo nodded. "But if you suspect him to do such? I think you should act fast about it."

"I do have my doubts but no evidence, I'm not even sure about it yet so I can't take proper actions." He rubbed his palms together. "But I hope what I'm thinking isn't true."

"I hope so too, it'll cause a great damage. Your mom won't take it easy on him."

"I will put an end to his life personally if it is true." John picked up the book again and started reading.

Neo cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier when your mom was there in your office. I thought you were trying to be a coward and was scared to challenge your uncle to defend your mom."

John giggled. "Nothing in this life should make you think I don't love my mom. Though we have a lot of differences, she is still the only person I can run to and predict at any time." He smiled. "Plus, she is the prettiest woman on earth."

"I do agree she is very pretty," Neo said jokingly and they both laughed.