Chapter 11: Make It Work

After speaking with Natalie on the phone, Aaron rushed to Apex. As soon as he arrived, he headed straight to Natalie's office. Bursting through the door, he found Natalie calmly reviewing documents, her stoic demeanor betraying no sense of urgency. Aaron stood in the middle of the office, panting heavily. Natalie lifted her head from the paperwork and turned toward him. Seeing him sweating and out of breath, she raised an eyebrow.

"Sir, are you alright? You seem quite worked up," Natalie stated.

"What's going on, Natalie? I came as soon as you called. Am I really going to lose my wealth?" Aaron asked, still trying to catch his breath.

"Well, sir, the situation isn't as grave as I made it out to be, but it is serious nonetheless," Natalie replied.

"So I won't lose my wealth?" Aaron asked, hopeful.

"You very well might, sir. The situation is not a simple one. Please, take a seat," Natalie suggested.

Aaron sat down, his heart still racing. Natalie began to explain.

"As you know, your predecessor was an incredibly wealthy man. He built much of his fortune in his forties and joined the bank shortly after. Over the years, Mr. Williams took a step back from his businesses. He hasn't been actively involved in managing his companies for years and instead left operations to third parties. This arrangement wasn't problematic for him because his wealth was vast enough to sustain itself. However, the same can't be said for you. Since you are now his beneficiary, you must assume the responsibility of managing his estate."

"I understand that much, Natalie. But what does this have to do with losing my wealth?" Aaron asked.

"To put it simply, sir, many of his companies are suffering due to mismanagement. Since decision-making has been left entirely to third parties, some have taken advantage of the lack of oversight for their own selfish purposes. Without a central authority to enforce order, chaos has ensued," Natalie explained.

"So what must I do? Just fire them all?" Aaron asked.

"No, sir. It wouldn't be as simple as that. You would have to take a proactive role in all your companies, essentially making all the major decisions," Natalie said.

"But you know I'm not a businessman, Natalie. I'd probably make things worse," Aaron admitted.

"I'm sorry to say this, sir, but you have to make it work somehow. Your livelihood depends on it. The bank only values those who bring value. If you can't handle this, you'll lose your membership and, consequently, your wealth," Natalie stated matter-of-factly.

Aaron's face became grim. The situation wasn't looking good. No matter how he analyzed it, failure seemed inevitable. The simplest solution was to follow Natalie's advice, but that required becoming something he was not. Yet, he had no choice. He didn't want to go back to being a powerless househusband, constantly bullied and looked down upon. Resolving himself, Aaron made up his mind.

"So, Natalie, when do we start?" he asked.

"I recommend we begin in three days. We'll visit the major companies and introduce you as the CEO. You'll also meet with shareholders and executives," Natalie replied, handing Aaron a detailed schedule. "Here are the companies we'll be visiting. The first one will be Acadia Media Group."

"Wait. Isn't Acadia a major player in the media industry? Last I heard, they were doing well," Aaron said, puzzled.

"That's true," Natalie confirmed. "Acadia Media Group is one of the leading media companies globally. However, due to mismanagement, the company has been slowly declining. The acting CEO, Todd Davis, has practically run the company into the ground. I suggest your first act as CEO should be to remove him."

Aaron nodded in agreement. After discussing the details for a while, Aaron finally headed home. By the time he arrived, it was dark. He knew Amanda would be furious that he hadn't prepared dinner.

As he entered the house, he heard laughter coming from the living room. Two female voices echoed through the space. "It seems we have visitors. Who could it be?" Aaron wondered. His curiosity was answered as he approached the source of the voices.

"Damn it. Not her," Aaron muttered under his breath. Before Aaron's eyes sat Vivian Carter, one of Sarah's closest friends and Aaron's number one critic—after Natalie, of course. Over the years, Vivian had made her disdain for Aaron painfully clear, often suggesting Sarah should divorce him. Two years ago, she had left for France to complete her studies in media management, but not before causing significant turmoil in Aaron and Sarah's marriage. Vivian had once attempted to seduce Aaron in an effort to drive a wedge between the couple. Aaron, of course, had rejected her advances, but the incident had nearly succeeded in breaking his marriage. Now, it seemed Vivian was back, and with her sharp tongue in full force.

"Aaron, I can't believe you're still here," Vivian said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she lounged casually on the couch.

Aaron plastered on a polite smile. "Hello, Vivian. It's good to see you too."

Vivian leaned back, crossing her arms. "Oh, I bet it is," she retorted. "Honestly, if Sarah ever left you, you'd probably end up on the streets."

"Do you always have to be this mean to him, Vivian?" Sarah interjected, her tone laced with frustration. "Aaron does his best."

Vivian rolled her eyes dramatically. "Sarah, I'm still baffled as to why you're with him. He's the most useless man I've ever met. He doesn't even have a job! A woman as beautiful and successful as you deserves someone who actually matches her status."

Sarah's expression hardened. "Vivian, you already know my reasons for being with Aaron. No matter how you feel about him, he is my husband, and I would appreciate it if you stopped mocking him."

For the first time, Aaron felt a twinge of gratitude toward Sarah for standing up for him. It was a rare moment, and he allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.

Vivian sighed, sensing her friend's genuine upset. "Fine," she relented, though her voice remained sharp. "You're not going to change my mind about him, but I respect your loyalty. That said, I still think you're wasting your potential on him. However," she added with a sly smile, "I'm willing to give your husband a shred of dignity by helping him get a job."

Sarah's face lit up with enthusiasm. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Yes," Vivian said with a casual wave of her hand. "I just landed a senior position at Acadia Media Group, and I could talk to someone about getting him a low-level job. At least that way, he won't be lazing around all day."

"That would be amazing!" Sarah exclaimed, her tone hopeful. "It would be great if Aaron had some personal income. Please, Vivian, if you can help him, I'd really appreciate it."

Aaron, who had been silently listening, felt his patience snap. He stood abruptly, his jaw clenched in frustration. Not once had anyone consulted him about this supposed "job opportunity." The thought of working a low-level job when he was wealthier than the entire Prescott family combined was both infuriating and laughable. But the fact that his wife was so eager to agree without even asking him made it worse.

"Excuse me," Aaron said tersely, cutting off the conversation. "I need to head to bed."

Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the room, leaving Sarah and Vivian to continue their discussion. In his bedroom, Aaron fumed silently. If only he could reveal his true wealth and put an end to these constant humiliations. But that wasn't an option—not yet, anyway. For now, he would have to play along, though his patience was wearing thin.