Page 66 of Learning to Trust

The beautiful music and soft-spoken dialogue had me dropping into sleep and I didn't wake until Andrew started carrying me up to our bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“What time is it, Sir?”

"Only a little past eight, but I know you haven't been sleeping well because of the business with your father. You can get an early night and I'll come to bed and catch up on reading."

“Good idea, Sir.”

My love for Andrew filled my heart to near bursting. A better man could not have come into my life at a more perfect time.

***

Three days had passed since we had last spoken with Allison who had called to confirm the hearing was set to take place five days later. It was now only two days away.

The police forensic computer analysts had found nothing on the program in dispute on any company computer as I had known they wouldn't.

Janice had scheduled the release of Eyely which was to finally take place in ten days. Andrew and I had booked The Winter Hotel for a short reception and invitations had been emailed. Everyone had accepted the invite. I suspected they were more than curious about the program that was veiled in mystery.

The book I'd been referring to while working lay face down on the desk in front of me as my thoughts drifted. Until the shrill ring tone of my phone startled me back to the present. Snatching it up from the desk, I swiped the screen to answer without checking the caller ID.

“Hello.”

“David.” Icy fingers of dread gripped my chest on hearing my father’s voice.

Pushing up from the office chair, I raced to the kitchen where Andrew was shaking spices into a chicken dish that sizzled in the frying pan.

Words failed me as I held the phone out in a shaking hand. Andrew frowned, took it, and led me to a chair at the table where I sat. Before taking the seat alongside me, he set the phone on the table, switched it to loudspeaker, and gathered my hand in his.

“Who is this?” Andrew growled. He knew from the way I trembled that I was upset by whoever was on the other end.

“I’d heard my weak, faggot son had found someone else to put up with his gutless, whiny ass. I don’t blame the last one for leaving him although he probably swapped one weak prick for another since that’s par for the course with your type.”

Andrew jabbed the disconnect button without saying a word. I turned to him, my eyes wide—no one ever dismissed my father if they valued their life. Most were terrified of the power they believed—incorrectly—the man wielded. Except, Andrew, or so it seemed. He pushed a few buttons on the phone before handing it back.

“I’ve blocked his sorry ass. There is nothing you need to discuss with the bastard, and I won’t have you spoken to and upset in such a manner. Whatever it was that he wanted to say, he can do so in court.”

“Am I weak? Do you think I’m weak, Sir?”

Andrew clutched me by the arms and locked his eyes on mine. "Listen to me carefully." He pointed at the phone in my hand before replacing his hand on my arm. "Bastards like him bully and pray on the forgiving, gentle nature of men like you. They mistake it for weakness and couldn't be more wrong. Putting up with his abuse—yes, David, what you have suffered at the hands of your father was abuse—for as long as you did makes you one of the strongest men I know. A weak son would have succumbed to his father and become like him as he wanted. Bullies hate when others confront them without fear and will attack to save face. I'm surprised your father instilled you as CEO and my gut tells me the man had an ulterior motive."

“I had my suspicions when I was suddenly thrust into the role also. I’d been hearing whispers and came to the conclusion something wasn’t right within the company. The games I developed brought in a small fortune, enough to keep the business going for years when added to what other projects were steadily making. When we were refused credit on components, citing our policy for late payment, I started to investigate. I called those in charge at our suppliers and they told me that waiting for one-third of a year for payment on goods couldn't be sustained so they had moved to payment on order for our company. It made me curious as to why our accounts weren't paid on receipt or within thirty days as was standard."

"Any business would start to struggle if they were made to wait for so long. They have their bills to pay and their own people to pay."

“Exactly. I spoke to accounts, and they said there was a directive from my father that no supplier was to be paid within one hundred and twenty days. I believed that was not only unprofessional but odd.”

Andrew frowned. “Did you ask to inspect the books?”

"Yes, but my request was refused. When I put it to the accounting department in writing, I received a memo back that the finances could only be examined at the annual director's meeting. I wasn't aware of the issue at the first meeting after I became CEO, and the director responsible for finances gave a glowing report. I resigned before the second meeting."

“What you say is very strange. As CEO you should have had access to the financial statements at any time.”

I shrugged. "I tried and even discussed it with one of the directors who is a company lawyer, but he said it was usual for financials to only be presented and discussed at the annual board meeting. Even after almost two years, I was busy with trying to learn a job I had no training for and still playing a role in development as my father ordered, so set it aside until the meeting."

“Who the fuck runs a multi-million-dollar company and only looks at finances once a year? Accountants should submit at least monthly reports. The company could be bleeding and by the time it was found months later, might have bled to death.”

“I agree with you, it was very strange, but the other directors said there wasn’t any need for concern. Frankly, I don’t give a flying fuck what happens now.”

“Hm, it still might be something worth bringing up with Allison to cover your back. We’ll call her after dinner. Are you okay, do you need something from me at this moment?”