Ex-wife, Please Come Back
Chapter 371 Company's Secret

All the directors remained in the boardroom even after Jacob stormed out. They seemed to be shocked by what had just happened. Of course, they never thought that their agitations would lead to this extent. They were just concerned about their livelihood and that of their family and friends. Just then, the deafening silence was broken. Jonathan had just laughed hysterically as he clapped his powerful hands. "I think you all are skillful actors in the entertainment industry. Previously, many of you told me of how much you hated Jacob. Now I want you all to confess boldly. I need to hear you say it once again. Were you all telling me lies?"

Jonathan clapped his hands louder than before. The clap was to mock the directors for the way they just behaved. It didn't mean that he was happy with them.

In fact, he was feeling angry and disgusted by their actions. They all behaved like cowards. Seeing that everyone looked dejected after Jacob stormed out, Jonathan was even more furious. His blood was boiling under his skin.

He was annoyed that they felt remorseful for Jacob's actions. This was someone who never really liked to be at the company. To tell the truth, Jacob loathed working there. He didn't even bother to defend his image in front of his employees. This showed that Jacob didn't care about his position!

Even after Jonathan's words, all the directors still remained mute. No one dared to provoke him any further. The room was as silent as a court room. Actually, they were all deep in thoughts. If they worked under Jonathan in the future, would they benefit from his administration?

In terms of integrity, Jonathan wasn't comparable to Jacob. This was a fact and the directors knew that. Also, Jonathan wasn't as hardworking and capable as Jacob. The latter had proven to be industrious over the years. He had taken the company to a dignified position above other rival organizations. However, it was too late for the praises. They couldn't turn back the hands of time after all that just happened.

It was at that moment that the directors realized their mistake. They had seen a pit of fire in front of them and they jumped right into it without hesitation.

They felt so ashamed but it was too late for regrets. The deed had already been done.

Meanwhile, after Jacob stormed out of the meeting room, he sighed heavily. He felt as if a heavy burden had just been eased from his shoulders. His mission at the company had finally come to an end. And now his own life was just beginning. He was finally free! When Jacob was in such a high position, he couldn't see the world clearly. This was because everything seemed to flash rapidly before his eyes. They also seemed like vanity. And his real needs, what he was truly concerned about had long been abandoned by other people.

When Jacob got to his office, he immediately sat on his chair and lit a cigarette. As he smoked, he thought about what had just happened. Things had happened so fast that he couldn't explain.

'Forget it, Jacob. There was no point of explaining anything. Besides, someone else would handle the situation, 'he concluded. In the past, he was always bothered about the affairs of the company. He concerned himself with the details of everything that happened. For years, he toiled non-stop for the betterment of the business.

Jacob reasoned that he no longer had to worry himself about all that. In fact, from now on, he was free from worrying about all that forever! He had already done everything within his capacity. Truly, Jacob had run out of ideas to salvage the situation. Now, he didn't have to worry about the relationship between the stakeholders anymore. The performance of the company was no longer his concern.

As Jacob puffed out a ball of smoke, his mind drifted to his late father. He felt remorseful for letting him down. But he already considered this matter as a closed case.

Just then, Cindy knocked on the door nervously. Although, she didn't get any response from Jacob, she knew that he was inside.

Instead of waiting, she pushed the door gently. Once Cindy was in, she saw that he was smoking. A cloud of smoke was in front of him and the whole office smelled like cigarette. Immediately Jacob sighted her, he threw the cigarette on the floor and crushed it with his foot.

Despite the fact that he was the CEO of the company, Jacob still had basic respect for people. He never did anything at the expense of others. Because of this, he wouldn't smoke while he was with other people. Especially if he was in a confined place. This was also applicable to when he was with his employees.

"Sir, are you okay?" Cindy asked him nervously. She noticed that Jacob was not his usual self. His actions and expression told her that he wasn't pleased.

"I'm okay. Besides, I'm no longer the CEO. You can now address me as Jacob or Mr. Jacob."

He felt the urge to laugh but for some reasons he couldn't.

"Why did you decide to do this? I feel that there is a secret behind this scandal. Isn't there? I don't understand. Is Miss Sara still unwilling to forgive you?"

Cindy stared at Jacob anxiously as she questioned him out of concern. Worry lines had already appeared on her forehead.

Honestly, the only reason why Cindy was still working at the company was because Jacob was there. Over the months, he had helped her in so many ways. Now if Jacob left, there would be no reason for her to continue working there.

This was because everyone already knew about Cindy's involvement in the fraud case. She also had no special attachment to the company. They would probably make life difficult for her if she remained there after his departure. But now that Jacob was leaving, where would she go? "Cindy, people don't need to argue about many things in life. Sometimes, in order to keep our dignity, we have to make some costly sacrifices. Ordinary people might replace it hard to understand these sacrifices, but those who are making them can."

Jacob squinted his already narrow eyes as he spoke. He was more convinced that he had made the right decision. As far as he was concerned, there was no other alternative.

"Sir, I see. But where are you going next?"

Cindy breathed a sigh of relief. This explanation was quite convincing. At least, now she understood what was on Jacob's mind. Indeed, there were a lot of ways in life. And several areas still remained unexplored by human beings. The most important thing was that people chose what they loved to do.

Now that Jacob had followed his heart, Cindy was happy for him. She was glad that he had finally put himself first. However, she was sad about something. And it was that with Jacob's departure, she would never remain the same.

Cindy wished she could continue working for him. Before Jacob became her boss, she had felt very weary at the job. But with his arrival she was reenergized. Sadly now, everything was all over. She would no longer be working under him. As Cindy thought about this, her heart sank.

"I have no idea yet. This matter hasn't been settled finally. I know my departure would affect the company greatly. It would surely generate a huge unrest for the entire organization. Anyways, I'm more worried about you and James."

All that he said was true. But what really bothered him the most was Cindy. He was worried that she would have a hard time in his absence. Jacob wasn't necessarily perturbed about James. This was because his guts told him that he would also resign. In the past, James had only returned to the company just because he was there.

If he left, there was no way James would continue working there. In fact, he wouldn't care about the business at all.

The last thing Jacob wanted was to chase after material things that were held dear by some others. And he had learnt that from James. What pained him the most was that after everything, he still handed over the business to the Shi clan. Nevertheless, Jacob felt relaxed. The fame and the reputation didn't belong to him in the first place.

"Sir, if you leave, I would also resign. I would probably go back to my hometown. Or replace a small company where I wouldn't have to exhaust myself," Cindy said with a depressing and tired look on her face. She was obviously affected by all that was going on. "Really? I thought you would continue to be my assistant after I settled down in another place. Anyways, that's alright. It would be best for you to go back home. It is only when you're back home with your family that you can experience other wonderful things." Jacob smiled gently at Cindy. Although he wasn't happy about this, he still spoke with a smile on his face.

Change was a constant thing in life. Adjustments also made life more flavorful. Jacob had never been pessimistic. He always looked at life with optimism and he didn't think this was the reason for his sadness. So even now, his optimism made him smile happily. Even though his future was bleak and he had no plan, he was a firm believer that hardworking people would never suffer no matter where they went. Thus, Jacob was convinced that his hard work would speak for him in the long run.

Despite the fact that Jacob wasn't sure about his own ability, he was still confident. He had built his confidence for many years. Nobody was ever born with confidence, neither did anyone possess it overnight. Confidence was nurtured for a long time.

Some people had the sense of superiority and overconfidence right from childhood. But the disadvantage of this was that they found it difficult to survive after encountering challenges. This could be likened to a frog in a greenhouse which is unable to withstand the test of time in any case.

Life wasn't always like a greenhouse where everything blossomed and seemed fresh. Sometimes life was like a purgatory where people suffered punishment. Surviving in a greenhouse wasn't a hard thing to do. The difficult thing was to survive in a purgatory amidst all the sufferings.

Not everyone could stand a storm, but those who survived it were certainly those who had enough courage to control the waves and the wind. Sadly, not everyone possessed the courage to do that. Very few people had enough courage to face their fears.

Cindy watched Jacob in a daze. At that instance, it seemed as if he was sparkling. A radiant light was sprinkled all over Jacob's body. The light seemed plain but it was actually brilliant. Jacob was shining like a star despite all the ongoing drama.

"I got it, sir. I would definitely show up whenever you need me. In fact, I think going back home would be a total waste of time. My hometown is not so developed. It is better I work hard here in this city. Even though for people like me, the chances of success are very slim, I won't regret it. At least, I have done it with all my heart. I wasn't forced by anybody to do so."

Cindy's eyes glinted after she finished speaking. Indeed, if a person worked for a wise employer, he or she gradually became wise. Having worked for Jacob for so long, she had become wise just like him. Birds of the same feather flocked together. Although this saying was cliché, it was very useful in ordinary times.

"Well, Cindy... Actually, there is something I need to tell you about. I shouldn't hide it from you any longer. Previously, it was the company confidential information so I couldn't tell you. But I still feel sorry for you. If I confess and you don't resent me then we can continue to be partners,"

Jacob said with sincerity in his voice. He had kept this secret in his heart for too long and he was afraid that he would forget it one day. Therefore, the best way not to forget was to tell someone else. Even if he forgot, many other people would still remember. Someone would always remember that this was Jacob's greatest fear. He had almost forgotten about what happened ten years ago. But there were still people who could recall it vividly.