Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Tabitha’s face went stiff, then melted into a kicked–puppy pout, like she was begging Geneva to feel guilty for her words.
But Geneva wasn’t here for it. She slammed the door right in Tabitha’s face, no hesitation.
Tabitha was crushed, feeling like the world’s biggest scapegoat, and honestly, she thought she’d been nothing but an angel.
Stan was her man, always had been, and all she did was take him back where he belonged.
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So why was Geneva playing the poor, pitiful victim? Stan and I are soulmates,‘ Tabitha thought, I just saved Geneva from a loveless trainwreck of a marriage. Why can’t my own sister see I’m doing her a favor?‘
In Tabitha’s heart, she was the hero of this story. Splitting up Geneva’s marriage? Total act of kindness. Checking Geneva into the psych ward? Just looking out for her sis. Every move she made was for Geneva’s own good–she was practically Mother Teresa.
Anyone else would’ve flipped out if their sister swiped their fiancé, but not Tabitha. She’d let it go, no bad blood. She was that big–hearted.
‘So why is Geneva being such a drama queen, cutting off the family, making my parents cry, and leaving me drowning in guilt? How did I end up with a sister like her?‘ she wondered, her heart twisting in pain.
Sniffling, Tabitha ran to Stan to spill her woes, but he barely listened before dashing off to deal with work.
Alone again, Tabitha’s tears flowed harder. ‘Stan doesn’t love me anymore, does he? Wah…
Back when Wheeler Group was killing it, Stan could play the charming, love–obsessed CEO. But now? The empire was crumbling.
GM’s slick new robot was gobbling up Wheeler Group’s share of the smart tech market. Those small–time companies had banded together, getting too big for Stan to just steamroll like he used to.
Month after month, Wheeler Group’s profits nosedived, and the shareholders were starting to raise hell. Stan had blown wads of cash on top–notch foreign experts to reverse–engineer GM’s robot and whip up a knockoff. But all that money and time? Total bust–nothing to show for it.
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Desperate, Stan went all–in on smartphones, betting the farm on a new model. He was pumped about it: a phone with a battery that lasted forever and charged in five minutes flat.
No other brand in the country could touch that.
Convinced it was a surefire hit, Stan blew past the risk assessments and ordered the factories to churn out phones like there was no tomorrow.
At first, the launch was fire–sales were through the roof. But then the competition clapped back.
Rival brands dropped their own phones, hyping features that sounded like something out of a sci–fi flick.
‘Solar–powered batteries? No charging needed? Pfft, as if.‘ Wheeler Group was sure they didn’t have tech that wild. ‘So how could these random nobody companies possibly pull it off?‘
The truth hit like a punch to the gut. Those “loser” brands‘ phones went viral, hyped for killer performance and prices that didn’t burn a hole in your wallet. Soon, they were sold out everywhere, impossible to snag.
Meanwhile, Wheeler Group’s fancy new phones piled up in warehouses, gathering dust, completely unsold.
Stan’s ego was bruised worse than a soap opera villain’s after a public smackdown. No string of curses could capture the shade he was drowning in–his pride was straight–up demolished.
The shareholders were losing their cool too, scrambling into boardrooms like it was the season finale. The consensus? Ditch their outdated batteries for the solar powered ones, or their cash would dry up quicker than a reality star’s fame, leaving every new project dead in the water.
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Chapter 16
They played sleuth to figure out who was behind tho.
e game–changing batteries.
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Plot twist: Taylor Group. Yup, the same Taylor Group that Wheeler tried to steamroll months ago, only to get outsmarted. Karma’s got a wicked sense of
humor.
With bad blood thicker than a daytime drama’s grudge, they were not supposed to just waltz over and play nice for a deal.
The shareholders, their pride long gone, pointed the finger at Stan. He was the one who’d gone full macho, ranting that Floyd from Taylor Group was sniffing around his girl and vowing to “put them in their place.” That tantrum? It’s what landed them in this hot mess.
Stan wasn’t about to budge. “Grovel to Floyd? Kiss up to Taylor Group? You think I’m gonna eat that kind of humble pie?” he snapped, chest puffed like he was auditioning for a tough–guy role.
The shareholders weren’t impressed. “Your ego or the company, Stan. Pick a lane,” one fired back, rolling their eyes like they were done with his drama.
But Stan, stubborn as a soap opera diva, doubled down. He threw piles of cash and months of time at his so–called genius team, demanding they crack the solar battery code.
Spoiler alert: they flopped harder than a canceled spinoff. Money? Burned. Time? Gone. Results? A big, fat zero.
Stan was fuming, practically breathing fire. The shareholders? Just as pissed, ready to storm the castle.
They tapped a silver–tongued rep to sweet–talk Taylor Group into selling them the batteries.
Taylor Group’s response? A flat–out “Not happening.” They tossed Wheeler’s old “let’s bury them” vibe right back in their faces. “Thought you were gonna take us down? Guess who’s eating crow now.”
Wheeler Group was in deep, bleeding cash like a B–list thriller. To stop the damage, they had to offload their mountain of phones somehow.
In a move that screamed “we’re desperate,” their sleek new models got slapped with a “33–dollar phone plan, yours free!” promo at the local carrier. Talk about a fall from grace.
That humiliating stunt dragged Wheeler Group off its throne and into the gutter of corporate flops.
The shareholders were over Stan’s lone–wolf act, their patience worn thinner than a cliffhanger’s promise.
Demands for Stan to get the boot grew louder, but he wasn’t about to slink away. No way. He went all in, funneling cash into flashy new products to claw
his way back to the top.
But every time Wheeler Group unveiled their latest game–changer, some rival would drop a slicker, more souped–up version, ready to throw down in the
market.
It was like someone had a personal vendetta, hell–bent on torching their empire.
“Damn it all!” Stan roared, pounding his desk. “Who’s the punk screwing us over?”
He swore he’d hunt down whoever was behind this and make them regret breathing.
Fixated on finding the mastermind, he barely noticed Tabitha’s heavy–handed hints about ditching Geneva, The guy was swamped.
Tabitha, meanwhile, was a total mess. “Ugh, men pre such assholes!” she sobbed, mascara streaking her face. “He promised me the moon, and now he’s
straight–up ignoring me!”
Her tearful outbursts always got under Stan’s skin. Feeling like a jerk, he’d grumble, “Fine, I’ll deal with Geneva when I’ve got a second.” That usually
calmed her down.
Tabitha wiped her eyes and piped up. “Star, I’ve got you and Barclay, but my sister? She’s got zip. It’s killing me. What if I set her up with a decent guy? You know, to even things out?”
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Chapter 16
Stan, barely listening, just shrugged. “Sure, babe, do what you gotta do.”
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The “decent guy” Tabitha had in her sights? Harrison. With Stan too slammed to give her attention, she’d been spending way more time with Harrison.
He could tell she was miserable, that Stan had nabbed the woman he worshipped and didn’t even care.
Harrison was ready to whisk Tabitha away from all this, but she shot him down cold. Then, in a soap–opera–level curveball, she suggested he marry Geneva.
Tabitha knew she was playing dirty. Harrison was a freaking saint–kind, warm, the whole nine yards–and Geneva? Let’s just say she wasn’t winning any popularity contests.
But Tabitha was banking on Harrison’s puppy–dog loyalty to her. If she asked him to take care of her sister, he’d fold like a cheap suit.
And, sure enough, Harrison’s common sense took a hike under her spell, and he agreed.
As for Geneva, Tabitha wasn’t sweating it. Harrison might not be Stan’s equal, but for someone like Geneva? He was a steal. She’d be nuts to kick up a
fuss.
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