His Mistress is His Ex-Wife
Chapter 37: Arguments

Chapter 37: Arguments

Bella stood frozen in her spot, trying to comprehend why the director suddenly slapped her on their first meeting.

’What have I done wrong to be slapped by her?’ She pondered, bewildered by the turn of events. The sting of the slap lingered on her right cheek, accompanied by the faint discomfort of a paper cut.

Her tears welled up from the corners of her eyes as she touched her face. "Director... I–"

Sasha’s piercing gaze stopped her from completing her words. "You are just new here. How dare you mess up with my proposal?! I said that I’d be choosing an A-list celebrity from our country, not a random singer from Ye-tube! I don’t care if she’s a global sensation. She doesn’t deserve to be our endorser!"

"But... D-Director... Chairman Williams had already approved–"

"Shut up!" Sasha cut her off. "I’m the one leading this product launch! I’ll select the endorsers myself!"

"Get out of my office. NOW!" Sasha’s good mood had been ruined because of Athena. She failed to control her emotions and she ended up venting her frustration to their new marketing coordinator who recommended Athena.

Shaken by this intense confrontation, Bella struggled with her footing. She tried to leave Sasha’s office as quickly as possible. She felt like she was traumatized by Sasha’s sudden burst of anger.

Her colleagues exchanged puzzled glances upon seeing her running out of the office. Bella headed straight to the comfort room to conceal the tears streaming down her face and the reddened mark from the unexpected slap.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Director was summoned to Sasha’s office once again.

"We will proceed to our initial plan. I will not negotiate with Athena. I don’t like her. I’ve scheduled a meeting with the general manager of YJ Entertainment. Our final endorser will be chosen from there," Sasha asserted, sticking firmly with her decision.

"But Chairman Williams–"

"No more buts! I’ll talk to him myself," Sasha declared, cutting off any further attempts to challenge her resolution.

The Assistant Director could only shut his mouth. Though reluctant, he obediently complied with Sasha’s instructions. Internally, he was a bit disappointed since Bella’s suggestion had been rejected by their director.

The majority of the team members agreed that Athena was the perfect fit for the Mystery Jewel Product Launch endorsement. However, their Marketing Director had a different opinion and view about this.

’She calls the shots here. Her husband is the major stockholder of this company. She can oppose the Chairman whenever she wants,’ he mused silently, exhaling deeply.

After getting Sasha’s instruction, the Assistant Director relayed the message to the team. Bella’s suggestion was rejected by the Director herself.

Meanwhile, in the Chairman’s Office, Alfonso welcomed his visitor, Oliver Jones, his future son-in-law.

"Uncle Alfonso, how are you?" Oliver greeted him with enthusiasm.

Alfonso invited him to sit down. "The company is busy preparing for the upcoming product launch. This is the reason I wanna talk to you, Oliver."

"Can we hold the event in one of your hotels?" Alfonso was taking advantage of his connections with the Jones Family through Oliver.

"Sure. Why not? I will recommend our newest hotel branch here in York City. This will be free of charge!" Oliver winked at Alfonso.

Alfonso chuckled at his remarks. This was what he wanted– Oliver sponsoring the venue. They could save money. "Thank you, Oliver, for this offer. I truly appreciate it."

"Oh, it’s nothing. Our families are going to reunite soon so I don’t mind. Besides, this is also one way of advertising my new branch hotel for free. This is a win-win for all of us."

"That’s true. I will reserve a special seat for you and your family. Please make sure to attend our Product Launch." Alfonso didn’t regret choosing the Jones Family. They belonged to the top five richest families in York City.

’If I gain more power, Dominique Smith will no longer be a threat to me. I will bring him down soon. He can’t hold me by my neck anymore. I’ll break free from his clutches.’ That’s Alfonso’s main goal.

"By the way, have you chosen your brand endorsers? I heard Director Smith managed to invite International A-list celebrities. I’m curious about those famous artists who were selected for your prestigious event." Oliver enjoyed interacting with famous celebrities that’s why he was looking forward to meeting them for the upcoming event.

"I will promote my hotel and resort to them," he added, letting out a soft chuckle.

"Francis Clarkson, Lina Jolie, and Tommy Cruise. We still lack one female celebrity. However, the project team recommended one celebrity. If I remember it correctly... They are eyeing Athena, the mysterious songstress in the Ye-tube. She fits our theme."

Oliver’s eyes widened in amusement when he heard that. "Uncle! Seriously! Your team is so smart! Athena is a perfect choice! Actually, I am also planning to talk to her manager and negotiate. I want her to become our hotel ambassador to increase our sales!"

"Oh! You want her too?! Haha. So there will be a competition between us. Who will get her first to sign an exclusive contract?!" Alfonso became more determined to recruit Athena and became their product endorser since Oliver was also eyeing to sign her and become their hotel ambassador.

"So she’s really famous huh." Alfonso rubbed his chin, smiling broadly.

"Absolutely, Uncle. She has such a mesmerizing voice. You can ask her to perform during the event. Plus, she’s stunning. Her mysterious aura only adds to her allure." Oliver praised Athena further.

"Who knows your jewelry might sell out quickly after the event because of her?!" he exclaimed.

"Haha! In that case, I’ll instruct my team to recruit Athena no matter what!" Alfonso got more excited because of the hype. Oliver seemed confident about Athena’s capability and influence.

Their conversation was interrupted by the voice of his secretary coming through the intercom. "Chairman, the Marketing Director is here to see you."

"Okay. Let her in."

Sasha strode into the room with her head held high, exuding an intimidating aura. Alfonso raised an eyebrow, observing her movements.

’So the Black Spider failed to teach this woman a lesson. Tsk.’ Alfonso clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"Mr. Chairman... Here is the initial financial estimate for the Talent Fee of our three celebrity endorsers from overseas. You have to review and sign it." Sasha handed the document over to him.

"As for the remaining one female celebrity endorser, I will meet the general manager of YJ Entertainment tomorrow to select from their A-list artists and negotiate with their talent fee." Sasha didn’t beat around the bush as she directly informed Alfonso of her plan.

Alfonso frowned when he heard that. "Why YJ Entertainment? We already agreed that we are going to choose Athena and negotiate with her manager."

Sasha’s face contorted, pursing her lips. "We need to choose a celebrity from our own country since we already invited international artists abroad."

"No. The remaining spot should be given to Athena! You should negotiate with her manager," Alfonso insisted.

"I am the Team Leader of this product launch! I have the final say on this," Sasha retorted.

"I’m the Chairman of this company!" Alfonso spat back at her.

"My husband is the major stockholder!"

Oliver smiled awkwardly as he darted his gaze back and forth between Sasha and Alfonso. This was the first time he witnessed a Marketing Director boldly argue with the Chairman as if she owned the company herself.

"Uhmm. May I suggest? Why don’t you consult the board members and other stockholders about this... including your husband, Mr. Smith." Oliver butted in. "We can resolve the issue through a majority vote. Besides, this is for the company’s sake."