Chapter 621: Seek for Sympathy

Susan drove home, furious. Every time she failed to please Manuel, she swore she'd never again harbor such presumptuous desires. A tightness constricted her chest; she feared one day she'd die of anger. She didn't understand why Manuel so consistently irritated her. All she wanted was to scream.

Then Henry called. Susan tried to compose herself before answering.

"Hi, Henry."

"Are you home?"

"On my way. Did you finish dinner?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

An awkward silence followed.

"I'm drunk, honey," Henry said.

Susan paused, watching the night, puzzled. Should she fetch him? The thought embarrassed her.

"I drank a lot with a client," Henry continued, seemingly oblivious to her feelings. "I'm trying to resolve a crisis, to contribute to the company."

Susan understood; he was depressed about work. Her father favored Manuel now, though in the past, Henry had been the favored son-in-law.

"Henry, don't worry," she comforted him. "I think Father wants Justine back, so he's putting Manuel in key positions. But he'll reward your capabilities in due time."

Henry laughed, self-deprecatingly. His sound distressed Susan.

"I've worked for Phillips Bank since graduation," he said miserably. "I've always been diligent. If I'm unqualified and Manuel replaces me, I can accept that. But if it's for other reasons… that would be regrettable."

"Henry…"

"I'm sorry, honey. I shouldn't have said that," Henry apologized, his words slurred by the alcohol. "I just felt down and needed to talk. No pressure. I'm sorry to bother you… It's late. Go home and get some rest. Good night!"

"Henry,"

He hung up. His contrition was feigned; he wanted to guilt-trip Susan into persuading her father to include him in Manuel's special group. He was nervous about Manuel's actions; he'd leaked information to Sway Bank and offered them strategies to poach Phillips Bank's clients. His actions were intended to oust Manuel, but now he was uncertain of the outcome.

Susan pondered in her car. She felt she owed Henry a debt. She immediately called her father.

"Dad?"

"It's late. What is it?" Edward's voice was drowsy. She assumed he’d been asleep.

"Manuel's working himself to the bone while you're asleep so early," Susan said sharply. "Shouldn't you be concerned about the company and your staff? How can you be so complacent?"

"What? What's wrong with you?"

Susan's temper flared.

"I'm angry! Everyone's working hard for you, and you take it for granted!"

"I pay them," Edward said, disheartened by her reproach.

"Do you think your salary compensates for their efforts?"

"Manuel's highly responsible," Edward reasoned, feeling slightly better. "He does his job dutifully. Do you care for him?"

"Don't be delusional. I despise your indifference!"

"What do you want?" Edward's tone hardened.

Susan finally broached Henry's situation. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I want you to include Henry in Manuel's special group."

"What?" Edward was irritated. He felt she was being capricious.

"Henry's performance is excellent, yet you overlook him while promoting Manuel. Is that fair? Don't you care what others think?"

"What are you talking about?" Edward didn't understand her intentions.

"He must be in the special group," Susan insisted.

"This isn't child's play," Edward explained. "I promised Manuel, in front of all the executives, that he'd have full authority over his group. Interfering would be breaking my promise, and it's domineering. If you want Henry in the group, you must speak to Manuel; he's in charge. Deviating from established procedure is unacceptable."

Susan fell silent. She’d previously underestimated her father's limitations. She'd thought the company president held absolute power, but she now understood the complexities of corporate governance. Even the president wasn't entirely autonomous; he needed his team's input before making key decisions.