Chapter2 Nervous Breakdown

Brielle POV I took the glass of water and gulped it whole in one. "Today is my first meeting with businessmen, who will sign a deal with us, which can be very profitable for both of us." It's very strange, the Richardson's Empires, the skincare products are only a chain of their vast company. I'm surprised that Mr. Jared Richardson, himself, is coming to the meeting, instead of their representatives," Ivaan said while taking a seat across from me, taking hold of the file placed on the table about the deal. I looked at him and narrowed my eyes at the wall beside him. He's right, why is Mr.Jared Richardson himself coming? This deal is like a small thing for their billion dollar multinational company. I was startled by a knock on my office door. Lucas, my assistant, comes in. He's the same age as mine and a university graduate like me. He was doing his internship in business management, which is why he's here as my assistant. He wants to learn and experience how companies are run by working with me. "Brille, Mr. Richardson is here," he informed me, and I quickly straightened myself and looked at Issac, rubbing my shoulder. He nodded at me, passing me a knowing look; he knows that I'm nervous as hell. It's my first business meeting after all. I looked at the door. When I heard the footsteps, a man in his late fifties entered my office. His lips are graced with a kind smile and his features are soft. "Good Morning, Mr. Richardson. It's so nice to have you here," I said, and my chest felt so light when he passed me a kind smile, like I used to feel around my dad. "Good Morning," he nodded towards us. "Please take a seat," Ivaan gestured towards the chair across from me. I took the tab from Ivaan and opened the presentation. "Mr. Richardson, as you can see, the annual reports of an increase in the sales of all the skincare and natural food products are only 45 percent, but if we cooperate, then our natural way to make food items with herbal technique to make skincare products will increase automatically, with profits we will share 50-50." I finally said, and Lucas quickly handed me a water bottle, kept in front of me. He sensed that I was so nervous here. "Hmm, but what about the net value of all multinational sales? I would like to sign it also. This presentation is really very impressive, and I gulped looking at Isaac. His eyes also widened Mr. Richardson not only accepted a proposal of cooperation, but he also wants to cooperate with us with the sales of his international products too. It will be a turning point for my company. "Of course, I will never disappoint you, Mr. Richardson," I can't even believe this is happening. My company, soon we are going to collaborate with the international sales of products with the Richardson Empire. It still feels like a dream. "I'm proud of you, Brielle," he said, after seeing my best friend's daughter, grown-up and a strong and ambitious girl. "He will also be very proud of you," he said. I paused at my spot, tilting my head backward. He knows my dad, and he's my dad's best friend. "Of course, Nicolas and I, we knew each other since childhood, but we lost touch when I went to Greece, and when I came back to New York, I got to know about him and Prisca accident," he looked at the floor, his voice heavy with emotion. I handed him the water bottle placed in front of him. "I can't even express the happiness I'm feeling after knowing that my dad and you were very good friends, and it's a kind of positive emotion that I've felt about them since they left me," I smiled. I know I'm about to cry. "Your parents will be proud of you," he put his palm over my head, making me chuckle. "I know they will," I said. "Well, it's so nice to meet you, and I'm glad that you will cooperate with us in sales of our international products." Mr. Richardson said I said while holding my head high. I just don't know before meeting Mr. Ricardson, I was so nervous, but now everything seems so favourable and interesting . "That's like a milestone for the company," Ivaan said while driving. "Indeed it is, I'm just so happy that Mr. Ricardson has this much faith in it," my cheeks are hurting from smiling continuously. It feels so great when your first business deal went so smoothly and successfully. Finally, we stopped at my maternal grandfather's house. I entered the house and found him, my maternal grandfather. It just felt like sunshine flooded into my soul. He was laying in his bed, murmuring a prayer, while covering himself with a duvet. My skin shivered when the cold breeze hit me, making me shiver. "Grandpa," I went towards him. "Bri," he chirped, and I hugged him. I suddenly felt at home. Why is it so overwhelming whenever you meet the people you love the most, and my grand father is one of them? He's a retired police officer, and he and my maternal grandma have seven daughters and one son. My mom was the third one among them. All of my maternal aunts are happily married and live in different cities across the United States, except for my Uncle, who lives here with his wife, my aunt, their daughters, and their son, Isaac. "Brielle," my aunt said when she saw me, and I ran over to hug her. "You didn't remember your aunt these years, did you?" She is my aunt, but she prefers her daughters over me. It's not like I want her to favour me over her own daughters, but I still remember I used to live with her daughter Roohi, who is four years older than me, when I was a kid. Roohi hit me, and I raised my hand back to her, and my aunt came to our fight and she was favouring her daughter, even though Roohi was wrong that time, and I hate this. It 's not like I was so desperate for attention and favor, but still, I don't like people who pretend to be different and are something else in real life. I don't think that I'll ever understand my aunt's state of mind. "Where is Roohi?" I asked. "She got a job as an assistant manager in a share market company in Boston last week, so she's not here in New York," Ivaan said to me, and I sat on the couch in the living room. "And Nancy," I asked, "She is also doing a job in a local chartered accountant's office, so she will be here in the evening." Ivaan brought coffee for us and I quickly took mine. But, I intentionally took the yellow mug. I have an unhealthy obsession with collecting coffee mugs and yellow attracts me more. Grandpa quickly went towards a cabinet near the living room and brought my all-time favourite chocolate chip cookies. I leaned back on the couch with a smile on my face, feeling light-headed and relaxed for the first time in a long time, perhaps because my life has begun to become easier. I don't know but a frown married my head when an unwanted sense arises in my heart like this happiness is not permanent, something big and unexpected is about to happen. I shook my head and swallowed. Take it easy Brielle, everything is going to be alright, nothing wrong will happen now. You've already gone through worse, now don't overthink it.