Chapter 48 A Public Apology
Jonathan had always refused to apologize to Sylvia, which was causing their family company to deteriorate. Everyone wanted him to swallow his pride and apologize so that things could move past this incident.
At the very least, apologizing could help salvage their company. Any grudges could be settled another time – there was no need to fight for some fleeting satisfaction now.
But Jonathan was an extremely stubborn man. The more people told him to do something, the more he resisted.
During the years that Sylvia was married to Cyril, Jonathan had been meek and subservient, never daring to confront them directly.
Needless to say, Sylvia had been so submissive in front of Cyril. Jonathan saw her as beneath him and could not bring himself to apologize to someone so pathetic.
Plus, when they had gotten married, Jonathan had mocked and ridiculed Sylvia relentlessly. Now being asked to personally apologize to someone he had looked down on was too much for his pride.
He felt his whole family was deliberately trying to humiliate him and make him lose face.
Even Cyril came as a mediator, asking Jonathan to simply apologize to Sylvia.
“Why should I apologize to her? What exactly did I do wrong here? If she hadn’t done those things, why would there be photos in the first place? It just shows what kind of woman she is. I was standing up for you!” Jonathan insisted.
In Jonathan’s mind, Cyril had suffered immense grievances by marrying Sylvia. With Cyril’s status, he could have found someone much better. Their marriage must have been Sylvia’s
machinations.
Now that Sylvia felt she had the upper hand, she was targeting their family. As if Jonathan would swallow his pride and let that happen!
Cyril’s face darkened. He used to feel their marriage was a hardship to endure, but looking back over the years, it was not much different than not being married at all.
In their marriage, Sylvia was more like a vase that obediently stayed in the home.
–
a unimportant but indispensable decoration
Sometimes Cyril would use Sylvia to resolve problems, both in business and at home. Bringing her out served to mitigate many issues.
Chapter 48 A Public Apology
So it wasn’t entirely accurate to say Sylvia was completely useless to him.
Jonathan’s words were nothing Cyril hadn’t heard before, but for some reason they rang false now. Perhaps because recently Cyril realized some things were not what he expected.
“If you were standing up for me, there’s no need. I can stand up for myself if I want to get back at someone. You shouldn’t get involved, especially since you created this situation yourself. Isn’t it only right Sylvia would retaliate?”
If Cyril was in Sylvia’s shoes, he would definitely be angry too before the truth came out, and would strike back even harder.
So he felt Sylvia’s reactions now showed some restraint out of consideration for his face.
“How can you stand up
for Sylvia now? You used to have such a different attitude about her. Just because you’re divorced, suddenly you care about her feelings? Don’t go too far!” Jonathan felt betrayed that Cyril had taken the other side when he was doing this for both their sakes.
Cyril’s face darkened further. “If you had actual proof she wronged me, that would be one thing. But those photos you leaked clearly show her just greeting or helping a stranger. Do you take people for fools?”
“Listen, if you don’t apologize now, things are only going to get worse for your family’s company,” Cyril said plainly, too tired to continue pleading. “Sylvia is giving you a chance to save face. If you apologize, your company might not become the laughing stock. You can’t let it crumble just because of your stubbornness.”
Jonathan wanted to argue more but knew the recent downturn at his company was bad. If things kept declining, the company would be in real trouble.
“Alright, I get it,” he said begrudgingly. “No need to lecture me anymore.”
Cyril felt unappreciated after coming to offer genuine advice. He should have just stayed
away.
“Do it quickly – Sylvia’s at the Ivan Group now. They have a charity gala coming up that she’ll probably attend. Apologize to her there, but don’t make a scene. And mean your apology, got it?”
Cyril felt drained from refereeing their messy conflict. He just wanted to help smooth things over but they kept complicating it.
Jonathan waved dismissively, still annoyed that he had to humble himself with a public apology. But fine, if that’s what it took to fix his company’s mess, so be it.
Chapter 48 A
blic Apology
3/3
Cyril left after that, having said his piece. He had work to do and Jonathan was an adult, after all. No need to babysit him.
The Ivan Group did have a charity gala planned, holding one annually to donate significant sums. The gala doubled as a fundraising event.
Given the prominence of the Ivan name, everyone wanted access once word got out. Whether to actually contribute or simply network, attendees had personal reasons for going.
The event day arrived and guests streamed in, mingling for business opportunities even amid the altruistic air.