Chapter 42: Unfaithful
"Is there a problem?"
Rebecca asked seeing Talia with her brows furrowed deeply.
"Are they expecting something back from you to give the contract to us?" Rebecca asked worried although she was sure Talia cannot be forced to do something she doesn’t want to do.
"I didn’t think there is another PR firm with enough resources for them to trust other than us? What other firm is there...? Zackerman Associates?" Talia looked at Rebecca with a slight mocking smile, "Esteria... Is a pretty Conservative country and they value family and loyalty more than anything. And we all know how many ex-wives Mr. Zackerman has and also rumours of his sons... touching women.Someone from the Royal family will never associate themselves with such a man even for business purposes," Talia added and Rebecca’s eyes widened.
" So you are saying that our firm has more chance since Joe is happily married with me? "
Talia nodded. That’s how it has always been in her country. And that’s one of the reasons she can never go back there since she betrayed Cyrus by killing him and also that is the reason she is asking for an annulment. She can only imagine the kind of lashings she’d get once her past relationships are exposed. Affairs are considered worse than murder since it is the betrayal of trust and it is belittling the sacred institution of marriage. She couldn’t understand why Arthur doesn’t get it.
’Or is it his plan... To ruin me entirely?’ Talia wondered about the possibilities. When she was with him, all she could remember were the good times she had with him and when she is away, she couldn’t help but think of his as this criminal mastermind out to get her. She herself was so confused by the way her mind thinks.
" Not that I’m complaining now that I know our firm has more chance, but isn’t that a bit...fusty, judging a business by the moral characteristics of the person leading it and not caring for the talents and efforts of others?" Rebecca was confused and voiced her opinion.
" You know the sayings ’Birds of the same feather flocks together’ and ’Show me your friend, I’ll tell you what you are’. My grandpa used to say, ’ How your family behaves shows more of your character’. So if a man cannot guide his family well, he can’t be someone trustworthy. It’s just what those old people believe. They also believe in karma. " Talia massaged her forehead as it had started to hurt.
She didn’t know if her grandfather is right. But she could understand his point of view. If a man was good, his family would naturally respect him and wouldn’t spoil his good name. Also his loyalty and good nature will give him good allies who would help him in times of his need.
But if a man is not of good moral character, he would attract people with the same characters as him around him and they are the ones who’d stab in the back without any morality.