In Mark’s eyes, Mrs. Vance was a burden, an old parasite with no value other than to annoy him. He was convinced that Mr. Harrison was coincidentally talking about someone else with the same name. Hearing Mark’s ramblings, which further denigrated the deceased, Mr. Harrison did not erupt in anger as before. This time, his reaction was much more frightening. He laughed, a short, cynical, and cold laugh that chilled the blood of everyone in the room. Mr. Harrison looked at Mark as one looks at a small disgusting insect that doesn’t know it’s about to be crushed. He began to walk slowly around Mark as if observing a defective exhibit.
The sound of mister Harrison’s footsteps on the tile floor echoed loudly in the silent room. The guests, including Jessica, held their breath, sensing that a monumental revelation was about to occur. Jessica, standing in a corner, began to feel uncomfortable. Her instincts told her she had bet on the wrong horse. Mr. Harrison stopped right in front of Mark, looking deep into his eyes. With a calm voice, but laden with force in every syllable, Mr. Harrison began to speak. He said that Mark’s ignorance demonstrated how blind his mind and eyes had been all this time. Mr. Harrison explained that Mrs. Vance had chosen a simple life away from luxury and had shunned public attention.
But he revealed that behind those modest clothes and those soil stained hands from the garden, Mrs. Vance was the brilliant mind behind the founding of the gigantic corporation for which Mark worked. She was the founder and the majority shareholder with absolute authority over the company’s direction. For years, Mrs. Vance had controlled the business from the shadows, allowing executives like Mr. Harrison to be the public face while she enjoyed a quiet life with her daughter. Mark stumbled backward as if he had been slapped by an invisible hand. His legs instantly gave way. His memory flashed back in time. He remembered how many times he had scolded Mrs.