THE DINNER PARTY
Twelve people were gathered around the dining table of a Glasgow Hotel, celebrating. The food was delicious and the drink plentiful. Jasmine observed her husband as he confidently conversed with Geoffrey Blyth, CEO of Worldwide Designs.
Geoffrey then stood up and announced that David was being promoted to take over a branch abroad. Her husband lounged back arrogantly as everyone congratulated him. He was incredibly good-looking with dark hair, brown eyes, a good build, and tall, and tanned. His charm attracted people around him.
Jasmine was surprised when she realized that David had never discussed their next destination with her. He quickly glanced at her with a wry smile, then shifted his gaze to his other admirers. It was clear that he was enjoying the attention. The CEO acknowledged that David had brought in a lot of money by designing many of the hotels in Dubai and attracting new buyers.
Jasmine was excited to attend a reunion with her former colleagues. She had left her job after getting married to David, who had encouraged her to socialize with the other wives during lunch breaks and coffee mornings. He intended her to help gain insight into the company's inner workings, which would in turn assist him in climbing the corporate ladder.
Jasmine looked around the room and noticed photographs of buildings that she had designed while she was employed. She smiled and took a sip from her glass. The sound of chatter in the room grew louder as everybody congratulated each other. Feeling a bit left out, Jasmine decided to retreat to a quiet lounge and ordered a glass of white wine.
Mrs Duran, the Company Secretary, joined Jasmine in the lounge. When asked why she was alone. Jasmine explained that Geoffrey was in the other room, glowing. Mrs Duran ordered a drink and asked if she missed working at the company. Jasmine replied that she attended meetings with the wives' group but she did miss working in the company.
After they finished their drinks, Mrs. Duran chuckled and commented that she found the idea of listening to the wives' gossip quite tedious. This caused both of them to burst out laughing.
They then returned to the dining table, where they continued to enjoy their drinks. However, Jasmine's seat next to David was taken by Mrs Blyth, the CEO's wife. She was wearing a lilac dress that perfectly complemented her curves and was now leaning back beside him. Her light blue eyes shone as she tossed back her blonde hair and was quietly whispering to David.
Geoffrey stood up and expressed his gratitude to everyone for their hard work that led to a successful year. The buyers were very pleased with the outstanding designs presented to them and congratulated the team for their efforts. Orders were coming in from various markets, including Asia, the USA, and Dubai.
Additionally, Geoffrey congratulated David Montague for his contribution to the company and wished him well on his departure, which was met with enthusiastic clapping from everyone. However, a few people gave secretive smiles, and David and Jasmine were unaware of any underlying meanings. As the evening progressed, Jasmine enjoyed catching up on the latest news from the company.
Suddenly, Mrs Duran, the company secretary, approached Jasmine and whispered in her ear, 'Mr Blyth would like to speak to you in private. Could you please go out to the bar? He won’t keep you long.'
Feeling surprised, Jasmine wondered why Mr Blyth wanted to speak with her as she had never had a conversation with him before. She stood up and walked towards the bar where Mr Blyth was seated, with his back turned towards the entrance.
'Sit down, Jasmine,' he said. Jasmine felt nervous as she took a seat in front of him. 'I've known for some time that you have done all the designs that David is taking credit for,' Mr Blyth said, preventing any attempts by Jasmine to interrupt him. 'I am familiar with your work. It has always been exceptional. No one has your level of skill so please don't insult my intelligence.'
Feeling ashamed, Jasmine whispered slowly, 'It is all my designs.' Mr. Blyth's face relaxed. 'I am not a fool. He didn't want you to work. He wanted your skills so that he could receive all the credit from the company. Why did you agree to that?' What did he do to you?
Jasmine thought for a while then slowly started to speak. 'He could not do the work. He kept on badgering me until I agreed. Truthfully, I enjoyed designing the hotels. Ideas just leapt out of my head and it excited me.'
Mr Blyth answered in a cold voice. 'I am sending him to the furthest and worst branch I can find as I don’t want him anywhere near me.' He shook his head.
'Why are you doing that? Jasmine asked in a worrying tone,
He looked at me with pity and lowered his head. 'He has been seeing my wife for some time, and she's leaving me for him. They have humiliated me in front of everyone. Didn't you know about this?' Jasmine was surprised and shook her head.
He continued, 'I want to offer you a job to come back and work for me. Buyers in Asia, the USA and Europe are clamouring for your work. You can name your price. If you want a divorce, one of my lawyers will ensure that he pays for it and that you are well compensated. My wife was only good-looking but didn't have much intelligence,' he paused. 'You could also say the same about David.'
Jasmine tried hard to hold back her smile. She quickly agreed to the appointment after a deal was settled. Mr Blyth asked if she would be okay, to which she replied with a smile answered, 'Yes.' They both stood up and shook hands. Mr Blyth informed her that Mrs Gavin would join her soon if he wanted to talk.
Mrs. Gavin approached Jasmine and asked how she was doing. Jasmine lifted one of the glasses of champagne that the bartender had just served them, handing one to Mrs Gavin. 'Let's celebrate! I'm finally getting rid of that handsome, sneaky husband of mine, who has been mentally abusing me since the day I married him. I wish Mrs Blyth good luck she's going to need it when she arrives at the terrible place where Geoffrey will send them.'
The two lift their glasses. Mrs Gavin says, 'I think you are a very talented woman in more ways than one. Let’s celebrate. Here’s to your success and happiness in the future and they get what they deserve.'
'I am enjoying this dinner party so much', Jasmine said. They both start to laugh.