314 A CHAIRWOMAN IN THE MAKING

Zoe felt her stomach churned as her whole body felt like it was inside of an oven heated to a full notch. She glanced at the fiscal nervously as she pleaded for his answer.  

She proceeded on with the charge against her uncle which started the investigation immediately. Since there were some directors that were on her side, they have been cooperative and provided the necessary information which were evidence for his anomalies. And now they were standing in the office of the fiscal for a preliminary hearing.

"With the substantial evidence provided, I will make a resolution and submit this case to the Court."

Zoe almost shook her fist in the air as she heard those words like a beautiful hymn. She felt Cayden's warm hand patting her shoulders, showing his enthusiasm for her success.

"You did it, Zoe. Finally, you'll be happy and at peace now."

Zoe smiled at him, thanking him for supporting her all the way. But his words somehow got stuck with her as she paused for a second to contemplate.

'Am I really happy and at peace?' She stared at the people around her congratulating her. Her Uncle was scowling at her and Koby was gritting his teeth in anger. 

But she was oblivious to them as her mind was seeing the Terrans, Erin and Raigon smiling at her. 

She was lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the judge when he said that a trial will be scheduled for their case.

'I wonder if everything is alright.'

Cayden informed her that he didn't see Koby and Uncle Bo leaving the company, with the current hiatus going on at the corporation because of Zoe's actions. 

She drew in a deep breath as she resolved to herself that perhaps Koby was just bluffing when he said that they will go to Terra. 

'Or perhaps they didn't expect that I would see this to the end.'

She tilted her chin and trusted that everything is okay with Terra especially with Raigon being there. So she went on directly to her plans.

The next morning she topped on a black pencil dress in a slim fitting style with a sharp silhouette topped off with a gray blazer. 

She patted on her cheeks making it flush a little as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. "Do I look like I'm a chairwoman now?"

A sad smile lifted up her lips as she recalled her father standing in the mirror every morning and she would always greet him. "Good morning, Chairman."

He would always pose in front of her and she would feel proud of his handsome attire. 

"Good morning, Ms. Cheng." The hospital staff greeted her as soon as her foot stepped inside her parent's hospital.

Their voices made her realize that she was already inside the hospital that is almost like a home to her parents as they never left this place unless necessary. Since their marriage license was not valid, she still adopted her maiden surname.

She inhaled a lungful of air. Even if the air smells of medical drugs and disinfectants, she smiled sweetly as she uttered. 

"It feels like home."

As she opened her eyes and saw people wearing white coats and blue overall, transporting apparatuses and nursing patients, her heart fluttered as she almost skipped as she walked to the chairman's room. 

On her way, she observed what the place is like on an ordinary day like this. She decided to drop over at the Emergency Room where she was always assigned during her college days. 

A mother was pleading for her son to be treated. But the nurses were refusing her.

"There is another hospital a few blocks from here. They can assist you properly."

"Why can you not?" Zoe intervened with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. But we need to follow standard protocols. We should - " 

Before she continued on what she was saying, a fellow nurse whispered to her, which was caught by Zoe's attentive ears.

"Shut it. That is Ms. Zoe Cheng, the daughter of the former chairman of this hospital and the soon to be chairwoman if Chairman Zhiang would lose."

The nurse whom she was talking to cupped her mouth in terror. "Forgive me, Ma'am. I didn't know." She stuttered as she lowered her head.

Zoe glanced at the mother and her son who was terribly in pain. "Assist them now. If you don't want me to personally attend to them myself."

She wanted to keep her calm but refusing a patient who needs emergency care is an unpardonable sin for her.

"Y-yes, mam." She quickly called on the doctor in charge who immediately checked on the boy. The mother gave her a smile of gratitude.

She then went straight to the Emergency Department Head who was having a meeting at that time with the other staff. She politely asked for their standard protocols as she was confused why the nurse would say that. 

And she learned that they were told to only accept cases who will give them a good return of investment as what they call it.

"Are they business opportunities or something? Disregard that protocol from now on. I will go to the board meeting now and put it legally on paper."

The staff who were eavesdropping suddenly rejoiced as they didn't really want to do that but were just forced to because of the change in management. If they wouldn't comply, they would be transferred to a rural hospital.

"You are the answer to our prayers, Ms. Zoe Cheng. You made the right decision to fight for your rights." 

They bowed their heads to her and thanked her, making Zoe's lips curved up somehow.

'If only you knew what I've been through for this.'

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"We've got to face the fact that some people say you fight fire best with fire, but we say you put fire out best with water. We say you don't fight discrimination with discrimination. We're gonna fight discrimination with solidarity."