Chapter - 5774

The efficiency of the Calligraphy and Painting Association is remarkably high. Immediately after the meeting, they promptly posted the news of Executive Vice President Jacob's resignation on their official website and simultaneously released a notification on their WeChat official account.

The wording of the notification was concise, omitting any mention of Jacob's actions. It simply stated that Executive Vice President Jacob had resigned for personal reasons, and the association, following a general assembly, had accepted his resignation request.

Though the message was straightforward, these few words effectively expelled Jacob from the Calligraphy and Painting Association.

The Calligraphy and Painting Association maintains close connections with other literary and art associations in the city, the antique and collectibles circle, and the esteemed university.

The Calligraphy and Painting Association's WeChat official account boasts just over a thousand followers, many of whom are from the esteemed university.

Nearly every student, lecturer, and visiting professor at the esteemed university follows the Calligraphy and Painting Association's official account. This is primarily because when Jacob used to teach at the esteemed university, he would often urge everyone to scan the QR code and follow the account. Eager to save face, everyone obliged and scanned it.

Now, the esteemed university was the first to learn of Jacob's resignation.

Matilda had recently taken leave and was actively preparing for her wedding with Mr. Riley. At that moment, Matilda had just finished trying on wedding dresses and changed back into her own clothes when she unexpectedly received a push notification on her phone, leaving her startled.

Knowing Jacob personally, Matilda understood how much he valued his position as the executive vice president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association. It seemed unlikely for him to resign voluntarily. However, the statement released by the Calligraphy and Painting Association claimed that Jacob had resigned of his own accord due to personal reasons. This left Matilda perplexed.

She turned to Mr. Riley and said, "The Calligraphy and Painting Association released a statement saying that Jacob resigned."

"Resigned?" Mr. Riley exclaimed. "Is it because of that incident that went viral in the antique street a few days ago?"

Matilda neither confirmed nor denied it and replied, "Perhaps. I'm not certain. But it seems like the incident didn't escalate further, so he shouldn't have needed to resign."

Mr. Riley suggested, "Maybe he just couldn't bear the shame."

Matilda disagreed, stating, "That's not his style. I'll ask him."

During her time with Mr. Riley, Matilda had shared her history with Jacob, including their unresolved feelings for each other. However, she had made it clear that she no longer harbored romantic feelings for Jacob after committing to Mr. Riley. Since Mr. Riley had spent many years in the West, he wasn't overly concerned about the past. Moreover, he trusted Matilda, so he didn't feel any jealousy towards Jacob.

He nodded and said, "It's a good idea to ask. There might be more to this than meets the eye. If Jacob is feeling down, perhaps we can offer some support."

Matilda agreed with a murmur and sent a message to Jacob on WeChat. She inquired, "Jacob, why did you suddenly resign from the Calligraphy and Painting Association?"

After waiting for a long time without a reply on WeChat, Matilda wasn't sure what Jacob was occupied with, but she didn't feel the need to say more. She simply waited for his response.

After enduring eight and a half hours in economy class, the plane finally touched down at Dubai Airport.

The continuous back-and-forth trips had taken a toll on Jacob. He had hardly had the chance to explore and appreciate Dubai, and he had developed a strong distaste for the city. All he desired was for this trip to end so he would never have to set foot in Dubai again.

During the flight, Jacob couldn't help but find himself lost in a whirlwind of thoughts.

He no longer held hope of recovering the lost money. His only aspiration was for Chairman Price to secure a director position for him.

Fortunately, Chairman Price had assured him that he would at least be given a director position, if not the vice president position. So, even as his mind raced with thoughts and speculations, he never imagined that he would be ousted from the Calligraphy and Painting Association in such a manner.

As soon as the plane landed, he eagerly turned off airplane mode on his phone and waited for it to connect to the internet, eager to ask Chairman Price about the progress and details of the meeting.

Upon connecting to the internet, he received several messages on WeChat, including push notifications from official accounts and inquiries from many acquaintances.

Numerous people were aware of his resignation from the Calligraphy and Painting Association and reached out to him, seeking details. This included Matilda.

When Jacob saw Matilda's profile picture among the unread messages, he felt a surge of energy coursing through him.

Though he no longer harbored any illusions about Matilda after the incident a few days ago, seeing her message stirred up an uncontrollable excitement within him.

And now, with Elaine absent, he felt a thrill akin to having an affair.

He swiftly opened Matilda's message and discovered her query about his resignation. Without much thought, he assumed that Matilda was aware of the resignation email he had sent and replied nonchalantly, "It's not exactly a resignation, just an email sent as a formality. You can consider it as such. By the way, Matilda, how did you come to know about the internal emails of the Calligraphy and Painting Association?"

Matilda responded, "It's not from internal emails. The association's official account has already released a statement. Didn't you know?"

Jacob, initially confused upon reading her message, quickly realized his mistake. He hurriedly searched for the Calligraphy and Painting Association on the official account.

After scrolling through numerous irrelevant notifications, he finally discovered the post published by the Calligraphy and Painting Association. The title read: "Appointment and Removal Statement Regarding the Executive Vice President of the Calligraphy and Painting Association."

Jacob thought to himself, "From the looks of it, they must have removed me from the position of executive vice president. But it doesn't matter. I never expected to retain the position anyway."

He clicked on the post.

As soon as he opened the post, Jacob's eyes widened in disbelief. His anger surged, threatening to burst forth from his eye sockets.

He cursed furiously, "Price, you treacherous bastard! You've played me for a fool!"

His sudden outburst attracted the attention of the passengers around him.

Yet, Jacob paid no mind to the curious gazes. He immediately dialed Chairman Price's number.

Chairman Price had already returned home and was seated on the living room sofa with his wife, waiting for Jacob to call and demand an explanation.

Chairman Price fully understood that he needed to provide an explanation to Jacob in order to avoid unnecessary trouble. Ignoring Jacob's call and refusing to answer would only confirm that he had set Jacob up.

To prevent any trouble, he decided to explain to Jacob, following his wife's suggestion to shift the blame onto others.

He answered Jacob's call and spoke apologetically, "Ah, Jacob, I'm truly sorry!"

Overflowing with rage, Jacob immediately confronted him, "Price, are you playing games with me? You told me to send a resignation email and promised to secure a vice president or director position for me. But now, what? Now, not only did you fail to grant me a director position, you didn't even inform me. You simply fired me! So, it turns out that everything you said was a trap, right? You're a despicable bastard! I treated you so well, considering you my trusted elder brother, but I must have been blind!"

Chairman Price swiftly interjected, "Jacob, listen to me, this situation is not as straightforward as you believe. I genuinely wanted to keep you, and this morning, I called the other vice presidents to my office to discuss the matter. However, they insisted that your actions had significantly tarnished the association's reputation, and many individuals held strong opinions against you. They forced me to conduct a full vote within the association, and during the vote, everyone, except for me, voted for your dismissal. At that moment, everyone awaited my decision, and I had no choice."

He continued, "By the way, when you return, check your emails. The personnel department should have sent you all the meeting minutes."

Chairman Price shifted the blame onto everyone else, but Jacob felt no gratitude. He shouted angrily, "Price, spare me your useless explanations. All I know is that you promised to secure a vice president or director position for me. Yet, you failed to fulfill your promise! You failed to fulfill your promise, which means you are not a man of your word!"

After that, Jacob shouted with a trembling voice, his eyes brimming with tears. "Price, you don't understand how much effort I put in to join the Painting and Calligraphy Association. Ever since my days on Antique Street, I've always wanted to be part of it! Once I joined, I never asked you for anything as the president, right? Those few times you wanted to visit Heaven Springs, I took you to the best places and introduced you to Don Albert. I've always had a good relationship with him and treated you with the utmost respect. Now you treat me like this? How will you face him in the future?"

Chairman Price's expression turned sour as he thought to himself, "How long has it been, and you're still using Don Albert to boast? If Don Albert showed even the slightest interest in protecting you, I'd have no choice but to comply."

However, Chairman Price didn't dare to challenge Don Albert, so he coldly replied, "Jacob, I've made it very clear. This decision isn't mine alone; it's the consensus of the entire Calligraphy and Painting Association. They all want you to leave. What can I do? Instead of questioning me, maybe you should ask yourself why you're so unpopular within the association. If you were well-liked, why would everyone want you gone? No one wants you to stay! Not a single person!"

Jacob was undeterred. He gritted his teeth and said, "Don't give me those excuses. All I know is that you promised to secure me a position as vice president, or at least a director, and you didn't keep your word! If you don't follow through, you're breaking your promise!"

Chairman Price responded coldly, "If that's what you believe, then there's nothing more I can do. It's up to you. Whether you curse or hate me, I have nothing to say. However, I will remind you, Jacob, that the reason you find yourself in this situation is your own fault! If you hadn't engaged in that deceitful act, not only would you have avoided expulsion from the association, but you also would have had a great chance of becoming the president. So, I advise you to reflect on your actions during your time in Dubai and search within yourself for the root of the problem, instead of blaming others for all the faults!"

Before Jacob could respond, Chairman Price concluded, "By the way, when you return, contact Stanley Finch. He's usually closer to you, so let him handle your resignation procedures. Additionally, let him assist you in packing your personal belongings. It's best if you don't return again; otherwise, people won't know how to look at you. Given our relationship, I can only offer this much assistance. Whether you appreciate it or hate me, I can honestly say that I have a clear conscience. So, that's it. Take care of yourself from now on. Goodbye."

Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Jacob pounded his chest and stomped his feet. He never anticipated that just when he thought this matter was finally behind him, Chairman Price would make such a drastic move!

Now, he had been expelled from the Calligraphy and Painting Association, and it appeared that he would once again find himself unemployed.