Chapter 6 - THE BOARDROOM COUP
The emergency board meeting was set for 4:00 PM.
The atmosphere was electric with tension.
Daniel had managed to get in,
accompanied by a high-priced lawyer.
He sat at the far end of the table,
trying to look composed,
trying to look like the man in charge.
"This is a witch hunt!"
he declared as soon as the Chairman called the meeting to order.
"My wife is lashing out because of a personal dispute."
"Her claims of embezzlement are baseless!"
I sat at the other end,
the Star of the North resting on the velvet of my dress.
I didn't say a word.
I let my lawyer,
Mr. Henderson,
take the floor.
"We have the forensic audit,"
Henderson said,
placing a thick binder on the table.
"We have the wire transfers to shell companies."
"And we have a signed affidavit from Celeste Vance."
Daniel's face went white.
"Celeste?
What did you do to her?"
"We didn't do anything, Daniel,"
I said,
speaking for the first time.
"We simply showed her the truth."
"Just like we're showing it to the board."
Henderson played an audio recording.
It was Celeste’s voice,
detailing Daniel's plan to take over the trust.
"He said he would keep Maya around until the baby was born,"
her voice echoed in the room.
"Then he would use the custody battle to drain the trust through legal fees."
The board members looked at Daniel with pure revulsion.
These were people who had known my mother for forty years.
"And as for the 'baby',"
Henderson added,
dropping the IVF report onto the table.
"It was a fiction."
Daniel looked at the report,
then at me,
realization dawning on him.
He had been played by everyone.
"The Morality Clause is now in effect,"
Henderson announced.
"Daniel Whitmore's employment is terminated."
"His shares in the company are forfeit."
"And his access to all Bennett properties is revoked."
Daniel stood up,
his chair flying back.
"You can't do this!
I'll sue!"
"On what grounds, Daniel?"
the Chairman asked.
"The evidence is overwhelming."
"The police are waiting in the lobby to take your statement."
Daniel looked around the room,
searching for an ally,
searching for a way out.
But there was no one.
May you like
He was a man who had built his life on air,
and the wind had finally changed.
