Chapter 9 - THE BOARDROOM REVOLUTION
Six months later,
I stood at the head of the boardroom table at Harrell Plaza.
I had been appointed as the Executive Director of the Harrell Foundation.
The board members,
many of whom had watched me at the gala,
now looked at me with genuine respect.
We had just launched our first initiative,
the 'Phoenix Program,'
which provided grants to women-led startups.
The success was beyond anything we had imagined.
I was no longer just Raymond Harrell’s daughter.
I was Phoebe Harrell,
a leader in her own right.
Conway Tech had been absorbed into a larger conglomerate.
Spencer was currently serving a three-year sentence for white-collar crime.
Paisley had avoided jail time by testifying against him,
but she had been forced to return every gift and cent she had taken.
She had moved out of the state,
her reputation in Shaker Heights forever tarnished.
My father sat at the end of the table,
a proud smile on his face.
“The foundation’s numbers are incredible, Phoebe.”
“You’ve done more in six months than most people do in six years.”
“I had a lot of motivation, Dad,”
I said,
closing my laptop.
“I wanted to show the world that value isn't something you wear.”
“It’s something you create.”
After the meeting,
Marcus Thorne came up to me.
“Phoebe, we’re having a celebratory dinner tonight.”
“I hope you’ll join us.”
I looked at the emerald on my finger,
a gift to myself for the foundation’s launch.
“I’d be honored, Marcus.”
As I walked through the lobby of Harrell Plaza,
I saw a woman in a navy-blue dress.
She looked young,
ambitious,
and a little bit lost.
I stopped and walked over to her.
“That’s a beautiful dress,”
I said,
smiling.
She looked up,
surprised.
“Oh, thank you. It’s for my first interview.”
“I hope I don't embarrass myself.”
I reached into my bag and handed her my business card.
“You won’t.”
“But if you ever feel like you’re making yourself smaller for someone else’s comfort,”
“give me a call.”
“We have a place for women who are ready to be big.”
I walked out of the building and into the sunshine.
The Harrell Heart was back in its velvet box.
I didn't need the rubies to command a room anymore.
May you like
I had my own voice.
And it was the most beautiful thing I had ever worn.
