Chapter 12 – The Board Chooses Survival
The emergency board meeting began at nine o'clock.
Every seat around the conference table was filled.
No one smiled.
Richard entered carrying a prepared statement.
The chairman stopped him.
"You won't need that."
Richard frowned.
"What?"
The company's outside counsel slid a thick folder across the table.
"We've reviewed the evidence."
Richard opened it.
Wire transfers.
Hidden ledgers.
Email chains.
Offshore banking records.
Every page made his stomach sink.
"This is incomplete."
"No."
The attorney answered.
"It's overwhelming."
Richard looked around.
"You all know me."
The chairman sighed.
"We thought we did."
Richard stood.
"This is Harrison."
"No."
Another director interrupted.
"This is you."
Silence settled over the room.
Finally the chairman spoke.
"Effective immediately..."
"...you are removed as Chief Executive Officer."
Richard stared in disbelief.
"You can't."
"We already have."
Security officers entered the room.
One held out a small box.
"Your personal belongings."
Richard laughed once.
A hollow, broken sound.
"I built this company."
The chairman met his eyes.
"You nearly destroyed it."
Richard slowly removed the company access card from his wallet.
He placed it on the polished table.
No one reached for it.
No one thanked him.
No one shook his hand.
He walked out alone.
Outside the building, television cameras exploded with flashes.
A reporter shouted,
"Mr. Harrington! Did you steal company funds?"
Another yelled,
"Did you attempt to murder your wife?"
Richard kept walking.
May you like
For the first time in his adult life...
No one opened the car door for him.
