Chapter 15 - THE BOARD COUP
Helen had lost the children.
So she went after the company.
On Monday morning, seven directors appeared with signed proxies.
The same proxies Melissa found.
Helen called an emergency shareholder session and claimed I had become incapable of managing Bennett Foods during a domestic crisis.
The language was almost funny.
Almost.
She had spent years preparing it.
What she did not know was that we had spent the weekend preparing too.
The boardroom filled at nine.
Helen entered at nine fifteen.
Robert was not with her.
She noticed immediately.
“Where is my son?”
Mara answered.
“Not relevant.”
Helen took her seat.
“I hold enough proxies to call a vote.”
Thomas examined them.
“Possibly.”
“Possibly?”
“Several require verification.”
Helen smiled.
“They are notarized.”
“So was Daniel Bennett’s fake transfer.”
Her smile vanished.
The room changed.
Thomas continued.
“We have referred that document for criminal review.”
Helen looked toward me.
“You would involve police in family business?”
I almost laughed.
“You forged my dead father’s signature.”
“You cannot prove that.”
Mara slid the forensic report across the table.
“We can.”
Helen did not touch it.
The seven directors looked uneasy.
One finally spoke.
“Helen, you told us Daniel authorized the transfer.”
“He did.”
Mara placed the company formation record beside it.
“The document references an entity created after his death.”
No one moved.
Another director withdrew his proxy.
Then another.
Helen stared at them.
“You cowards.”
A third director slid his paper toward Thomas.
“Withdraw mine.”
Helen stood.
“You gave me your word.”
He looked at her.
“I gave it based on false information.”
Within three minutes, seven became four.
Then three.
Then two.
Helen’s coup collapsed.
But she was not finished.
She pointed toward me.
“You think these people respect you?”
I stayed seated.
“They respected your father.”
Her voice rose.
“They tolerated you because Robert kept the company alive.”
I looked toward the financial report.
“No.”
I opened it.
“Robert moved twelve million dollars out of the company.”
The directors turned.
Helen’s face went still.
I continued.
“And according to his cooperation statement, six million went to accounts you controlled.”
Her mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
The boardroom doors opened.
Robert walked in with his attorney.
Helen stared at him.
“You.”
Robert stopped across from her.
“Yes.”
“You betrayed me.”
His face was tired.
“No.”
May you like
He looked toward Lily’s school photograph sitting on my folder.
“I finally stopped betraying my children.”
