Chapter 7: The Boardroom Shift
Monday morning, I walked into the company’s glass-walled boardroom—for the first time in three years, not sitting quietly at the far end of the table, but taking the seat at the head.
The room went silent. The board members exchanged glances; most had never even heard me speak in meetings before. My COO, Marcus, slid a stack of files toward me.
“All prepared,” he said quietly. “And Elliot called three times this morning begging for a meeting. I told him you’d only speak through lawyers.”
I nodded, opening the first file. “Good. Let’s get started.”
For the next two hours, I laid out the new plan: canceling the failed acquisitions Elliot had pushed through, redirecting funds to the clean energy project I’d been advocating for since we got married, and restructuring the executive team to cut out the people who’d been covering for him.
When I finished, the oldest board member, Mr. Hale, leaned forward and smiled. “We’ve been waiting for you to do that, Victoria. Elliot was good at talking, but he never understood what this company was built for. You always did.”
After the meeting, Marcus walked with me to the elevator. “One more thing,” he said, lowering his voice. “Julianna sent an email to HR this morning. She’s asking for her old job back—she was a junior designer here before Elliot hired her as a ‘consultant.’”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Reply and tell her no. And put a note in her file: she’s banned from all company properties and projects. If she tries to reach out again, send her a cease-and-desist.”
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out into the lobby. For the first time since I founded this firm, I didn’t feel like I was hiding. I felt like I belonged there.
And then I saw her—Julianna, standing by the front desk, holding a leather portfolio, looking like she was about to walk into an interview.
