Chapter 15 - A Father's Price
Martin waited outside the board office on Friday morning, holding the green jacket I'd recognized in Ruth's photograph. He looked older under the city's hard light.
“You found a different way to hurt everybody,” he said.
“I'm trying to keep people employed.”
“By refusing the money that could save the company?”
“Your consulting fee depends on that money. You should say that when you argue for the deal.”
He lowered his voice. “I built half of what your mother called her life's work. She used my designs and then erased me.”
“She paid your royalties.”
“She paid to keep me quiet.”
“Then challenge the agreement honestly. Don't use my marriage.”
Something in his face gave way, and for an instant I saw the father who had once taught me to look for the tiny numbers engraved inside my grandmother's watch.
“I didn't know Nathan would hurt you,” he said.
“But you knew he was dating me to get access.”
He didn't deny it. That was the answer I'd driven to Vermont to find.
He told me he had approached Nathan because he believed the younger man could rescue a failing company. When Nathan said he'd fallen in love with me, Martin chose to believe him. Each new lie became easier to justify than admitting the first.
“You could have stopped,” I said.
“I know.”
“Not after the wedding. Before it.”
He looked away. The conversation had nothing left to offer me.
Inside the office, the board's independent committee reviewed the alternate plan. Its financial adviser cautioned that it required concessions from the lender and no guarantee existed. The chairman asked what I would do if it failed.
“Then we will consider a different sale with proper disclosure,” I said. “But we will not approve one based on a forged document, hidden fees, and promises the contract doesn't make.”
The committee agreed to postpone the transaction vote and request a short standstill from the buyer and lender while reviewing options. The buyer could refuse. The lender could too.
Then the chairman addressed Nathan, who had returned to the room with counsel.
“Until our internal review is complete, we are considering placing you on administrative leave from your executive role.”
Nathan looked at me across the table.
May you like
“You'll destroy your mother's company just to punish me,” he said.
I met his eyes. “I'm trying to stop you from using it to punish everybody else.”
