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Management we werenotgetting at my father’s hand.
I provided facts and figures as evidence of all his poor decision making, being careful not to tread into anything that felt personal, at least until the very end. I revealed that irrespective of the way thecompanyshares were split, or even anyone’s official titles,Iwas the legal owner of the property now.
The land and the building.
I left out Orion’s involvement, even though the big ass ring on my hand and my changed surname weren’t secrets.
I ended my spiel with a plea to the board members to help me preserve not just the Joyce family legacy through this store, but also their own livelihoods – ifNectarfailed, there went their pensions and salaries.
It was all quite compelling and not evenoncedid I make eye contact with my father.
Which was a very likely added reason for him to stand upseething.
I kept my expression neutral as he ranted and raved through his justifications for remaining in place as CEO, taking alotof credit for things that had gone forward either without his involvement ordespitehis involvement, with people working around him to actually succeed. The more he spoke, the clearer it was—to me at least—that he’d never had any business in the role in the first place.
He only had it because my mother passed.
Back then, it had seemed like a no-brainer.
I saw now that she’d likely shielded his reputation, loving him so much that she’d camouflaged the truth. He’d fumbled his way through his role as CEO because he wasn’t the one with the head for business.
Shewas.
Luckily, everyone else saw it too.
Maybe they always had, but no one wanted to challenge it.
The vote wasn’t unanimous, but it was certainly unambiguous.
William Stark was officially out as CEO ofNectarand Alan was out as CFO.
Alan was respectful, at least, but my father… he didn’t take it well. Not that anyone expected him to anyway.
Soren and I cleared everyone out, assuring them that we’d reconvene to work through a new corporate structure. It took a bit, but after a while it was just the Stark family and my father took full advantage of the chance to sling a bit of unfiltered mud our way.
“After I spent my life taking care of you, you two little ungrateful motherfuckers should beashamed,” he ranted, but I shrugged.
“Youshould be grateful,” I told him. “You’re leaving this company without being sued or maybe even arrested for the fraud you committed that landed us where we are in the first place.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh I knowexactlywhat I’m talking about,” I countered. “I’m talking about you lying, stashing money away so it looked like we were so broke you needed to make a little quick money to save the business. I’m talking about you and Alan cooking the books, hiding profits. You betterhopethat when I get a forensic accountant in here, we can clean up this mess without the fucking IRS knocking at the door. Because if they do, I’m pointing themstraightat you.”
He scoffed. “So you’d see me in jail?”
“If that’s what it takes,” I snapped. “You don’t get to pretend you’ve been slighted, especially when I don’t hear you even trying to deny the claims.” I shook my head. “I just want to knowwhy. Clearly the money wasn’t needed, so what was the reason foranyof this? Why in the world would you risk losing the most important thing?”
My father’s gaze narrowed, his face taking on a level of darkness I’dneverin my life seen. “The most important thing? That’s what you really think?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “This business has been in the family for generation after generation. You should’ve wanted to pass it to your kids, so we can give it to ours, and so on. Youowedus our birthright, Daddy. Why would you sabotage our legacy?”
“I don’t owe youshit,” he spat coldly, forcefully pushing his way out of his seat. “And this place could burn to the fucking ground and it wouldn’t mean a damn thing to me.”
“I can’t believe I ever looked up to you. You’reinsane,” I told him, shaking my head. “A disgrace.”
“No, Iwasinsane,” he spat. “For playing dutiful husband to your whore mother; nowshewas a disgrace.”
“What the fuck did you just say?” Soren asked, finally speaking up. He’d been lingering near the door, but approached our father now, fists clenched. “You don’t have any right to speak on my mother.”
