Chapter 4 - THE COST OF LOOKING AWAY
Miriam let Nora explain before she touched the papers.
“I was supposed to prepare copies for the auditors,” Nora said.
“Then Mr. Whitmore's office called and changed the instructions.”
Daniel had taken my surname when we married.
He used to say it proved he wasn't afraid of a strong woman.
Hearing it now felt like watching someone wear my father's coat with muddy hands.
“Did you remove company records?” Miriam asked.
“These were in the disposal tray. I knew it was wrong to destroy them after the notice arrived.”
Miriam nodded once.
“We'll document where they came from and arrange a proper handover. Don't go back for anything else.”
The invoices listed consulting payments to a company called Cole Strategic Services.
Three payments, each just below the amount requiring a second executive's approval.
One description read: EXECUTIVE RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT.
“Apparently that comes with champagne.”
Nora didn't smile.
“My mother's on the assembly line. She's been there nineteen years.”
“Does she know about the sale?”
“No one does. They told supervisors to promise there won't be layoffs.”
Miriam found the attached transition budget.
Most of the manufacturing jobs had a zero beside them after June.
I pushed my chair back too fast.
“I signed off on Vanessa's appointment.”
“Based on information they gave you,” Miriam said.
“I still signed.”
Nora looked down at her hands.
“We thought you knew.”
There it was.
Not cruelty.
Something worse: a reasonable conclusion.
I had let Daniel stand between me and a company bearing my name.
From the other side, my silence looked like permission.
Nora's phone buzzed.
She read the message twice.
Then she handed it to Miriam.
Her employment had been terminated, effective immediately, for unauthorized handling of confidential materials.
Under the notice was a personal text from Vanessa.
Think carefully about your mother's future before you make this worse.
Nora covered her mouth.
I crossed the kitchen and sat beside her.
“I can't promise this will be painless,” I said.
“But you won't face it alone.”
Miriam began saving the messages.
My own phone rang.
Evelyn.
“They've called an emergency board meeting,” she said.
“Daniel wants your voting rights suspended.”
May you like
“On what grounds?”
“He says you're not competent to exercise them.”
