Chapter 6
The board called me in for a meeting.
I walked into that same boardroom where I'd sat for performance reviews. Where Michael had once praised my work while secretly plotting my ruin.
The directors sat across from me. Serious. Attentive.
"Ms. Bennett," the chairman said. "We've reviewed everything. The evidence. The testimony. The way you conducted yourself throughout this entire ordeal."
He leaned forward.
"You were framed. Humiliated. Betrayed. And yet you stood your ground. You spoke the truth. And you uncovered a fraud that could have destroyed this company."
He looked at the other directors. They nodded.
"We would like to offer you a position," he said. "Not just any position. Interim Chief Operating Officer. With the strong possibility of becoming permanent CEO once the dust settles."
I stared at him.
"Me?"
"You," he said. "You have the skills. The experience. And most importantly—you have the integrity. Something this company desperately needs right now."
I thought about it.
I thought about the slap. The whispers. The necklace in my desk. The way I'd been made to feel small and guilty.
May you like
And I thought about the opportunity. To rebuild. To set things right. To make sure nothing like this ever happened again.
"I accept," I said.
