Chapter 6 - The Fall of the Pretender
The following morning, the executive boardroom of Vanguard Holdings hummed with tense, nervous energy. The polished mahogany table was surrounded by senior board members, department heads, and legal counsel. Whispers filled the room as everyone murmured about the sudden emergency meeting called by the majority shareholder.
The heavy glass doors swung open, and Richard walked in.
He looked disheveled. The sharp navy suit from two nights ago was wrinkled, his hair was unstyled, and dark circles bruised the skin beneath his eyes. He had clearly spent the last thirty-six hours crashing on a cheap motel couch or begging friends who had already blocked his number. He expected to walk in and bully his way back into power, flanked by his usual arrogant swagger.
Instead, he walked into a silent execution chamber.
“Richard,” David said from the head of the table, not even bothering to stand up. “Sit down.”
Richard sneered, taking his usual seat near the middle. “What is the meaning of this circus? I received an automated HR notification claiming my access was suspended. Do you all realize who I am? Without my client relations portfolio, this company—”
“Without your client relations portfolio, Vanguard’s stock would have crashed within a month anyway because of your systemic incompetence,” I said, stepping out from the private executive antechamber at the back of the room.
The entire boardroom turned. I walked in wearing a tailored charcoal-grey pantsuit, my posture upright, my expression glacial. I carried myself with absolute authority.
Richard sprang up from his chair, his face contorting with rage and disbelief. “Amanda! What the hell are you doing here? This is an executive board meeting! Spouses aren't allowed—”
“I’m not here as a spouse, Richard,” I interrupted, pulling out the chair at the absolute head of the table—the seat reserved for the majority owner and CEO. I sat down and placed my folder squarely in front of me. “I’m here as the majority shareholder, chairwoman, and sole voting authority of Amanda Vanguard Holdings.”
Richard stared at me, blinking rapidly as the reality finally began to sink into his dense skull. “You... you own the voting shares?”
“I always have,” I replied coolly. “You were just renting the title, Richard. And you proved to be a terrible tenant.”
Marcus, standing beside my chair, opened a thick file and slid copies across the table to every board member.
“Attached you will find documented proof of unauthorized asset diversion, shell corporation laundering under the alias of Brooke Vance, and deliberate theft of R&D funding,” Marcus announced to the room. “Furthermore, formal criminal charges have been filed with the federal prosecutor’s office this morning.”
The board members gasped, flipping rapidly through the pages of bank statements, tax IDs, and wire transfer logs. Murmurs of outrage erupted around the table.
“Richard... how could you?” one of the senior directors muttered, shaking his head in disgust. “You stole from our development pipeline?”
“It’s a frame-up!” Richard screamed, slamming his palms down on the mahogany table. His face turned a violent shade of crimson, spittle flying from his lips. “She planned this! She’s a manipulative bitch trying to ruin me because I found someone better! You can’t fire me! I built this division!”
“You didn't build anything, Richard. My father gave you a desk, and I gave you a platform,” I said, my voice cutting through his hysterical shouting like a razor blade. I looked him dead in the eye. “Effective immediately, your employment is terminated with cause. Your stock options are forfeited under moral turpitude clauses. Security will escort you off the premises, and your corporate badge has been permanently deactivated.”
“You can’t do this to me!” Richard lunged forward, scrambling around the table like a cornered animal, reaching for my collar.
Before he could take two steps, the two private security guards materialized behind him, grabbing his arms in iron grips and pinning him back.
“Get your hands off me! Let me go!” Richard shrieked, thrashing uselessly as they dragged him backward toward the double doors. “Amanda! You’ll pay for this! You hear me? You’ll regret this!”
His screaming echoed down the hallway, growing fainter and fainter until the heavy soundproof doors clicked shut, plunging the boardroom back into absolute silence.
May you like
I adjusted my cuffs, looked around the table at the stunned faces of the board members, and offered a calm, professional smile.
“Now that our administrative housekeeping is out of the way,” I said smoothly, “let’s move on to Q3 projections.”
