I reached into my leather portfolio and pulled out a thick, bound dossier. I tossed it onto the center of the polished wood. It landed with a heavy, satisfying thud.
“I am taking this seat,” I announced, meeting the eyes of every person in the room, “because, as of September 20th, I am the majority shareholder of this corporation, possessing fifty-one percent of all voting shares. I am your new boss.”
The silence that followed was so profound you could hear the hum of the HVAC system.
My mother stood up, her face flushed with fury. “This is a stunt! Richard would never—”
“The filings are in the folder,” I interrupted, my voice cutting through her panic like a whip. “Notarized by Attorney Walsh. Vetted by the state. You can review them on your own time. But right now, you are going to sit down and listen to me.”
My mother, looking around at the bewildered faces of the board members who were already frantically flipping through the copies I had provided, slowly sank back into her chair. The color began to drain from Natalie’s face.
