Monday morning came with a clear sky.
I woke before my alarm.
I showered, dressed in my navy suit, and tied my hair back neatly.
I chose a small pair of earrings.
Nothing flashy.
Before leaving, I made coffee and checked my phone.
Rebecca had sent the meeting schedule.
The executive meeting would begin at nine.
I put my phone in my handbag.
Then I walked outside.
My Toyota was waiting in the driveway.
I opened the door and placed my bag on the passenger seat.
For a moment, I looked at the cottage.
The little garden.
The wooden porch.
The home I had chosen because I wanted a quiet life.
I was not ashamed of any of it.
I never had been.
I started the engine.
The drive to headquarters took about forty minutes.
The Collins Industrial Holdings headquarters stood in a modern business district.
It was a large glass building with the company name displayed above the entrance.
I had visited many times over the years, though not every week.
Most employees knew me.
Some had worked with me for decades.
Others had only seen my photograph in company publications.
I parked in the reserved executive area.
A security guard approached.
He recognized my car and smiled.
"Good morning, Mrs. Collins."
"Good morning, Peter."
"Welcome back."
"Thank you."
I entered the building.
The reception area was busy.
Employees moved between elevators and meeting rooms.
A receptionist looked up from her desk.
"Good morning, Mrs. Collins."
"Good morning."
She immediately called upstairs to inform Rebecca that I had arrived.
A few moments later, Rebecca appeared.
She was in her forties, professionally dressed, and carrying a thick folder.
"Margaret."
"Good morning."
She shook my hand.
"Everything is ready."
We walked toward the executive offices.
My office had remained much as I had left it.
A large desk stood near the window.
There were photographs of Robert and Daniel on a shelf.
A framed picture of our first factory hung on the wall.
Rebecca placed the folder on my desk.
"These are the reports you requested."
I sat down.
"Let's go through them."
She opened the folder.
The first section contained Richard's employment history.
Eight years with the company.
Several promotions.
Strong financial results during the early years.
A substantial compensation package.
Then came the recent performance reviews.
I read them carefully.
There were concerns about employee turnover.
Several departmental complaints.
Questions about management expenses.
Nothing in those pages alone proved wrongdoing.
But the pattern deserved attention.
"How many employees have left his division in the past year?" I asked.
Rebecca checked her notes.
"More than the company average."
"Significantly more?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Several cited management culture. Others mentioned communication problems and pressure from senior supervisors."
I leaned back.
"Have those complaints been investigated?"
"Some were reviewed internally. Not all were escalated."
I looked at her.
"Why not?"
"That is one of the things we're examining."
I turned another page.
There were questions about the way Richard's division reported its operating costs.
Certain expenses had increased.
Some explanations were vague.
I read the figures twice.
"Has finance verified these entries?"
"They're checking the supporting records."
"Good."
Rebecca sat opposite me.
"Margaret, I want to be clear about something."
I looked up.
"Go ahead."
"Friday's incident is one matter. The management concerns are another. We should keep them separate."
I nodded.
"I agree."
"I don't want the board to believe this review is being conducted because of a personal disagreement."
"It isn't."
Rebecca closed the folder.
"Then we should let the evidence lead us."
"Exactly."
She looked relieved.
I had not asked her to punish anyone.
I had asked her to help me understand what was happening inside my company.
There was a difference.
At eight-thirty, Rebecca informed me that the board members were arriving.
I stood and walked toward the window.
Below us, cars were entering the parking area.
Employees were beginning another working week.
For them, it was an ordinary Monday.
For me, it was a reminder of everything Robert and I had built.
I remembered the first time we signed a major contract.
We had celebrated with inexpensive champagne in a rented office.
Now the company occupied buildings across several locations.
Thousands of people depended on its operations.
That was why I took the reports seriously.
I could not allow personal pride to distract me from my responsibility.
At eight-forty-five, Rebecca returned.
"Richard Whitmore has arrived."
I turned.
"Is he here already?"
"Yes. He came in about fifteen minutes ago."
"Has he been told who will chair the meeting?"
"Only that the ownership representative will attend."
I nodded.
"All right."
Rebecca picked up the folder.
"Would you like me to announce you?"
"No. I'll walk in with you."
She opened the office door.
We headed down the corridor toward the boardroom.
I could hear voices through the closed doors.
Richard was already talking.
His voice carried easily.
He sounded relaxed.
Confident.
Perhaps he believed he was about to receive praise for another successful quarter.
Perhaps he was still thinking about Friday night.
I couldn't know.
Rebecca opened the boardroom door.
The conversation stopped.
Around the long table sat several senior executives and board representatives.
Richard was near the center.
He turned toward the entrance.
For a brief second, he looked confused.
Then his expression changed.
He recognized me.
The woman in the simple blue dress from Friday night.
The woman he had offered a cleaning job.
The woman he had told to bring her supplies.
I walked toward the head of the table.
Nobody spoke.
I placed my handbag beside the chair and opened the folder Rebecca had prepared.
Richard remained frozen.
I looked around the room.
Then I addressed everyone calmly.
"Good morning. I believe we have some important matters to discuss."
I pulled out the chair.
And sat down.
Click here to continue reading: PART 5: The Man Who Had Mocked My Old Toyota Finally Realized He Was Sitting in a Room Where His Opinion Was Not the Most Important One
The Evening My Future Daughter-in-Law’s Father Mistook My Quiet Life for a Reason to Humiliate Me
Part 4 of 24
