Chapter 7 - ROBERT KNEW SOMETHING
Claire wanted to believe her father knew nothing.
Then the board emails said otherwise.
Three months earlier, Robert had approved a new “strategic sales incentive” for Jason.
Potential annual bonus:
up to $300,000.
It rewarded:
vendor growth,
contractor recruitment,
and gross-margin expansion.
Jason’s North Ridge arrangements helped produce those numbers.
Robert liked the results.
He did not audit the structure.
When Claire asked whether JBD Strategy had been disclosed, Robert said:
“I knew Jason did consulting.”
“For our vendor?”
“I didn’t know the details.”
“Did you ask?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because sales were up.”
That answer hurt.
Robert had not necessarily authorized kickbacks.
He had accepted performance without wanting to understand how it was produced.
Then Claire asked:
“Why were you so quick to believe him about Emma?”
Robert looked away.
“I saw her unconscious.”
“You saw me beside her.”
“And Jason said—”
“Exactly.”
Robert stopped.
He had believed the child who could speak.
May you like
Not the child who could not.
And he had believed the son whose results he valued over the daughter who kept bringing him inconvenient questions.
