Chapter 7 - THE BOARDROOM WAS NOT A DIVORCE COURT
The special board meeting lasted six hours.
Preston arrived with counsel.
Evelyn arrived with Samuel.
Brooke was not invited.
The board did not care that Preston cheated.
Not legally.
Not directly.
It cared about:
undisclosed related-party payments,
use of corporate funds for personal expenses,
conflicts involving Brooke’s LLC,
the proposed Coronado condo,
and the California subsidiary plan.
Preston defended himself aggressively.
B.E. Coastal Strategy had performed real work.
Some of that was true.
Brooke had arranged client meetings and prepared market research.
Not all $312,000 was fake.
The condo, Preston argued, was intended for business travel.
Documents weakened that claim.
An email from Preston:
Make sure the second bedroom works for Brooke’s wardrobe.
Another:
Once the separation is public, we can stop pretending this is corporate.
The room went silent.
Preston’s attorney asked for a recess.
Evelyn watched him leave.
She felt no triumph.
Only disgust.
When the board reconvened, the independent directors voted to place Preston on administrative leave pending audit.
Not fired.
Not yet.
Procedure mattered.
He looked at Evelyn.
“You did this.”
May you like
She answered:
“No. Your receipts did.”
