The rain began to fall lightly against the glass windows of the downtown legal office. Chloe sat across from her attorney, Mr. Harrison, a sharp man in his sixties wearing a dark gray suit.
Mr. Harrison: Chloe, are you sure you want to trigger this clause now?
Chloe: He publicly humiliated me today, Arthur. He slammed a plate of hot food onto my head in front of the entire family.
Mr. Harrison: That is assault. We could file a restraining order immediately.
Chloe: A restraining order is just a piece of paper. I want his leverage gone.
Mr. Harrison: Well, the forensic accountant finished reviewing the offshore files this morning.
Chloe: And what did they find?
Mr. Harrison: It's worse than we thought. Brandon has been draining the estate's primary investment account for over eighteen months.
Chloe: How much?
Mr. Harrison: Four million dollars. Transferred directly into shell companies registered in the Cayman Islands.
Chloe leaned back in her leather chair, her fingers resting on her chin as she absorbed the news.
Chloe: My late husband trusted him. David loved his brother.
Mr. Harrison: David was a good man, but Brandon was always envious of his position as CEO.
Chloe: Does Aunt Martha know about the offshore accounts?
Mr. Harrison: No. As far as the board knows, the company suffered losses due to supply chain issues.
Chloe: So Brandon was lying to the family board to cover his theft.
Mr. Harrison: Exactly. And if we present this to the board of directors tomorrow, Brandon will face criminal charges for embezzlement.
Chloe: Good. Schedule an emergency board meeting for nine o'clock tomorrow morning.
Mr. Harrison: Are you sure you're ready for this war, Chloe? The Montgomery family has a lot of political connections.
Chloe: They have connections, Arthur. But I have the truth.
Meanwhile, back at the Montgomery estate, Brandon was pacing back and forth in his private study, a glass of scotch in his hand.
Uncle Richard: You need to calm down, Brandon. You made a massive scene at lunch.
Brandon: She threatened me, Uncle Richard! She said she had my bank records!
Uncle Richard: Does she?
Brandon: Of course not! My accounts are encrypted!
Claire: Brandon, she didn't look like she was bluffing.
Brandon: Shut up, Claire! You've always taken her side ever since David died!
Claire: Because she was David's wife! She deserves respect!
Brandon: She was a nobody until David married her! She came from a middle-class family with nothing!
Aunt Martha: That 'nobody' holds thirty percent of the voting stock in our company, Brandon.
Aunt Martha stepped into the study, her posture rigid as she stared at her nephew with cold eyes.
Aunt Martha: If Chloe decides to vote with the secondary shareholders, she can strip you of your vice presidency by noon tomorrow.
Brandon: She wouldn't dare. The shareholders answer to me!
Aunt Martha: They answer to money, Brandon. And right now, our stock value is dropping because of your personal scandals.
Brandon: I am the face of Montgomery Logistics!
Aunt Martha: Then start acting like it. Go to her apartment, apologize, and make sure she doesn't ruin tomorrow's board vote.
Brandon: Apologize to her?! She slapped me across the face!
Aunt Martha: After you dumped a plate of gravy over her head! You're lucky she didn't stab you with a butter knife!
Brandon: I am not apologizing to that woman.
Aunt Martha: Then you had better prepare for a very difficult morning, nephew.