**Part 2 of 3**
Two mornings later, I entered the conference room, and every conversation stopped.
Grant was seated at the head of the table, dressed in an expensive cashmere sweater. Tessa sat beside him, while Elaine occupied a chair behind them, looking as though she considered herself the most important person in the room.
Three potential investors and their legal representatives were seated across from them.
Grant glanced at me with a condescending smile.
“Claire, this is a business meeting.”
“I’m aware,” I replied. “That’s precisely why I brought our attorney.”
Marisol placed three folders on the table. Dev connected his laptop to the conference room screen.
The first document displayed Bellwether’s official ownership records, confirming that my controlling stake remained unchanged following the company’s most recent financing round.
The second showed Grant’s employment agreement and clearly outlined the limitations of his authority to sign contracts or approve major transactions.
One of the investors looked uncomfortable.
“You told us you had the authority to approve this sale.”
Grant shifted in his chair.
“I can explain the situation—”
“Then perhaps you should explain this first,” I interrupted.
Dev brought up the disputed authorization document. Beside it, he displayed the original file from which my signature image had been copied.
Even the tiny ink smudge appeared in exactly the same position.
Marisol calmly explained that I had never approved or signed the authorization, and Bellwether had never entered into an agreement to sell the company.
Tessa’s face turned pale.
“Grant told me Claire had already agreed to everything.”
Grant immediately turned toward her.
“Shut your mouth.”
The lead investor closed his folder.
“Our legal team will contact you. We will not be moving forward with this transaction.”
One by one, the investors gathered their belongings and left. None of them offered Grant a handshake.
Elaine suddenly raised her voice.
“You’ve destroyed everything! All because of a Christmas vacation?”
I looked directly at her.
“No. The vacation made me question what was happening. The financial records showed me what he had actually been doing.”
Marisol then handed Grant a formal notice.
Following the board’s decision, Bellwether was moving to terminate his employment for cause, subject to the procedures outlined in his contract. The company would also pursue recovery of the expenses that had been improperly charged.
He was instructed to return all company property and immediately stop presenting himself as a representative of Bellwether.
The suspected forgery had also been referred for further legal review and appropriate reporting.
Grant stared at the documents as though he couldn’t believe they were real.
“You wouldn’t do this to your own husband.”
I held his gaze.
“You had no problem doing it to your own wife.”
For once, he couldn’t come up with an answer.
Outside the building, Tessa hurried after him. She was demanding to know who would pay the outstanding bills connected to her consulting business. Elaine followed close behind, shouting about the humiliation they had suffered.
I watched the three of them argue beside their rental car.
Then I turned around and walked away.
