Part 16: The Fracture Line
Six months after the gala confrontation, Thomas made a mistake.
During a difficult quarter, he made an aggressive investment decision without full board approval. The deal went badly. Harrington Capital lost a significant amount of money, and several board members began questioning Thomas’s judgment.
Edward had to step in and clean up the mess.
One evening, after a particularly brutal board meeting, Edward came home late and found Vivienne waiting in the study.
Vivienne
“Thomas is spiraling. He thinks if he fails, you’ll replace him with Maya.”
Edward sat down heavily.
Edward
“That’s ridiculous. Maya has never expressed any interest in the company.”
Vivienne
“I know. But Thomas doesn’t believe that. He’s terrified of being replaced by the daughter you never knew you had.”
Edward rubbed his face.
Edward
“I don’t know how to fix this.”
Vivienne was quiet for a moment.
Vivienne
“Maybe you can’t fix it for him. Maybe he has to decide whether he wants to be the kind of man who sees Maya as a threat… or as family.”
Edward looked at his wife.
Edward
“When did you become so wise about this?”
May you like
Vivienne gave a small, tired smile.
Vivienne
“After I realized how much damage I caused by treating her like a threat instead of a person.”
