Cruz argued back, but Ángel hit his gavel on the table again. “In accordance with the bylaws, section five, subsection three, disorderly conduct is grounds for expulsion from the current session of the board.”
He read it so robotically, like he’d been preparing for this moment. It made my stomach turn.
“Bryce,” Simon hissed, pulling out an open chair beside him. “Sit.”
Numbly, I moved to the open chair and sat at the table.
“First, we’ll hear statements from the affirmative.”
Jude stood up, his chair rolling back behind him. “The attack at the gala raised significant concerns. It seems like ‘Your plan won’t work’ was alluding to the launch of the new partner app to MyHome. All team members working on the new arm of the app have signed non-disclosure agreements. And the only one to have had close contact with a leading member of the Daybreak Dominion was Bryce, as evidenced by his meeting with Jasper.”He read off the exact date and time of my meeting with him from a notecard.
My jaw dropped. “That meeting had nothing to do with?—”
Ángel banged his gavel again, his face a stony mask. “Founders would be wise to remember section five, subsection three of the bylaws.”
My jaw snapped shut, and I clenched my teeth together as my hands balled into fists in my lap. I wasn’t a violent man, so the image that flashed through my mind of slamming my fist into Jude’s face caught me off guard.
I looked across the table at Aaric, who wore an equally frustrated look. None of the other founders could defend against the meeting or explain what they meant by our “plan” because we had to keep our marriages a secret.
Our hands were tied behind our backs, and Jude was using it to his advantage.
Another board member, who typically advised us on our financials, stood up to speak. “Bryce recently requested an exorbitant amount of money for development of the partner app, cutting into this quarter’s profits. He made members believe that without this investment, the app development wouldn’t be secure, forcing the CFO’s hand in approval.”
Quentin spoke up. “No one forced my damn hand?—”
Ángel banged the gavel. “Section five, subsection three.”
Quentin glared at Ángel like he wished they were on the football field and not in a boardroom.
Yet another board member stood up, a woman named Holly with a short red bob. “Reputationally, a hasty marriage decision scares investors away from the company. Bryce’s lack of foresight, marrying a woman three months after meeting her, reflects poorly on us all, and frankly, makes me question his current judgments.”
“How dare you bring Jada into this,” I hissed.
Holly arched a red eyebrow at me. “Was she not in the boardroom moments ago?”
If I clenched my jaw any harder, my molars would surely break.
But then Jude stood up, picking up where Holly left off.
“It’s common for companies this size to outgrow their founders.” He casually rattled off a few examples. “Bryce has created an incredible technological foundation at MyHome. But creating something in the past doesn’t always equal greatness in the future. Involvement with a known cult leader, overspending, hasty marriage decisions, those are major red flags for thefutureof the company. Let’s keep those in mind with our vote.”
I moved to get up to defend myself, but Simon held my shoulder down. He stood up, looking wearier than I’d seen him before. His voice was grave as he began. “I’ve been in business a long time. In all my years, I have never seen a hostile takeover end well. I’ve seen companies led astray without the original founder there to advocate for the initial purpose and vision of the company. I’ve seen chaos break out amongst the C-suite due to infighting. I’ve seen projects grind to a halt because trust has been demolished. Mark my words, a decision like this one will wreak havoc on this company, more than a quickie marriage and the wild actions of an unpredictable cult ever could.”
The room was silent, save for the plastic roll of wheels on the ground, as Simon sat back down. And then one after another, Quentin, Aaric, and Cruz each took turns giving impassioned speeches about how I should stay in my role.
A lump grew in my throat with each word they spoke. Especially as I counted the people in the room. If Jude had convinced every board member to vote me out, it didn’t matter how much confidence my true friends had in me. We didn’t have the numbers on our side.
For the second time this year, I felt the fear of losing my company. I’d thought it was bad when Simon suggested his voting shares go to his children. But this was worse, because I would be completely removed. My life’s work? Gone.
The money was nice, but that’s not why I stayed with the company. I liked building something with people I considered my brothers. I liked giving a place for tech nerds like me to fit in and excel. I liked the puzzle of it all—being presented with challenging problems and solving them. I liked helping people find the perfect home.
What if it was all gone at the end of this vote and I had to start over, this time on my own?
The thought made my stomach toss.
“Does anyone else have something to say?” Jude asked coldly, his eyes on me.
I stood up, took a deep breath. “My character has spoken for itself, year after year. Words aren’t necessary when actions are present.”
