Chapter 12 - I DIDN’T WANT THE COMPANY
Dad called me after the audit report became final.
“Meet me.”
I almost refused.
Hannah said:
“Go.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll invent ten versions of what he wanted to say.”
She knew me too well.
Dad was sitting alone in his office at Whitaker & Cole.
He looked smaller without the performance.
“I can fix the succession documents,” he said.
I stared at him.
“What?”
“You and Rebecca can both return to the plan.”
I almost laughed.
“You think this was about getting your company?”
His face tightened.
“You spent months proving we excluded you.”
“I wanted the truth.”
“You destroyed the family structure.”
“No. I looked at it.”
“And now you don’t even want the business?”
There it was.
Winning.
Still.
I leaned back.
“You still think value only exists when somebody gets the prize.”
He said nothing.
“I don’t want Whitaker & Cole.”
His expression turned almost offended.
“Then what did you want?”
“The choice you told me I made.”
That finally landed.
“I spent half my life believing I was naturally unsuited to something because you and Mom created evidence telling everyone I was.”
“We thought Rebecca was stronger.”
“You trained her to be terrified of weakness.”
Dad looked away.
“And you trained me to believe sensitivity disqualified me from leadership.”
I stood.
“Turns out I lead people every day.”
He said nothing.
“At a nonprofit,” I added. “Which apparently still counts.”
For the first time, I enjoyed saying it.
I left the office without stock.
May you like
Without a title.
Without needing either.
