Chapter 7 - The Confrontation
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I was sitting in my home office, reviewing the updated cap tables for Mercer Innovations, when the security intercom buzzed.
"Ms. Hale," the guard at the front gate reported. "Mr. Mercer is here. He is demanding to speak with you."
"Let him walk up," I replied. "Do not let his vehicle through the gates."
Ten minutes later, the front doorbell rang.
I opened the heavy oak door. Grant stood on the porch, sweating despite the cool morning air. He looked exhausted, broken, and entirely desperate.
"You took my company," he said. It wasn't an accusation. It was a plea.
"I took my collateral," I corrected him, leaning against the doorframe. "You defaulted on the covenants, Grant. Business is business."
"Morgan, please," he begged, stepping forward. "I didn't know they were stealing. I swear to God, I had no idea. You have to believe me."
"I do believe you," I said calmly.
He blinked, caught off guard by the admission. "You do?"
"I know you didn't steal the money," I continued. "But you enabled them. You let them treat me like garbage because you were too cowardly to set boundaries. You stood in this hallway yesterday, looked at the burn marks on my chest, and told me to leave my own house because you wouldn't tolerate disrespect toward your mother."
Grant closed his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheek. "I was wrong. I was so incredibly wrong. Please, Morgan. Let me fix this."
"You can't," I said.
I pulled a sleek, silver folder from the console table and handed it to him.
May you like
"These are the divorce papers," I stated. "Sign them, and I won't press federal wire fraud charges against your mother and sister."
Grant stared at the folder as if it were a live grenade.
