Chapter 13: The Fall
Within two weeks, the consequences hit hard.
Voss Capital’s board voted to remove Harrison as CEO. They cited “loss of confidence” and “financial mismanagement.” A new interim CEO was brought in from outside the family.
The company’s stock dropped sharply after news of the leadership change and the ongoing audit became public. Several major clients began pulling their accounts.
Patricia’s social standing collapsed almost overnight. Invitations stopped coming. Old friends stopped returning her calls. The same women who once fawned over her now whispered about her behind her back.
Harrison tried to fight back at first. He hired new lawyers. He tried to challenge the settlement. He even attempted to contact some of Claire’s business associates to turn them against her.
None of it worked.
Claire had prepared too well.
Every time Harrison tried to push, another piece of evidence surfaced. Another account was frozen. Another legal notice arrived.
By the end of the month, Harrison had moved out of the family home and into a small apartment downtown. Patricia had been forced to sell several of her most valuable pieces of jewelry just to cover legal fees.
One evening, Claire received a call from an unknown number.
She almost didn’t answer.
But something made her pick up.
It was Harrison.
His voice sounded broken.
“Claire… I’m sorry. For everything. I know it doesn’t change anything, but I need you to know that I’m sorry.”
Claire stood at her window, looking out at the lights of Minneapolis.
“I believe you,” she said quietly. “But it doesn’t matter anymore.”
There was a long pause.
Then Harrison asked the question she had been waiting for.
“What are you going to do now?”
Claire was quiet for several seconds.
“I’m going to live,” she said. “Without you. Without your mother. Without having to constantly protect myself from the people who were supposed to love me.”
May you like
She ended the call.
For the first time in years, she felt truly free.
