Chapter 2 - The Corporate DismantlingThe news of Lucas’s death hit the papers before the funeral even took place.
Garrett had tried to control the narrative, issuing a prepared statement about a “private family tragedy” and “devastation over the loss of his beloved son.” He expected the sympathy of the public to insulate him. He expected Meredith to be a grieving, compliant widow who would keep her mouth shut in exchange for a generous settlement.
He didn't realize that William Sterling didn't operate in the realm of settlements. He operated in the realm of consequences.
Meredith didn't return to the house. She went to her father’s estate, shutting herself off from the world. She didn't answer Garrett’s calls, didn't read his letters, and didn't acknowledge the massive floral arrangements he sent daily.
Garrett was losing his mind. He was being shunned by the very board he had spent years bullying. Clients were canceling contracts. The public, fueled by the leaked photos William had released, had turned on him overnight. The image of the grieving father was replaced by the image of the man with the champagne bucket.
“Lawson’s stock is tanking,” the Chairman of the Board, Arthur Pendergast, said, slamming his hand onto the mahogany table in the boardroom. “We have an emergency shareholder meeting in forty-eight hours. They want your head, Garrett. And honestly? I’m inclined to give it to them.”
Garrett was sweating through his suit. “I can fix this! It was a lapse in judgment. Meredith will come around. She’s grieving. Once the funeral is over, she’ll see reason.”
“Meredith isn't the problem,” Pendergast snapped. “William Sterling is. He’s been seen at the SEC offices every day for the last week. He’s filing audits on your personal expenses, Garrett. He’s claiming you used corporate funds to pay for that hotel suite and the woman you were with. If that’s true, we’re looking at embezzlement.”
Garrett went cold. It was true. It was a small amount, a drop in the ocean, but the legality of it was absolute.
“He can’t prove that,” Garrett whispered.
“He doesn't have to prove it,” Pendergast replied, standing up to leave. “He just has to present enough evidence to make the SEC open an investigation. By the time they’re done, your career won't be the only thing in ruins. You’ll be lucky if you aren't in prison.”
Garrett sat alone in the boardroom, the silence of the massive office pressing in on him. He had everything—the money, the power, the beautiful, tragic life. And he had gambled it all for a moment of distraction.
He reached for his phone, his hand trembling. He dialed the one person who still owed him something.
“Mom?”
“Garrett,” his mother’s voice was crisp, cold, and utterly devoid of comfort. “I told you not to call me. Your father is already distancing himself from the firm. You’ve become a liability.”
“You have to talk to William,” Garrett pleaded, his voice cracking. “Tell him to stop! He’s going to destroy me.”
“William Sterling doesn’t listen to anyone,” she said. “He’s a man who has spent his life waiting for a reason to destroy someone. You gave him the most powerful reason in the world. Goodbye, Garrett.”
The line went dead.
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Garrett sat in the dark, watching the city lights flicker outside the window. He was a billionaire, a titan of industry, a man who believed he could buy his way out of hell. But as he looked at his empty desk, he realized he had finally run out of currency.
He hadn't just lost his wife. He hadn't just lost his son. He was losing the only thing he had ever truly loved: his own reflection.
