Chapter 13 - What They Planned to Publish
The folder contained screenshots of old medical records, details from our prenup, and drafts of humiliating gossip posts. The files had been gathered without my permission. Their purpose wasn't subtle: make me look unstable before Friday's lender meeting.
I wanted to smash my phone against the wall.
Instead, I asked Ruth what protection we could seek and what facts I could make public without feeding the attack.
“We'll pursue legal remedies for any misuse of private records,” she said. “Don't surrender your privacy to win a shouting contest.”
Everett called six times. I didn't answer. On the seventh, Ruth took the call and put it on speaker.
“Tell Grace this goes away if she signs the settlement,” he said. “She keeps her apartment and the press leaves her alone.”
“You're threatening your wife with stolen medical records?” Ruth asked.
“I didn't say that.”
“You just described a condition attached to silence.”
The line went dead.
The following morning, I sent one message to the employees who had reached out: I know the uncertainty is frightening. The independent board is working to protect jobs and service commitments. You deserve facts, not gossip. More information will follow through official channels.
Within an hour, hundreds of replies arrived. Some were angry. Some were scared. One engineer wrote, My wife starts chemotherapy next week. Please don't let our insurance disappear.
I reread that sentence until my eyes blurred.
Then Ruth called. “Grace, the bank will extend the deadline by forty-eight hours if an independent lender backs the recovery plan.”
“I'll put up collateral, under review. Not a secret transfer.”
“There's a catch,” she said. “A rival bidder has offered to buy the company at a fraction of its value if financing falls through.”
May you like
“Who?”
“Rook Capital. Their introduction came from Diane Ward.”
