Chapter 6 - The Trap Sprung by the BoardBy 1:00 PM, the corporate revolt was in full motion.
Arthur Vance had wasted no time. He had secretly convened an emergency session of the board of directors behind closed doors in the executive suite, locking Jack out of the conference room.
Inside, Arthur paced back and forth, holding a printed copy of Jack’s newly proposed corporate charter.
“Gentlemen, the choice is clear,” Arthur urged the five major board members seated around the table. “Jack Turner has gone rogue. He’s letting a bout of misplaced sentimentality tank our market valuation. If we implement his ‘human-first’ policy, our profit margins will plummet by thirty percent before the fiscal year ends.”
“Can he legally do this?” the lead board member, a stern elderly investor named Mrs. Henderson, asked skeptically. “As majority shareholder, doesn't he still hold veto power?”
“Not if we invoke Clause 9 of the corporate bylaws,” Arthur smirked, tapping a legal document. “Mental incompetence and gross fiduciary negligence detrimental to shareholder value. We can temporarily suspend his executive voting rights, strip him of the CEO title, and install me as interim chief executive while we restructure the board.”
Mrs. Henderson hesitated, looking at the other investors. “It’s a drastic move, Arthur. The media will have a field day.”
“The media won't care once we spin it as a necessary stabilization move after a medical leave of absence,” Arthur lied smoothly. “Sign the petition, and we save Turner Markets from self-destruction.”
One by one, the board members picked up their pens and signed their names.
Outside in the hallway, Sarah stood near the glass wall, watching the signatures unfold with mounting panic. She turned and rushed down the corridor toward Jack’s private office.
She burst through the door. Jack was standing by the window, packing his personal belongings into a leather briefcase—including a small pink hair-tie he had carefully placed in his pocket.
“Mr. Turner!” Sarah gasped, catching her breath. “You need to get down to the legal department immediately. Vance and the board are invoking Clause 9. They’re stripping your voting rights as we speak!”
Jack didn't panic. He didn't even turn around immediately. He slowly closed his briefcase, snapped the brass latches shut, and turned to face her with a calm, almost serene smile.
“I know, Sarah,” Jack said smoothly.
May you like
Sarah stared at him in disbelief. “You know? If they pass this, you’ll lose control of the company your grandfather built!”
“Not quite,” Jack replied, walking over to his desk and picking up a thick manila envelope stamped with the seal of the Massachusetts State Attorney General’s Office. “Arthur Vance was so busy plotting a boardroom coup that he forgot to check who actually audited his private real-estate shell companies last week.”
