Chapter 9 - The Board Meeting
Three days after Dad died, Crestview held emergency board meeting.
I did not storm in.
I was not director.
I did not own controlling shares.
Stanford Strategic was lender/guarantor and minority investor through affiliates, with contractual rights to information and observer representation under certain facilities.
Wayne attended in relevant capacity.
I attended only for a portion concerning alleged use of my identity, accompanied by counsel.
Edwin sat across room.
Navy suit.
Perfect tie.
No robe.
No dog.
He looked almost like man I married.
That was dangerous part.
People expect cruelty to look ugly.
It often looks prepared.
Board chair opened.
Outside forensic accountants summarized findings:
Camila Stanford Consulting likely lacked genuine operations.
Invoices reproduced portions of my pre-marriage work.
Account setup involved Annika and Edwin-associated contact data.
Payments flowed into mixed uses.
Related-party disclosures were incomplete.
Postnuptial document authenticity disputed.
Several guarantees contained representations requiring review.
No one said:
Edwin stole everything.
Evidence categories.
Then Edwin spoke.
“My wife knew.”
I stared.
“Camila Consulting was designed for tax efficiency.”
“Where is engagement letter?”
“My staff handled.”
“Where are emails from me?”
“She preferred verbal discussions.”
Of course.
“What services did I provide?”
“Strategic land-use advice over years.”
I almost laughed.
“Name one meeting.”
He named dinner at home where I commented on zoning.
That was not consulting.
Then:
“She benefited financially.”
“How?”
“House, cars, lifestyle.”
That does not prove company authorization.
Then he produced postnup.
My signature.
Forensic review pending.
He smiled at me.
“You signed.”
Maybe technically signature image was mine.
Could have been page substitution.
I said:
“I did not agree to that document.”
Then Edwin did something clever.
He showed email from me:
Signed everything you left on table. Stop worrying.
Date anniversary.
I remembered sending it.
My stomach dropped.
What exactly had I signed?
Could this undermine forgery allegation?
Yes.
Good.
Truth may be messy.
My attorney said nothing.
Then notary statement from Patricia Wells:
She notarized signature after Beverly presented signed page and represented I had executed before her? Not proper. She admitted I was not physically present. That compromised notarization but didn't prove signature false.
Forensic document examiner later found signature likely genuine ink on last page, but staple holes/page printing suggested signature page had originally belonged to different document packet.
Page substitution likely.
Edwin may have taken genuine signed page and attached to postnup.
Stronger.
Then board asked Edwin:
Did you direct Annika to form LLC?
He said:
“No.”
Annika’s texts contradicted.
He called them fabricated.
Digital preservation would assess.
Did he approve payments?
“Yes, based on staff recommendation.”
Priya records showed direct coding instructions.
Did he know Lauren received excess?
He said personal loans.
Some documentation supports.
Not all.
Then Harold disclosed conflict with Beverly Events.
Board chair furious.
Harold recused.
Again governance cleanup.
Then employees.
CFO presented liquidity:
If Stanford support removed abruptly, payroll risk within weeks.
I looked at Wayne.
Dad letter:
do not punish workers.
Stanford Strategic proposed temporary standstill:
existing essential operating facilities continue for 60 days under enhanced controls.
No new discretionary credit.
Independent monitoring.
No related-party transfers.
Board cooperation required.
This prevented collapse while review.
Edwin looked shocked.
“You’re keeping company alive?”
I answered before Wayne could.
“The company employs six hundred people.”
He stared.
“You want me destroyed but company saved.”
“No.”
“What do you want?”
For first time, everyone waited.
I said:
“I want my name removed from anything I didn’t authorize. I want Dad’s estate protected. I want every transaction independently reviewed. I want divorce handled separately. And I want nobody using employees as hostages.”
No revenge speech.
Just terms.
Then board vote.
Edwin temporarily suspended from certain executive financial powers pending investigation; another executive became acting CEO for operational continuity. His director seat remained pending bylaws/shareholder rights.
Partial crumbling.
Not instant annihilation.
Then after meeting Edwin waited in hall.
“Camila.”
My attorney stopped.
I said:
“Public hall is fine.”
He looked exhausted.
“Your father did this.”
“No.”
“He turned you against me.”
“You locked me inside house after my father died.”
His face tightened.
“I was angry.”
“You used dog.”
“It was a joke.”
I stared.
That sentence.
A joke.
“Do you know why I called Wayne?”
“Because you wanted punish me.”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Because for first time I understood humiliation wasn’t temporary. It was structure of our marriage.”
He looked away.
Then:
“I love you.”
I believed he believed it.
“That doesn’t help.”
“Lauren meant nothing.”
“Don’t insult her now.”
He blinked.
“She was affair.”
“Yes.”
“But she also has career, money in this case, and responsibility for choices. Don’t make her object because you want to minimize.”
He almost laughed.
“You’re defending mistress?”
“No. I’m refusing your framing.”
Then Edwin whispered:
“If you divorce me, everything becomes public.”
Threat or warning.
“Then evidence will decide what becomes public.”
His face hardened.
Old Edwin returned.
“You think Wayne will protect you when they find out Camila Consulting signed those guarantees?”
“What guarantees?”
He smiled.
There was something else.
“Ask your father’s lawyer.”
Then walked away.
I turned to Wayne.
“What guarantees?”
He looked genuinely confused.
That scared me.
Forensic team found them that afternoon.
Camila Stanford Consulting had guaranteed a $12 million private construction loan.
If company was deemed mine, I could face claims.
And loan recipient was not Crestview.
May you like
It was a separate development company controlled by Marcus Bell—the founder Edwin supposedly forced out years earlier.
Why would fake company guarantee money for Edwin’s old enemy?
