Camden took his seat.
August surveyed the directors.
“Mrs. Royce?”
My married name sounded strange now.
Soon it would vanish legally.
I opened my folder.
Camden observed.
Perhaps he expected my rescue.
Part of him likely did.
That expectation was his last unearned privilege.
“I have reviewed Camden’s record with this company,” I said. “Not just the last several weeks.”
His face shifted.
“He has created real value here. That should remain part of the record.”
A board member nodded.
His shoulders relaxed a little.
I continued.
“But leadership isn’t only measured by what someone can build when everyone obeys him.”
Our eyes met.
“It is measured by what he does when someone beneath him disagrees. When someone inconvenient tells the truth. When he has the power to punish a person and knows he can probably get away with it.”
Nobody stirred.
“Camden didn’t fire me because he knew I was incompetent. He fired me because he had stopped caring whether I was.”
