Chapter 8 - Vivian starts calling investors
The independent investigation instructed both Vivian and me not to lobby directors about the outcome.
Investor communications still had to continue for ordinary business.
Vivian exploited the gray area.
She called Stonebridge Capital.
Not:
Remove Everett.
Instead:
“Are you comfortable with key-man risk?”
She called our lender relationship officer.
“Do you need disclosure about the family incident?”
She called a major client.
“Everett is under unusual personal stress. I’ll be more involved for the next few weeks.”
None individually catastrophic.
Together:
A narrative.
That I was unstable.
That she was steady.
That the company needed her.
Then Stonebridge partner Jonathan Price emailed Helen:
Vivian is describing a potential leadership transition. Is that authorized?
No.
That email mattered.
Then Marwick seller.
Their lawyer asked whether leadership was changing before closing.
Again.
Uncertainty.
Our transaction committee restricted external communications about governance review to Helen and the board chair.
Vivian objected.
“This sidelines me from my own job.”
Only on one topic.
Her brand duties remained.
Then she violated it.
A recorded investor call captured:
“If Everett reacts the way he usually does under pressure, we may have a different CEO before quarter end.”
That was no longer neutral.
Board placed Vivian on paid administrative leave pending investigation.
Not fired.
Her system access limited to preserved records.
She called me.
“You wanted this.”
“No.”
“You’re using the board against me.”
“You scheduled the board before the party.”
“You think one photograph proves conspiracy?”
“No.”
“What does?”
She hung up.
Then the photographer.
Noah received a cease-and-desist from Vivian’s personal lawyer.
Claim:
He violated privacy by recording a private family event and distributing images.
But he had been hired as party photographer by me under contract granting us image usage rights for event documentation, subject to privacy restrictions.
The footage remained private.
No social media.
No publication.
His lawyer responded.
Noah asked me:
“Should I be worried?”
“About litigation? Maybe.”
“About my business?”
“I’ll pay your legal fees if they’re directly tied to your work under our contract.”
Marcus corrected later:
The company should not pay.
This was my private party.
I paid personally.
May you like
No corporate money used to clean up family evidence.
That line mattered.
