Chapter 10 - Arthur’s employees
The independent review interviewed employees.
That widened the story beyond finances.
The audit firm was not investigating workplace misconduct.
But interviewees kept mentioning it.
So the board retained an outside employment attorney.
Three prior complaints surfaced.
One formal.
Two never documented fully.
Complaint one:
Arthur screamed at a showroom manager in front of staff and threw a sample binder across the room.
It did not hit her.
Complaint two:
He grabbed a sales director’s phone from her hand during an argument and threw it onto a desk.
No injury.
Complaint three:
He blocked a warehouse supervisor from leaving an office for perhaps twenty seconds while demanding an explanation for missing inventory.
Arthur called them:
“intense management moments.”
The lawyer called them:
“a concerning pattern of aggressive conduct.”
No hidden assaults.
No dozens of victims.
A pattern.
My father had known about all three.
Victoria knew about at least one.
What did they do?
Coaching.
Private warnings.
A bonus holdback once, later restored.
Why?
Because Arthur delivered revenue.
Because replacing him would be difficult.
Because Charles believed:
“Family problems stay inside.”
That sentence had crossed from house to office.
At the next board meeting, Susan Bell said:
“This is not about Clara’s daughter anymore.”
Good.
That mattered.
If Arthur was removed only because I was his sister, it could be framed as family revenge.
If independent workplace and governance concerns supported action, the company had its own reason.
The board voted to place Arthur on paid administrative leave pending review.
My parents voted no.
I voted yes.
Two newly appointed independent directors—required by our bank as a condition for temporary financing—voted yes.
Arthur called me that night from a blocked number.
I answered before realizing.
“You finally got what you wanted.”
“No.”
“You’ve hated me your whole life.”
“That would make this easier.”
“Enjoy Dad’s company.”
“It isn’t Dad’s anymore.”
Silence.
Then:
“You think you can run it?”
“No.”
That surprised him.
“I don’t want your job.”
I hung up.
May you like
He called again.
I blocked the number.
