Chapter 16 - The company numbers get worse
Mercer Atlantic’s next quarter missed projections.
Not catastrophic.
But enough for lenders to request updated management plans.
My father blamed:
Market conditions.
Correct.
He also blamed:
“Leadership distraction.”
Meaning me.
The independent directors disagreed.
I had met targets in my division.
Then the pledged shares.
One lender issued notice that if collateral coverage worsened, Graham might need:
Additional cash.
Additional shares.
Or partial sale.
This mattered to inheritance.
Lenora called me despite no-contact restrictions applying to Kerensa, not me.
“You’re letting your father lose everything.”
“He made these loans.”
“He did it for the company you’ll inherit.”
“There it is again.”
“What?”
“The inheritance.”
Silence.
I continued:
“You keep asking me to tolerate things because one day they might become mine.”
“You sound ungrateful.”
“I own twenty-one percent already. I earn my salary. I bought the house at market value. Stop describing everything as a gift waiting to happen.”
May you like
She hung up.
For the first time, I understood how much power disappears when future promises stop controlling present decisions.
