Then a woman stepped forward—someone I'd once guided away from a route that would have put her in a fatal car wreck. She piled on without blinking.
"That's right. And those big contracts of his weren't clean, either. I saw him with my own eyes, meeting a female client at a hotel in the middle of the night."
"Who knows what kind of dirty tricks he pulled."
"Exactly. He's an absolute disgrace to Delgado Group."
"You... all of you..."
I stared at these people—the same ones who used to call me "bro" and hang on my every word—now turning on me just to suck up to the new director.
The betrayal was sickening.
Beverly issued her ultimatum. "Vincent, everyone here can see the truth plain as day."
"Sign this repayment agreement today, hand over the money, and I'll let you walk out of here."
"Refuse, and I call the police. You'll go to prison."
"Extortion and embezzlement. That goes on your permanent record. No company in this country will ever touch you again."
I looked around the office—this company I'd built up with my own two hands—and let out a cold laugh. "Great. You're all just great."
"I'm not paying back a single cent. Go ahead. Call the cops."