The CEO Fired Her in Front of Everyone, But He Had No Idea Who She Was
Chapter 7
Three months later, the company stabilized.
The stock recovered.
The Northbridge acquisition was canceled.
Maya’s reforms exposed problems that could have destroyed Hawthorne years earlier.
Alexander gave her more authority.
Eventually, the board voted to make her President and Chief Strategy Officer.
She accepted.
But their relationship remained complicated.
They worked together constantly.
They disagreed often.
Sometimes they argued until midnight.
But they had learned to trust each other.
Then Alexander made a mistake.
He approved a major expansion without showing Maya the final numbers.
She discovered it two days later.
“You didn’t tell me.”
“I was going to.”
“When?”
“After the announcement.”
She stared at him.
“You’re doing it again.”
“What?”
“Making decisions because you think you can carry everything alone.”
Alexander became defensive.
“I am the CEO.”
“And I’m the person who stopped your company from collapsing.”
Silence.
He realized she was right.
“I’m sorry.”
Maya looked at him.
“Good.”
She walked away.
That evening, Alexander found her in the parking garage.
“I deserve that too.”
She smiled.
“Probably.”
He leaned against the car.
“Why do you always make me feel like I’m being audited?”
“Because your decisions need auditing.”
He laughed.
Then he became serious.
“I don’t want us to keep fighting like this.”
“Then stop making me.”
He looked at her.
There was something different in his eyes.
Maya noticed.
Neither spoke for a moment.
Then Alexander said quietly, “I’ve been thinking about you.”
She looked away.
“That’s dangerous.”
“I know.”
“You’re my CEO.”
“You’re my president.”
“Exactly.”
He smiled.
“We can be adults.”
Maya looked back.
“That doesn’t make it simple.”
“No.”
He paused.
“But it makes it honest.”
She didn’t answer.
He didn’t push.
The next day, nothing changed at work.
But everything had changed underneath.
