The CEO Shoved an Elderly Woman Asking for Bread—Then Learned She Owned the Company
Chapter 7
Victoria refused to accept what was happening.
“This is a setup.”
Margaret raised an eyebrow.
“A setup?”
“You came in disguised as a poor woman to test me.”
“I wore an old coat.”
“You intentionally provoked me.”
“No.”
Margaret’s answer was immediate.
“I asked for bread.”
Victoria stood.
“You wanted me to fail.”
Margaret looked at her.
“I wanted you to succeed.”
That silenced the room.
Victoria blinked.
Margaret continued.
“When I hired you, I believed you could make this company stronger.”
She looked toward the board.
“I was impressed by her numbers.”
Daniel looked down.
“But numbers aren’t enough.”
Victoria’s voice became sharp.
“You cannot fire me over an incident where I didn’t know your identity.”
Margaret nodded.
“You’re right.”
Victoria relaxed slightly.
Then Margaret added:
“I can fire you because of everything that happened after.”
Samuel placed another folder on the table.
Inside were employee complaints.
Internal emails.
Expense reports.
Termination records.
Supplier complaints.
Customer correspondence.
Victoria stared at the documents.
“These are confidential.”
“They are mine.”
Victoria turned to the board.
“You can’t let her do this.”
One director cleared his throat.
“Victoria…”
“No.”
She looked around the room.
“You appointed me.”
The chairman lowered his eyes.
“We did.”
“And now?”
He sighed.
“Now we have to answer to Mrs. Whitmore.”
Victoria’s face hardened.
“She can’t simply erase my contract.”
Samuel spoke calmly.
“She can.”
He placed another document on the table.
“Section fourteen of your employment agreement allows the controlling shareholder to terminate the CEO for conduct inconsistent with the company’s founding principles.”
Victoria stared at him.
“That’s ridiculous.”
Samuel smiled faintly.
“It was written by Margaret.”
Margaret picked up the loaf of bread.
“I wrote that clause after my first employee stole money from a hungry customer.”
She looked at Victoria.
“I never imagined I’d need it for the CEO.”
