He said the timing of Scott Capital’s decisions resulted from his own analysis.
He said his relationship with Rochelle was personal and irrelevant.
Then one board member asked why several meetings with her aligned so closely with specific investment moves.
James called it coincidence.
Another asked why some expenses associated with those meetings had been categorized under legitimate business purposes.
James said his staff handled expenses.
Another asked whether he had ever discussed confidential activity at Rochelle’s firm with her.
James’s answer took too long.
That hesitation changed the meeting.
He heard it himself.
The board did not declare him guilty.
It did something James found almost as unbearable.
It removed his control while other people determined the facts.
His investment authority was suspended.
Access to sensitive systems was restricted.
Major counterparties were notified that Scott Capital was reviewing a compliance matter.
Planned commitments slowed.
Investors demanded assurances.
The empire still existed on paper that morning.
But James no longer commanded it.
For a man who had built his entire identity around possession, that felt like losing everything.
At 8:12 a.m., he finally found a number that reached Sharon.
Daniel’s temporary phone rang on the table.
Sharon looked at the screen, then answered.
“Hello, James.”
His voice was raw.
“What did you do?”
She looked out at the morning light.
“I stopped protecting you from consequences.”
“You sent those files.”
“I sent records to people whose job is to review them.”
“Do you understand what you’ve done to my company?”
There it was.
Not our marriage.
Not why did you leave.
Not are you safe.
His company.
Sharon almost smiled.
“Yes.”
“Come home.
We can fix this.”
The phrase was so familiar that it hurt more than anger would have.
We can fix this.
Meaning she could help him fix it.
“I’m not coming home.”
James exhaled sharply.
“Because of Rochelle?”
“Rochelle is one reason.”
“Then I’ll end it.”
Sharon closed her eyes.
Even now, he believed the affair was an item on a balance sheet.
Something to divest once it became inconvenient.
“You still don’t understand,” she said.
“Then explain it to me.”
She thought about the baby.
For one dangerous second she wanted to tell him simply to wound him with the magnitude of what he had thrown away.
