Alice beams. She feels a rush of excitement at the prospect of leading Alma Boots. This is her chance to make her mark in the world. To change Alma Boots’ inherently misogynistic, backwards culture. Alice will show all of them that investing in women isn’t just good—it’s good for business.
“You can make a difference, Bobby,” Alice says.
Bobby lowers his head. “I never thought one mistake would cost me everything.”
“You’re not losing everything.” Gina leans forward, placing both her hands over his. “You’re doing the right thing.”
Fifty-Nine
Tish
Tuesday, November 12th
On her wedding day, Tish’s mother had warned her that a wife never truly knows her husband. Men are secretive, she’d whispered. And women are easily tricked. Tish had ignored the warning, just as she’d ignored the green, venomous daggers Missy was shooting in her direction. They were envious, all of them. As she walked down the aisle, Tish had pictured a titanium-lined shield that would envelop her from that day forward, an impenetrable layer of protection that would keep her and Charles safe.
Tish soon learned that Charles was not the knight in shining armor she had thought he was. To be fair, he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong when he slept around. Men of his generation were raised to believe discreet dalliances were nothing more than a testosterone release. He thought Tish had no idea. But she did. Tish took pride in knowing him. She studied him like a sommelier studied wine, mastering him as if he were an art. Tish became an expert at anticipating his needs, interpreting his cues, reading his expressions. She had proven her mother wrong: she, Letitia Dewar, knew exactly who her husband was. And she accepted him in all of his imperfection, warts and all.
Until now.
Tish takes her seat in the Backer Dewar conference room, the largest and most imposing meeting space in the Alma Boots office. The four non-Dewar shareholders—who, between them, occupy one board seat—are already there, all of them wearing three-piece suits and confused looks on their faces, unsure of what has merited this emergency meeting.
Charles steps inside the room.
His gaze lands on her right away. His surprise is palpable—he hadn’t expected her to be here. Not after their talk last night. Tish had called him to offer him one last chance to end this madness. To come back to Alma, to honor the vows he’d taken when they got married. She’d promised to forgive him. Eva Stone would be well taken care of: her children would want for nothing, as long as she agreed to stay out of their lives. Preferably far away, in Europe. She had been certain he’d agree. They are married before God and the State of New York. He wouldn’t throw it all away because of a woman he hardly knew.
But she’d been wrong.
Charles had told her in no uncertain terms that he wanted a life with Eva. A life without Tish. He asked for her blessing, which she withheld. She’d told him she wouldn’t be attending the board meeting and he had sounded relieved.
Now, Charles is shaking hands with the four shareholders, exchanging pleasantries. Avoiding her.
The door opens again. Bobby, Nick, Gina, and Alice walk in. Her four children. Alice is looking particularly elegant in a purple double-breasted Chanel suit. Confident, poised. A leader. She’ll make a good CEO. Tish sees it now. Tish isn’t thrilled about Alice and Nick moving to the city, but she knows it’s only temporary. Dewars belong in Alma. Alice will understand that soon enough. Tish will find a way to bring her back.
The four of them take their seats. Charles is staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows, taking in the view of Rockefeller Center. Surely, he knows what is about to happen. And yet he doesn’t look the least bit perturbed. He’s probably dreaming of sailing away with his new bride, of starting a new life. Maybe even a new company. Tish isn’t naive: removing Charles from the board won’t kill him. He’s too strong for that. It’s why she fell in love with him.
“Hello, everyone,” Bobby says. “Let’s get started, shall we?”
Tish clears her throat. “I’m stepping out.”
She notices the confused looks from her children.
“I don’t need to be here for this,” she says.
It’s true: she knows what is about to happen. Bobby will vote to have Charles removed from the board, invoking the Morality Clause. Charles won’t put up a fight: he can do the math—he’s outnumbered. Then, Bobby will read the statement they agreed upon, where he resigns. He’ll tell the board how sorry he is for his actions and move to elect Alice as their new CEO. The motion will be seconded by Nick. The men in the room will be stunned, of course, but they won’t put up a fight. Not with Bobby’s endorsement. Not given Alice’s thorough knowledge of the company and impressive plan for the future. Alice will give a speech that will be followed by subdued applause.
And that will be that. The end of an era.
The beginning of a new one.
Tish understands it’s necessary, but it’s also depressing. She doesn’t want to be involved with the company. She’d rather stick to her domains: Alma, the ASC. Feminists would have her head for this line of thought, but so be it. Tish enjoys being involved in roles that are traditionally attributed to women. An unfashionable preference for the times. Tish has never been one to keep up with trends, anyway.
“You have my power-of-attorney.” She looks at Gina, the daughter that life has generously seen fit to give her.
“I do,” Gina says, a supportive smile on her face.
Tish nods. She isn’t about to lose her composure in front of the board.
“Goodbye,” she announces. She is looking at Charles, but he doesn’t
