Breaking Kate: The Acceptance Series Read Online Free

the office because I had packed up my desk before going to lunch with your dad. Please, Michael, tell me what this is all about.”
    He takes a deep breath as he continues to wring his hands through his hair. “My mom thinks you knew and didn’t say anything until it was over on purpose. She said your dad had a lot to gain from the Thompson takeover and that he must have filled you in on what a delicate situation it was. God, Katherine, I don’t know what to think, but if you didn’t know, your dad still did, which means your family did this to us.”
    “I don’t know all the details but what I do know is my dad was a silent partner in Thompson Industries. He helped fund them when they were a small startup firm; this was before he was even a partner with your dad. It’s no secret that your dad holds forty percent of the shares and my dad owns forty percent, and for either of them to be fired, the board of directors has to agree. My dad never knew about the Thompson Industries takeover. Your dad went to the board and said that my dad being a silent partner in Thompson was in violation of his non-compete clause in his contract. He convinced them that they had no other choice but to let him go since they were dissolving Thompson Industries after taking it over. They had the board meeting yesterday during your lunch. When my dad got back to work, his office was packed up and a check paying him out the diluted portion of all that was left of his shares in Thompson was given to him. Five hundred thousand dollars, that’s it. Since the board agreed to fire him for breach of contract he did not even get a severance package from his own damn company . To keep them both honest, it was in their original agreement that if either of them were ever fired for a moral or ethical breach that they agreed to sell their stock in the company back at the price they paid for it when they started the company. My dad received another check for two million dollars. A man who started the day being owner of two multi-million dollar corporations is now reduced to two and a half million dollars.
    “Want to know what the kicker is, Katherine? My dad did disclose he was an owner in Thompson; it was in the original contract. He went home yesterday to get it and it was missing. Remember why we moved? Why we just bought this behemoth of a house? The one my parents spent five million dollars on? Because we were robbed . Remember how strange it was that someone was able to get past the security system and get in? The place was a mess but nothing was missing. My dad was sure yesterday that you or your dad broke in and replaced the original agreement with the fake one that didn’t disclose the partnership in Thompson. Great thinking by the way; do it months ahead of time so no one would be the wiser. The money he got won’t even pay off the house, cars, pay for my school or anything. Your father cancelled everything yesterday; the company-paid life insurance is gone so now there is no life insurance payout. We are screwed and it’s all thanks to you and him! So, Katherine, how much did you know? How long were you leading me on to get the information you needed?”
    It feels like someone has kicked me in the chest. I can’t breathe, I can’t think, this can’t be happening.
    “Michael, I swear I didn’t know anything about this. I am not him! I would never take advantage of your family, of anyone, ever . I don’t need my dad’s approval or his money! I have my own. I get it when I turn twenty-five. My mom made me swear never to tell anyone, he doesn’t even know.”
    I am sobbing so hard and can’t stop. It’s is utterly ridiculous that he would even begin to think I would have something to do with this. Michael gets up and goes to his bag I brought in from the beach last night.
    “Michael, please tell me you believe me. I would never break into your house or give my dad the code. I didn’t go to lunch with your dad to trick him; I went