Chapter 11 - THE COMPANY THAT BEGAN TO COLLAPSE
The Mercer Financial Systems board removed Marcus from his executive position several weeks later.
Leonard was suspended from his role as chairman pending the outcome of the independent investigation.
The company announced that its previously issued financial information would be reviewed and that the suspended acquisition discussions with Rhodes Capital would not resume under the existing circumstances.
Marcus called me the day the announcement became public.
I answered because Rebecca had advised me to preserve any relevant communications, though I made it clear that substantive legal matters belonged with our attorneys.
His voice was furious.
"Are you happy now?"
I sat at my desk.
"Marcus, your board made its own decision."
"You know what you've done."
"I know what the records show."
He laughed bitterly.
"Julian never would have looked this closely if he weren't married to you."
"His team identified the discrepancies through its review."
"You expect me to believe that?"
I looked out the window.
For years, Marcus had believed every important decision was ultimately about him.
Now he couldn't imagine a world in which someone might simply follow the evidence.
Then his voice changed.
"I built that company."
"I know."
"I spent my entire adult life building it."
"And the people who worked there helped you."
He went silent.
I continued.
"They deserve accurate financial information and the benefits they were promised."
For a moment, I thought he might finally understand.
Instead, he said:
"You always cared more about being right than about me."
I closed my eyes.
"No, Marcus. I cared about you enough to tell you when something was wrong."
He didn't answer.
Then I ended the call.
The next few months were difficult for Mercer Financial Systems.
The company had legitimate clients, valuable technology, and hundreds of employees who had done nothing wrong.
But the financial irregularities created serious problems with lenders and investors.
Its board appointed independent management and began exploring restructuring options.
Julian's firm did not acquire the company.
That decision remained separate from our marriage.
I was relieved.
I didn't want my husband's business to become responsible for a company whose financial records were still being investigated.
But I also didn't want four hundred employees to lose their jobs because Marcus and Leonard had failed them.
Through my professional network, I helped connect former Mercer employees with independent employment resources and legal information.
Natalie worked with counsel to assist the investigation.
Sarah and other affected families began organizing their claims concerning the hardship reserve.
Then a former Mercer engineer contacted me.
His name was David Chen.
He'd helped develop the company's most valuable software.
And he had a proposal.
Several of the company's legitimate business units could potentially survive under new ownership or through a restructuring that separated them from the disputed transactions.
David and other senior employees wanted to explore an employee-participation model with independent investors.
I listened carefully.
It was complicated.
It would require financing, legal approval, and careful treatment of the company's creditors and existing obligations.
But the idea had merit.
For the first time, the people who actually built Mercer Financial Systems might have an opportunity to shape its future.
Then David showed me an archived development agreement.
It contained a clause I'd never noticed during my marriage.
The company had incorporated software I originally designed while working as its compliance attorney.
Marcus had repeatedly told me that my contribution wasn't valuable enough to justify an independent ownership or licensing discussion.
But the archived agreement suggested that certain rights and compensation questions had never been properly resolved.
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I stared at the document.
Even after five years, there was another part of my professional work Marcus had taken for granted.
