Before I could finish, the conference room doors slammed open.
"I'd like to see who dares fire her!"
The roar cut through the room. Every head turned.
"Mr. Gilbert!"
Those voices, falling over each other to greet him, were a slap in the face meant for me.
Deep down, none of them had ever respected me. To them, I was just an uneducated woman who'd never set foot in a university. It didn't matter that I'd built this company from the ground up. In their eyes, I had no standing whatsoever.
Terry Gilbert strode in, his gaze cold and dismissive as it landed on me.
"Was Beulah wrong? If you insist on firing her, who's going to take responsibility for the losses this company suffers?"
His voice hardened. "Olive, don't forget. You don't run this company alone."
The shareholders rallied behind him instantly.
"That's right! The tide that lifts a boat can just as easily capsize it. If you insist on firing Secretary Finch, don't blame us for what comes next!"
The voices piled on, one after another, a chorus of condemnation. I didn't flinch.
Beulah, emboldened by Terry's presence, turned on me with even more venom.
"You hear that, Henson? I'm something you could never measure up to."