During the next two days I hired Douglas Whitaker who had a reputation in Illinois for treating emotional drama like a paperwork error.
I also contacted our corporate legal department and requested a confidential review of Caleb’s conduct under the disclosure rules in his employment agreement.
The board cared less about personal betrayal than they cared about corporate risk, and Caleb had used company travel, company security, and corporate events while secretly hiding a relationship with a relative of the controlling executive during a sensitive governance period.
Douglas soon uncovered even more troubling evidence because Caleb and Tiffany had already begun planning the narrative of our divorce.
They believed I was a decorative spouse who lived on inherited wealth and had no operational role in the company.
In Tiffany’s messages she referred to me as the decorative Caldwell.
In Caleb’s emails to his accountant he predicted future ownership payouts he was never entitled to receive.
When Douglas showed me the printed messages I sat quietly in his office before letting out a short dry laugh.
“Do you want revenge?” he asked.
“I want facts and consequences,” I replied.