“Leonard, before you talk about adding another small-business client or whatever, I was about to explain the complex negotiations involved in a multimillion-dollar acquisition.”
She turned back to the table. “As I was saying, the investor’s team has been incredibly impressed with my vision.”
That was the moment I decided the charade had gone on long enough.
I pulled out my phone and pretended to receive a call. “Excuse me,” I said, standing up. “I need to take this. It’s about a business matter.”
I stepped just far enough away from the table to be heard, but not so far that they couldn’t listen to my conversation.
“Yes, this is Leonard, the Market Forge acquisition. Yes, everything is proceeding according to schedule. No, we haven’t disclosed my identity to the current executives yet. Yes, I’m still planning to replace the VP of client acquisition immediately. Her performance metrics are unacceptable, and there’s documented evidence of mismanagement. I’ll sign the final papers on Tuesday as planned.”
A stunned silence fell over the dining room.
I turned to find every eye fixed on me, expressions ranging from confusion to shock. Rebecca’s face had drained of color.
“What are you talking about?” she demanded, her voice unnaturally high. “What acquisition? What VP are you replacing?”
I returned to my seat calmly. “I’m talking about Next Level Digital’s acquisition of Market Forge,” I said evenly. “My company is the mysterious billionaire investor you’ve been bragging about all afternoon.”
The silence that followed was absolute.
My father was the first to recover. “Your company?” he repeated incredulously. “What company?”
“Next Level Digital,” I said. “The digital marketing and technology firm I founded five years ago. We currently have four hundred employees across six offices nationwide and, as of Tuesday, will own Market Forge.”
Rebecca’s shock transformed into anger. “This is ridiculous. You run a tiny web design shop from your apartment. You can’t possibly have the resources to acquire Market Forge.”
Instead of arguing, I opened my briefcase and removed a folder containing acquisition documents with both companies’ logos prominently displayed. I placed it on the table where everyone could see it.
“Next Level Digital is currently valued at just over three hundred million dollars,” I said quietly. “Market Forge’s purchase price is forty-two million, which frankly was generous given its declining performance and technological obsolescence.”
My mother’s hand flew to her mouth. “But you never said anything about this company. All these years, we thought…”
“You thought what you wanted to think,” I finished for her. “You decided I was a failure without ever asking about my work or taking an interest in my career. It was easier to dismiss me than to understand what I was building.”
Rebecca lunged for the folder, flipping through the documents frantically. “This can’t be real,” she insisted. But her voice had lost its confidence. “You’re making this up.”
“The announcement goes public on Wednesday,” I continued calmly. “But since we’re family, I thought you should know first, especially you, Rebecca, since your position will be eliminated in the reorganization.”
“You’re firing me?” she practically shrieked. “You can’t fire me. I’m essential to Market Forge’s operations.”
I pulled another document from my briefcase, a performance analysis of Rebecca’s department compiled during our due diligence.
“Under your leadership, client acquisition has decreased by thirty-four percent over the past two years. Client retention in your portfolio is the lowest in the company. Additionally, we’ve documented multiple instances of workplace policy violations, including verbal abuse of subordinates and taking credit for work done by your team.”
Rebecca’s face flushed with anger. “This is about your jealousy. You’ve always been jealous of my success, my relationship with Mom and Dad.”
My father, who had been staring at the documents in disbelief, finally found his voice. “Leonard, is this some kind of elaborate joke? Some way to upset your sister at Easter dinner?”