I address the other members of the Executive Team as we sit around the long conference table first thing the following Monday morning. “How was your trip home, Jade?” Skip asks as he passes a pot of coffee around. Everyone gets busy pouring themselves a cup and reaching out for the tray of creamer and sweetener in the middle of the table. “It was good, thanks. It was nice to see my parents for a few days.” And Chris. And Lucas. “Anyway, I don’t want to keep you for too long. I just wanted to make an announcement as well as clarify something that has been weighing heavily on my mind lately. I’m putting this issue to bed once and for all. You know how I have loved this firm as if it were my own, and I have never done anything to jeopardize either your professional reputation or the reputation of this organization. Lucas—” I hesitate briefly before opening up this part of my life to them. “Lucas Martinez is not who you’ve accused him to be. He is a kind and generous man, and extremely ethical especially when it came to his dealings with this company.
