Richard was silent.
“Why?”
“Because I spent four years trying to become important enough for people like Gavin to respect me.”
I looked toward the window.
“I don’t want to spend the next four becoming him.”
Richard laughed softly.
“That may be the best reason I’ve heard for offering you the job.”
I turned him down anyway.
Monday morning, I went to Halston Tower.
Not because Eleanor had saved me.
Not because she owed me.
Because I wanted to know whether the opportunity was real.
The interview lasted six hours.
Twelve executives.
Three case studies.
Financial scenarios I barely understood.
Management situations I understood immediately.
One board member asked:
“If a division misses its annual target because its leader prioritizes employee retention over short-term revenue, what would you do?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether keeping those employees protects long-term value.”
“What if investors demand cuts?”
“Then explain the cost of losing institutional knowledge.”
