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."
"This isn't about you firing me anymore. The truth is, this company doesn't even need you."
She sauntered over to Terry's side, a thin, poisonous smile spreading across her face.
"Mr. Gilbert, I think it's time you made a choice."
Terry looked at me. Slowly, his expression shifted into something eager, almost excited.
The moment I saw what was unfolding before me, everything clicked into place.
Terry's appearance was no coincidence. He wanted to replace me and take over the company.
He just hadn't found the right opportunity before now.
My conflict with Beulah had played right into his hands, giving him the excuse he'd been waiting for.
"Olive, I've discussed this with the shareholders. The way things stand, you're no longer fit to remain at this company."
I watched him in silence. I didn't respond.
"Your vision and your horizons are limited to this. You simply don't have the capability to take us to the top. And frankly, neither does your background.
"If this company is going to grow, you need to leave."
My hands curled into fists at my sides.
"Because my education isn't as impressive as yours?"
"Exactly."
Terry's answer came without a shred of hesitation.
"You're a dropout who never even finished college. You have no business sitting in the chairman's seat."
I was floored.
If you looked at the Forbes list, how many of those titans had Ivy League degrees? These people had a few years of college under their belts and thought that made them gods. It was laughable.