CHAPTER FOURTEEN AP: THE OFFER TO DISAPPEAR
Cedric’s attorney sent Yvette a proposal for a private separation agreement.
The proposal included financial terms and a request that both spouses refrain from discussing the other’s personal conduct.
Yvette reviewed the document with her attorney.
She said she was willing to negotiate reasonable privacy provisions but would not agree to language that could prevent truthful cooperation with the foundation’s investigation.
Her attorney marked the clauses that required revision.
Cedric’s lawyer called the next day and said his client wanted an immediate answer.
Yvette’s lawyer replied that the terms would be reviewed carefully and no deadline would be accepted merely because Cedric preferred one.
Yvette went to Damian’s workshop afterward.
She found him teaching an apprentice how to diagnose a faulty thermostat without replacing unnecessary parts.
The apprentice listened carefully and repeated the test before touching the wiring.
Yvette waited until the lesson ended.
Damian asked whether the negotiations had gone badly.
She said they had gone slowly.
He asked whether that was necessarily bad.
She said she was beginning to think it was not.
They walked to a cafe for lunch.
Yvette told him she wanted the marriage settled without turning every detail into public theater.
Damian said he wanted the same for his separation from Briana.
They agreed that their future should not depend on the speed of either legal process.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN AQ: THE BOARD’S HARD VOTE
The independent committee completed its first set of recommendations after interviewing staff, contractors, and program participants.
Elaine presented the recommendations at a board meeting attended by all trustees.
The committee proposed replacing Northstar as project coordinator, appointing an external administrator for disputed payments, and suspending construction fundraising until a revised program plan existed.
Peter Ainsley opposed the suspension because he believed the foundation would lose momentum.
Simone asked what momentum meant to families still waiting for promised services.
Peter said the organization needed to maintain confidence among donors.
Elaine replied that confidence built on unverified claims was already damaged.
The board debated the proposals one at a time.
They approved the external administrator unanimously.
They approved the replacement of Northstar after Peter abstained.
The construction fundraising suspension passed by a narrow margin.
Yvette voted in favor of every recommendation.
After the meeting, Peter approached her and said she had allowed the foundation to be dismantled.
Yvette said the board had preserved the services it could verify and paused the promises it could not.
Peter asked whether she expected donors to forgive the embarrassment.
Yvette said donors could make their own decisions.
She was more concerned about the participants whose names had been used to describe services they never received.
Peter left without responding.
Elaine asked Yvette whether she regretted stepping aside as chair.
Yvette said she regretted waiting so long.
Elaine said the next challenge would be maintaining the process after the headlines faded.
Yvette agreed and offered to help with the practical work assigned to her.
