Chapter 22: The Place at the Microphone

'Maureen chose to leave nursing,' Curtis told the board. 'I won't endorse her for the campaign event while our accounts conflict.'

The board member withdrew her support for Curtis's next hospital event in front of everyone.

Curtis had used the story again. This time, it cost me the microphone before I could answer.

The board chair looked at me. He had not taken his pen from the table.

'You can keep the microphone,' I said. 'I want Curtis to answer for deciding my future without asking me.'

A board member shifted her chair back from the table.

Curtis turned toward me. 'I thought you had already answered that question.'

'You have answered the question I did not ask.'

I looked at the board member who had withdrawn her support.

'Why did you keep the nursing school's letters from me after you refused its offer?'

Curtis's mouth tightened.

'You had said you were finished with nursing,' he said. 'I believed that was what you wanted.'

'You signed the refusal under my name.'

The board members had heard that part before.

I watched Curtis choose what to say next.

'You were building your firm, and I was building my career,' he said. 'I thought we had agreed on what mattered.'

'You thought I would stay.'

'I didn't want you to start nursing again and leave me without the wife who paid for my career.'

The sentence reached the end of the table.

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