Chapter 11 - The Company’s New CFO
Cole Heritage hired Nina Patel, fifty-one, professional CFO.
Lorelai hated immediately.
Excellent sign.
Nina required:
Monthly close.
Separate personal/business expenses.
Board approval for related-party transactions.
Written compensation.
Cash forecast.
No automatic owner distributions.
A real business.
Then she discovered one more problem.
The company had been using my software skills free.
Not proprietary Northstar code.
Never.
I had built a custom inventory dashboard on weekends using open-source tools and generic code I personally owned.
It automated purchase forecasting and vendor reconciliation.
I had let Cole Heritage use it without charge.
No written license.
During separation, I did not shut it off.
That would disrupt.
Instead, Naomi sent notice:
They could continue using current version for twelve months royalty-free while migrating to commercial software.
No updates/support from me.
Lorelai called this theft.
Nina called it generous.
Then system broke after supplier API changed.
Brandon called me.
I declined.
“Use vendor.”
He did.
They migrated to NetSuite/add-on later, cost $96,000.
That was another hidden subsidy.
Not something I stole.
Something I had stopped giving free.
Then Nina’s first quarterly report showed improvement.
Warehouse sale.
Reduced perks.
Gross margin improved.
Cash flow positive.
The family was still wealthy.
Just less liquid personally.
Lorelai sold convertible.
Not because forced by me.
Because she no longer wanted lease payments.
Brandon moved from luxury apartment to smaller.
Thatcher stopped using company driver.
Life.
No poverty.
Then bank restored part of line after six months.
Without my guarantee.
Company stood on own collateral and improved financials.
Good.
That was what I wanted.
Then repayment agreement.
Outstanding recognized loan principal after reconciliation:
$389,200.
Why lower than $412,600?
Some transfers were reclassified as marital household/company support we had mutually agreed not repay.
Fair.
Seven-year schedule.
4.5% interest.
Quarterly.
Subordinate to bank but contractually enforceable.
No punitive rate.
Cole Heritage paid first installment.
$15,420.
I stared at deposit.
It felt strange.
Money I once considered family duty returned as debt.
Then I moved it into investment account.
No celebration.
Then divorce mediation.
House.
We both wanted sell.
Good.
Villa sold for $1.86 million.
Mortgage $790,000.
After costs, net around $960,000.
Prenup and contribution credits adjusted.
I received $510,000.
Thatcher $450,000.
No one got everything.
Joint brokerage split.
Retirement equalized per agreement.
I waived spousal support.
He waived claim to my future stock awards.
Clean.
Then legal name.
Already Eloin Thatcher.
No change.
Thatcher joked bitterly:
“At least you don’t have my name to remove.”
I said:
“That was always part Mom hated.”
He smiled despite.
Maybe.
Then final divorce date set.
He asked one last time:
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
No cliffhanger there.
May you like
The story had other consequences still.
But marriage answer was done.
