Chapter 17 - BRETT TESTIFIED
The deposition lasted six hours.
Audrey did not attend.
Naomi summarized afterward.
Brett admitted:
He knew Audrey asserted ownership interests before the sale.
He characterized those claims as weak in communications with North Meridian.
He sold anyway.
He retained contingent financial upside.
He later waived it.
He had not disclosed the sale to Audrey.
He had not disclosed it to the Holloway House board because he considered it personal.
Then came the question that mattered.
North Meridian’s attorney asked:
“Mr. Holloway, when you sold Holloway Legacy Concepts, did you believe the entity owned valuable rights derived from Ms. Finch Holloway’s family recipes?”
Brett answered:
“No.”
“Then why sell it?”
“Because I believed someone might pay me for the possibility.”
There.
Ugly.
Clean.
True.
Naomi said the room changed.
The attorney asked:
“Did you believe Ms. Finch Holloway’s claims were emotionally motivated?”
Brett paused.
Then:
“No.”
“But you wrote that.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted the buyer to discount her.”
Audrey closed her eyes when Naomi repeated it.
Not because she was surprised.
Because hearing dishonesty described honestly is strange.
Naomi continued:
“Then their attorney asked whether he believed Audrey created the legacy menu.”
Audrey waited.
“And?”
“He said yes.”
Her eyes filled.
“Did he qualify it?”
“No.”
“What exactly?”
Naomi read from the transcript:
Audrey built the food. I built the pitch. We blurred those lines later because I benefited from people forgetting the distinction.
Audrey sat back.
That was almost the truth of their marriage.
Not all of it.
May you like
Enough.
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