“Hello everyone and thank you for coming in today,” Sally said solemnly. “I know the death of our CEO, Mr Fingleton, affects us all and this company. The funeral is tomorrow, but there are a few matters of business that we need to deal with now. I hope this meeting will be short so we can continue preparations for tomorrow.”

The funeral was going to test them all. Mr Fingleton was a friend to all his employees, he knew everyone’s name and their lives. His motto was a happy worker ensured a quality job. And he lead by example, transitioning into a morale building boss as company growth allowed him to work less on the business side of things.

“The first order of business today—” Sally jumped as Dwayne sneezed.

“Excuse me,” Dwayne said as he reached for a tissue.

“Is to introduce,” Sally continued, “our new CEO. He is personally chosen by Mr Fingleton and will also take on Mr Fingleton’s ownership of the company. Please welcome Mr Steven Steven,” Sally gestured to the head of the table where Mr Steven Steven had made himself comfortable. Quite whispers shot around the room as Mr Steven Steven sat and surveyed the room. Seeing and hearing nothing of concern he focused on the papers in front of him.

Mr Steven Steven was well known to the board. He lived with Mr Fingleton and would often come to the office to help with team morale. However, no one ever suspected that Mr Fingleton would leave him as the CEO and owner. During the months of Mr Fingleton’s illness everyone had assumed his daughter, Sally, would inherit the company.

“I know this might come as a shock, but I assure you that my father knew what he was doing,” Sally could only wish her last statement was true and didn’t reveal her true feelings. Her respect for her father was the only thing postponing her anger. She once loved Mr Steven Steven, but now she only held resentment toward him. But now was not the time to show it to the board.

“The other items of business are fairly straightforward,” Sally said. “The stock in Warehouse Three is critically low and we need to fix it.”

 

The meeting dragged on for thirty minutes as Sally’s resentment continued to build. It was clear that Mr Steven Steven was inadequate, he would often stare out the window at the hustle and bustle of the street below and Dwayne’s constant sneezes didn’t help the situation. As her true feelings started to show Mr Randershake, Mr Fingleton’s right-hand man, took charge of the meeting, working through the agenda and ensuring the meeting ran smoothly.

As the meeting ended Dwayne sneezed again. This time Sally smashed her hands on the table and stood up glaring at Mr Steven Steven. “How could dad leave everything to you,” she yelled. “Your just dad’s stupid dog!”