The weight of the company's impending collapse bore heavily on my shoulders. The dwindling stock prices, the departing staff, and the financial turmoil had brought me to the brink. Desperation had driven me to make a decision that I had been avoiding for far too long. It was time to call a meeting, to reveal the truth, and to let my staff know that Tessa was here to help, even though she was the source of our misery.
As I stood at the front of the conference room, my employees gathered before me, I felt a pit in my stomach. I had to muster all the authority I had left, all the confidence that remained. I took a deep breath and began, "Thank you all for coming. I know we've been facing some challenging times, and I owe you an explanation."
The room was silent, and all eyes were on me. "Ou
