Windsor Greetings - Chapter 6: The Confrontation
Tyler, Alex, and Henry Windsor have it out about the future of the family business.
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Previously On Windsor Greetings
Tyler secretly struck a handshake agreement to sell Windsor Greetings' intellectual property to a major competitor.
Table of Contents
Chapter 6: The Confrontation
Chapter 6: The Confrontation
The ride home from the tiki bar was excruciating for Alex. Without Kenny’s shares, he wouldn’t have the authority to put himself in charge. Tyler and his father owned a now combined 45% of the company, the exact amount that Alex had procured when combining the stake he’d bought from his uncle and the recent shares he’d purchased from his other cousins.
Uncle Tom’s remaining 10% stake would be the deciding factor, but he’d long since abdicated his voting power to Henry. Those shares were effectively, though not legally, out of Alex’s reach.
When he pulled into his parents’ driveway, he was surprised to find that Tyler had beaten him there. He unbuckled his seatbelt, exited the car, and prepared for a confrontation. As he passed Tyler’s car, he noticed a conspicuous paper with letterhead from Windsor Greetings’ biggest competitor sticking out of that leather folder he’d been gripping at the bar.
Alex opened Tyler’s car door and the folder to reveal a letter of intent to purchase all of Windsor Greetings’ intellectual property. He’d known Tyler was ambitious, but this was a betrayal that threatened not just Windsor Greetings but everything their family stood for. Alex marched into his parents’ house, outrage fueling each step, but Tyler had been one step ahead.
Henry met Alex at the door, red in the face, “Where do you get off meddling in the family business?” He screamed. “You forfeited that right when you moved to California, and now what, you’re trying to buy my business out from under me?”
Alex struggled to find the words. His father was blind to what he saw in Tyler. “It was never about the business, Dad. I’ve always loved Windsor Greetings,” he said. “I just couldn’t spend my life working alongside him,” he added as he glanced towards his older brother.
“And why not?” Henry said, now shouting. “Tyler has dedicated his entire life to this company. He lives and breathes Windsor Greetings. Do you have any idea how much he’s sacrificed for our company and this family? Why can’t you at least appreciate that?”
Alex let out a laugh. “I guess this means you don’t know.”
“Know what?” Tyler chimed in.
Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter he’d spotted in the car. He held it aloft, letting the logo on the top corner catch the light. “You want to talk about dedication, Dad?” He put the letter in Henry’s hands. “Read that.”
Tyler’s eyes went wide. His secret plan was about to unfold before the only person in the world who could stop it from happening.
“What the hell is this?” Henry asked.
Alex laid it all out for him. As soon as Tyler took over, Windsor Greetings would become a shell of its former self, and their biggest rival would own their family name.
Tyler spoke up, “You think I want to sell the business, Alex? The company has been hemorrhaging cash for years, and you, Mr. Silicon Valley, are too damn busy judging me to see that this is actually what’s best for the family, and the only path forward.”
Henry’s face fell, rage replaced by something worse—disappointment. “Is this what we’ve come to?” He asked, looking from Tyler to Alex. “I’ve got one son operating behind my back with plans to do who knows what, and another who’s taking bids like a damn auctioneer.” Henry paused and said with quiet resolve, “There’s no way I can step down now. Not with you two behaving the way you are.”
Without an aligned majority stake, there was no mechanism in the bylaws to remove Henry. They were at a stalemate.
Just then, the phone rang. All three men shifted their attention to the kitchen, where they heard Jan gasp and drop the phone.
It was the hospital. Uncle Tom had had a stroke.
Stay Tuned
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Until then,
-Mike