Twelve Million Reasons
Chapter 14 - Twelve Million Reasons
Greed was rarely dramatic when written on paper.
There were no villains laughing in dark rooms.
Just numbers.
$18.7 million for a recall.
$12 million for Victor.
Seven injury reports at Eleanor's rehabilitation center.
Six hundred and twelve chairs.
One dead engineer whose family lost his insurance.
One fired mother working two jobs.
One woman who had blamed herself for losing the possibility of walking.
Eleanor placed the documents before federal investigators.
This time, Victor could not call them rumors.
The investigation expanded.
Harbor's board suspended Katherine Vale.
Three directors resigned.
Victor hired criminal defense attorneys.
Still, he denied everything.
Then he made one final public statement.
“I made difficult decisions to preserve thousands of jobs.”
Eleanor watched from her living room.
Rachel stood beside her.
Victor continued.
“If Harbor had collapsed, families across this country would have suffered.”
Rachel laughed bitterly.
“He's making himself the hero.”
Eleanor turned off the television.
“No.”
“What?”
“He's explaining himself.”
There was a difference.
And Eleanor finally understood it.
Victor didn't think he was evil.
He thought every person he hurt was a reasonable cost.
That was what made him dangerous.
Weeks passed.
The lawsuit against Eleanor was withdrawn.
Then Harbor announced a full voluntary recall.
Every known Model Aster chair would be inspected or replaced.
A compensation program was established under independent supervision.
Daniel Cross's widow received the life-insurance benefits her husband had earned.
Rachel's personnel record was corrected.
But when Harbor offered her a senior engineering position, she refused.
Eleanor was surprised.
“Why?”
Rachel looked at the glass tower that housed Harbor headquarters.
“Because I don't want my old job back.”
“You loved engineering.”
“I still do.”
“Then what do you want?”
Rachel smiled.
“I want to build something better.”
Before Eleanor could ask what she meant, Noah rushed into the room holding a letter.
“Mom!”
Rachel opened it.
Her hands began shaking.
“What is it?” Eleanor asked.
Rachel sat down.
Years earlier, after being fired, she had applied for a professional engineering certification program.
Harbor had submitted a negative employment reference.
Her application had been denied.
Now, after her record was corrected, the board had reconsidered.
Rachel had been accepted.
Noah wrapped his arms around her.
Eleanor watched them.
For the first time since the restaurant patio, she realized something.
Noah hadn't entered her life because he needed to be rescued.
Neither had Rachel.
Perhaps Eleanor had misunderstood the whole story.
Maybe she wasn't supposed to save them.
Maybe they were supposed to build something together.
Then Samuel called.
Victor Hale had been arrested.
But before Eleanor could feel relief, Samuel added:
“They found another file.”
“What kind of file?”
“A list.”
Eleanor's heart tightened.
“Of what?”
May you like
“Other products.”
The Aster wheelchair hadn't been the only defect Victor had hidden.
