Bradley’s humiliation became entertainment.
Aaron hated that version too.
Because it made the abuse wrong for the wrong reason.
At 8:15, Richard called.
“We have reporters outside headquarters.”
“Tell communications no comment beyond investigation confirmation.”
“They want to know whether you’re taking over.”
“I’m not.”
“They want you on morning television.”
“No.”
“One network offered live remote from your house.”
“Absolutely not.”
Richard smiled through the phone.
“Your father would have said yes just to insult them.”
“My father enjoyed chaos.”
“He enjoyed leverage.”
“What have you got?”
“Special committee formed.”
“Outside counsel retained.”
“Forensic accounting starts today.”
“Employment investigator arrives this afternoon.”
“Corporate security has preserved relevant mailboxes.”
“Bradley?”
“Suspended.”
“Craig?”
“Suspended.”
“Neil and Derek?”
“Same.”
“Todd?”
“Offer rescinded.”
Aaron closed his eyes.
Todd had benefited.
Whether he had engineered anything remained unknown.
“Do not punish everybody related to Bradley by surname.”
Richard paused.
“Understood.”
“I mean it.”
“Investigate conduct.”
“Not family.”
“That principle would have prevented half this mess.”
“Yes.”
“And Richard?”
“Yes?”
“I want every termination under Bradley reviewed.”
“All four years?”
“All four.”
“Thirty-something files.”
“Do it.”
It became forty-one.
Twenty-three quickly stood out.
Not because every termination was unlawful.
Because the pattern was extraordinary.
Outside counsel built a timeline.
Race.
Performance rating.
Disciplinary history.
Replacement.
Relationship of replacement to Bradley or his network.
Reason given.
Documentation.
Who approved.
Who benefited.
By day three, the board special committee stopped calling it a normal HR review.
It became a governance investigation.
Bernard Hayes received a call from an attorney representing Titan.
He almost hung up.
“Not interested.”
“Mr. Hayes, we are reviewing your termination.”
“I reviewed it two years ago.”
“I understand.”
“No, you don’t.”
He was quiet for a moment.
“My wife worked nights because your company decided Bradley Bellamy’s kid needed my paycheck.”
The attorney said:
“I’m not asking you to forgive Titan.”
“Good.”
“I’m asking whether you’ll let us document what happened.”
Bernard did.
So did Adrian Wells.
So did Jerome Redding.
Cedric Thomas could not.
He had died eight months after losing his job.
Heart attack.
Fifty-two.
His widow, Patrice, agreed to speak.
Not because she believed Titan could fix anything.
“Because somebody should finally write down what they did.”
Aaron read interview summaries at night after Layla slept.
He stopped at Cedric’s.
Position reduced.
Overtime reassigned.
Two approved absences later recoded as unexcused.
Termination.
Replacement: nephew of Neil Simmons.
Aaron put the report down.
He remembered Cedric.
Quiet.
Always first at shift change.