Elias stared at the floor.

“It was a private conversation. You’re taking it out of context!”

“Who put this in your presentation?”

“I don’t know!”

Margaret studied him.

“Elias, I have no idea what’s happening in your marriage, and frankly, that’s not my business.”

She gestured toward the screen.

“But this presentation is my business. You brought discriminatory material into an executive meeting, took credit for work you hadn’t reviewed, and blamed everyone but yourself when things went wrong.”

“Someone sabotaged me!”

“Then you should have caught it before you stood in front of the executive board.”

She closed her folder.

“I was going to recommend you for department director today.”

Elias straightened slightly.

“Was?”

“Was. That promotion is no longer on the table.”

“Margaret, please! I’ve worked toward this for six months!”

“And you’ve just shown me why you’re not ready.”