I did not confront my parents.
Not yet.
Instead, I called Ingrid.
“Did you know about my grandmother?”
A pause.
“Not when we recruited you.”
“When did you find out?”
“After you signed.”
“You’re sure?”
“Completely.”
“Would you swear to that?”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
“Thank you.”
She hesitated.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m discovering my family history is substantially stranger than expected.”
“Welcome to corporations and families,” Ingrid said.
“The difference is corporations admit they’re trying to control you.”
I laughed despite myself.
Then I asked a question.
“Ingrid, do you know whether anyone contacted Wexford about my academic status before I signed?”
Silence.
“Why?”
“Can you check?”
“I can ask legal.”
She called back two hours later.
Her tone had changed.
“Sylvie.”
“Yes.”
“Someone did.”
I stood.
“Who?”
“A man identifying himself as your father contacted our general corporate office eight days before your graduation.”
My stomach dropped.
“What did he ask?”
“He wanted to know whether Wexford Lane had any educational partnership with your university.”
“Why?”
“He claimed you had been using the company name in academic work without permission.”
I gripped the kitchen counter.
“Anything else?”
“Yes.”
“He asked whether an employee could be disqualified from recruitment for academic misconduct.”
I stopped breathing.
My own father.
Before my graduation.
Before my job offer.
Trying to poison something he did not even know existed.
Ingrid continued.
“There’s more.”
“Of course there is.”
“He sent an anonymous complaint three days later.”
“About me?”
“Your thesis.”
My voice disappeared.
“What did he say?”
“That portions of your research may contain proprietary corporate information.”
My knees weakened.
If the university had believed that, my defense could have been delayed.
My degree could have been withheld.
Until after age thirty?
I did not know.
But perhaps my father had hoped.
“He tried to stop me from graduating.”
“That’s what it looks like.”
I sat down.
For several minutes neither of us spoke.
Finally Ingrid said:
“Our legal team reviewed the complaint and found it baseless.
Your sources were public and properly documented.”
I covered my face.
