Brother Announced 'Dad's Business Goes To Me' At His Birthday - I Own 81% Of The Shares

Brother Announced 'Dad's Business Goes To Me' At His Birthday - I Own 81% Of The Shares Dad's sixtieth birthday party was being held at The Sterling Club, the kind of place where memberships cost more than most people's annual salaries. My brother Blake had insisted on hosting it there—nothing but the best for Theodore Hastings, founder and CEO of Hastings Manufacturing.I arrived exactly on time, wearing a simple navy dress that Blake would probably call "boring" and Mom would politely suggest I "dress up more." But I'd learned years ago that nothing I wore would ever be right in their eyes, so I stopped trying.The ballroom was already full of Dad's business associates, country club friends, and extended family. Blake stood near the bar, holding court with his fraternity brothers and Dad's executive team. He was in his element—loud, confident, already slightly drunk at 6 PM.Mom spotted me first. "Oh, Vanessa. You came.""Of course I came. It's Dad's birthday." She gave me that familiar tight-lipped smile. "Well, you've been so busy with your little consulting work. We weren't sure you'd make time." My "little consulting work" was a thriving business analytics firm with fifteen employees and seven-figure revenues, but I'd stopped correcting her years ago.