Chapter 9 - Garrett Strikes BackGarrett filed for divorce.
Sarah expected that.
She did not expect the emergency business petition.
He claimed Sarah had improperly frozen him out of farm management and endangered Hollow Creek’s financial stability.
He requested temporary authority over operational accounts while the divorce proceeded.
He also claimed Sarah’s emotional reaction to the barn incident had caused her to reject a highly profitable Blue Ridge deal without rational analysis.
Rachel almost smiled reading it.
“Convenient.”
Sarah was not amused.
Garrett attached projections.
The solar lease could generate $220,000 annually.
Enough to stabilize the dairy.
Fund repairs.
Reduce debt.
Create reserves.
It was genuinely attractive.
That was the hardest part.
Garrett was not wrong about everything.
Sarah had dismissed the proposal partly because she hated that he wanted it.
Now she needed to separate good economics from bad motive.
Rachel hired an independent agricultural economist.
His conclusion surprised Sarah.
The Blue Ridge lease was financially strong.
But Garrett’s private side compensation had created an undisclosed conflict.
The agreement also limited future agricultural expansion.
It might benefit the farm.
It might hurt it.
It required neutral evaluation.
Sarah realized something painful.
If Garrett had approached her honestly—
disclosed the $150,000 consulting payment—
and allowed independent review—
she might eventually have approved a modified deal.
He had chosen manipulation instead.
May you like
Not because no legitimate path existed.
Because legitimate paths required giving up control.
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