"In any case, after they threw all that stuff in my face, they gave me a choice. I could voluntarily resign and get a healthy retirement package, or they were going to make it all public and drag me through the mud."

"What did you say?" Christine asked.

"What choice did I have?" James said, "They've already sent out a staff-wide e-mail. They're going to ship all my office stuff back here. It's over."

"Was the package generous, at least?"

"It's fine, considering. Won't be paying the mortgage but it's not nothing," James said.

"We've got my job," Christine said, "It'll be tight, but we can make it work."

"I...