An outside review at Sterling Consolidated began after questions about company transactions and the proposed postnuptial agreement reached independent directors.

The board retained counsel to examine whether any internal records had been improperly used or altered.

Colton was asked to step away from certain management responsibilities while the review continued.

He blamed me in a message his attorney eventually forwarded.

You wanted to destroy everything.

I read it twice, then put it down.

I hadn’t created the records, written the threats, or forced anyone to sign papers.

What I had done was stop protecting him from the consequences of his own choices.