Nor could Kristen simply appoint herself trustee because her name appeared on a disputed PDF.

There were rules, safeguards, and opportunities to contest the allegations.

I asked whether the allegations might still damage me, even if I won.

‘Yes,’ Howard said.

‘A lie can cost time and money without becoming true.

That’s why we prepare.’

We spent the next two hours reviewing bank statements, property reports, and the decisions I had made independently over the past year.

I had approved payroll on a large construction contract, negotiated a lease renewal for a commercial building, and refused a risky partnership my investment committee had recommended.