My Business Partner Locked Me Out And Smirked, “Sue Me—You Can’t Afford A Lawyer.” I Didn’t Sue. I Made One Quiet Call About The Unlicensed Enterprise Software Keeping Our Whole Operation Running… And 48 Hours Later, An Audit Notice Hit His Inbox And The Company Started Unraveling Fast.

Nine months. $22,500 total. I’d never heard of Sterling Consulting.

I ran the business registration. Owned by Andrea Sterling, Jordan’s wife. He’d created a shell company, put it in his wife’s name, and was funneling company money to it as consulting fees.

For what consulting? Nobody could tell me. The invoices were vague.

Strategic advisory services, market analysis support, business development consultation. Translation: Jordan was paying himself extra money through his wife’s fake company. When I confronted him in early May, he didn’t even try to hide it.

We were in his office, door closed. He was leaning back in his new $3,000 chair, looking completely unbothered. “Jordan, we need to talk about expenses.”

“What about them?”

I laid out printed statements on his desk, highlighted the personal charges, the Sterling Consulting payments, the pattern of abuse going back months.

“This is embezzlement.”

He laughed. Actually laughed, picked up one of the statements, glanced at it, tossed it back on the desk. “Embezzlement, Cameron, come on.

We’re partners. I’m taking what I’m worth. You want to nickel and dime me over dinners while I’m out there landing six-figure contracts?”

“Those dinners aren’t with clients.

I checked.”

“Not every business dinner is about closing deals. Sometimes it’s about relationship maintenance, networking, staying visible in the industry. You wouldn’t understand because you’re not client-facing.”

“And the Miami trip, the personal car maintenance, the shell company payments to your wife?”

“Strategic investments in business development.

I’m building relationships that benefit the company. Andrea helps with market research and administrative support. That’s legitimate consulting.”

“And the car expenses?”

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