The employee’s revelations did not stop. It was as if everything that had been suppressed through cover-ups had suddenly exploded all at once. Once the floodgates opened, hidden truths ca pouring out like a collapsing dam.
Following the data manipulation and skill assessnt fraud, now—
[Theranos' laboratory is divided into two sections. The upper floor houses comrcial diagnostic devices, while the lower floor contains Newton, Theranos' ambitious project. However, during the CMS clinical lab inspection, we only disclosed the upper floor. The core area where Newton was located was thoroughly concealed and never properly examined.]
A violation of laboratory inspection regulations had been exposed. The accusation was that they had deliberately hidden the most crucial part of the laboratory from the inspectors.
Silence engulfed the conference room. At this point, people were left dumbfounded, wondering if anything in this company actually functioned properly. It was a complete disaster.
Just as everyone was left speechless from the overwhelming shock—
"Who knew about this?"
A sharp voice cut through the silence. It was none other than Hols.
She was speaking directly to the person on the other end of the phone.
"This goes beyond a simple regulatory violation. We are dealing with dical devices. Precision and verification of results are directly linked to lives. In a situation where even the slightest error cannot be tolerated… who gave the order for this?"
But there was no trace of guilt in Hols’s voice. Instead, her tone carried a righteous indignation, as if she were soone taking a moral stand.
Every word she spoke conveyed a clear ssage— That she had nothing to do with any of this.
[…]
A brief silence ca from the other end of the line before a trembling voice erged.
[Was this… was this on speakerphone?]
At that mont, Kissinger realized his mistake.
The whistleblower had likely believed that this entire conversation was a confidential discussion with the board. But now, they had just realized that Hols had been listening the whole ti— A horrifying revelation.
[Wait—could you turn off the speakerphone? There’s sothing I need to say to Mr. Kissinger alone…]
The secretary glanced at Kissinger, who gave a small nod. Then, the secretary switched off the speakerphone and handed the phone back.
"It's off."
[Hols… Hols heard everything? From the beginning?]
A voice filled with terror.
[What I just said violates my NDA! She’ll definitely show up with her lawyers tomorrow! She threatened —not just , but my parents as well! She said she'd bankrupt us…!]
Kissinger narrowed his eyes.
Just those few words were enough to understand the ruthless and cunning tactics Hols and her legal team had been using to intimidate employees.
[They said they would paint as a liar on a massive scale! That I would be the one blad for everything! That I would be the culprit! That the world would believe Hols over anyway! No—no, right? You believe , don’t you?]
Kissinger took a deep breath. Looking around the conference room, he saw Hols and the board mbers watching him in silence.
Even if they couldn’t hear the whistleblower’s words, they could infer the situation just by observing Kissinger’s reaction.
He needed to postpone this conversation.
"Don’t worry. Nothing will be held against you. I’ll contact you again this afternoon."
With that, Kissinger tried to wrap up the call.
However—
[Just one more thing…]
The desperate voice stopped him before he could hang up.
[The tests must be stopped imdiately. If this continues even for another day, healthy individuals will receive false diagnoses, while actual patients will be reassured and delay seeking proper treatnt. Diseases that could have been detected will be missed.]
A bitter smile ford on Kissinger’s lips.
And yet, hadn’t Hols always preached— "Prevent illness through early diagnosis"…?
The whistleblower’s words exposed just how hollow that claim had been.
Theranos wasn’t detecting diseases—it was preventing them from being discovered.
[I can’t sleep anymore. There are dozens of test results with my na on them alone… We need to contact everyone who was tested and have them re-examined.]
Kissinger suddenly recalled the Hippocratic Oath the whistleblower had ntioned before.
"Do no harm."
Their voice was heavy with guilt.
The weight of their conscience, crushed by the harm they had unknowingly contributed to.
"We will take the necessary asures."
Kissinger hung up the phone with a grim expression.
His gaze slowly shifted toward Hols.
Soon, every pair of eyes in the conference room was locked onto her. Eyes filled with anger and suspicion— All demanding an explanation.
anwhile, Hols’s expression was a tangled ss of emotions— Confusion, concern, shock…
"I will ensure that all these matters are investigated and corrected as quickly as possible. I had no idea sothing like this was happening…"
Yet, even at this mont, her face was full of sincerity.
Her lips were twisted in worry, her pale cheeks showed signs of distress, Even her slightly trembling hands— All were the textbook reactions of soone in utter shock.
And yet, to Kissinger, it all looked different now.
‘Had I been deceived by that mask all this ti?’
A hollow chuckle escaped his lips.
Before, he might have been fooled by her perfect performance,
Perhaps even joined her in finding a scapegoat.
But now, the veil had been completely lifted from his eyes.
"You… didn’t know?"
There was a coldness in Kissinger’s voice.
For a brief mont, Hols’s expression stiffened. Then, she hurriedly tried to explain.
"I’ve been too occupied with external affairs lately to properly oversee daily operations. The dia attention has been overwhelming—I had no way of knowing…"
"That only accounts for the past month."
Kissinger pointed out, unflinching.
"Before that, I was busy securing investors, keeping up with Walgreens’ schedules, and preparing for the live launch—"
"That’s not the point right now!"
A sharp voice cut through the room.
One of the board mbers, his eyes as sharp as a blade.
"If they had to manipulate data, doesn’t that an the technology itself is flawed? If it truly worked, there would be no need for fabrication."
The tension in the room grew heavier.
A murmur spread among the board mbers.
Hols closed her eyes for a mont before opening them again.
"That’s not the case. Our technology is sound. However, as I ntioned before, there are a few specific tests with unusually high error rates. I had instructed them to work on reducing those errors—I never imagined they would resort to falsifying data to achieve that."
Her words were utterly absurd.
Despite committing fraud in various inspections and tests, she still claid that the technology was real.
In truth, there was a reason she made such an absurd claim.
Because— it had worked until now.
However, at this mont, the board mbers’ faces were filled with nothing but cold indifference.
Yet, despite the deepening suspicion, the interrogation subsided.
Silence took control of the conference room. Everyone was lost in thought, preoccupied with devising counterasures.
Kissinger’s mind raced as well. The plan he had originally devised was now useless. He had planned to personally cut down the young dictator, having confird Hols’s authoritarian leadership. But after this revelation, the situation had completely changed.
This was no longer just a managerial failure— It was a complex issue intertwined with technological flaws and legal violations. A solution on a completely different level was required.
"To have overlooked such a grave issue right before our eyes…
this is no re managent error, but a fundantal failure that shakes the very core of ethics and morality."
Kissinger’s cold voice echoed through the conference room.
His words carried the weight of a final judgnt.
Hols’s face drained of color.
"Of course, as the CEO, I take full responsibility. However… I never imagined such deliberate deception was taking place. I will ensure a thorough investigation into the root cause and take rigorous asures to prevent any recurrence…"
Hols, trembling at the fear of being ousted from her position, desperately continued speaking.
But Kissinger’s next words shattered her expectations completely.
"I will resign from the board."
"What?"
"At this point, it is clear that we can no longer fulfill our duties as board mbers. Therefore, I am taking responsibility and resigning."
The intent behind Kissinger’s words was clear.
He wanted to distance himself from Theranos as much as possible.
"I will resign as well. I lacked expertise in the dical device sector and failed to fulfill my basic oversight responsibilities. Theranos needs a board with greater expertise."
"I will also step down. I had been considering retirent due to health reasons anyway…"
Kissinger’s announcent was like the first domino falling.
One after another, the other board mbers followed suit,
declaring their resignations as if it had all been prearranged.
Hols scanned their faces in disbelief.
The warmth she had felt from them just yesterday had vanished, leaving behind only an icy chill.
And in that mont, Hols realized—
The true aning behind their resignations.
If Hols were removed from her position as CEO, all of Theranos' faults would shift onto the board— the true owners of the company.
As long as Hols remained CEO, the responsibility fell squarely on her.
In other words, their collective resignation was an unspoken decree— they were leaving her to take the fall alone.
But just as the shock of this realization set in, Hols felt a deeper, more chilling sense of foreboding.
The mass resignation of the board mbers was not just a ans of shirking responsibility.
It signaled sothing far worse— a complete collapse of trust in Theranos, an existential threat to the company's very foundation.
"Wait!"
Hols’s voice trembled with desperation.
"There is no definitive proof yet! Right now, all we have are accusations from a forr employee and anonymous reports. I acknowledge that mistakes were made, but reacting like this… this is too rash! Shouldn’t we at least gather concrete evidence before making such drastic decisions?"
Her plea rang hollow in the cold atmosphere of the conference room.
Kissinger stood from his seat and spoke in a solemn voice.
"We will proceed with the board resolution."
A tense silence filled the room.
Kissinger continued the procedure.
"Today’s agenda is the resolution regarding the resignations of board mbers. First, we will confirm the list of those who have declared their intention to resign."
The secretary began reading the nas.
"Henry Kissinger."
The forr Secretary of State.
"Charles Kensington."
The forr Secretary of Defense.
"Andrew Harrington."
The forr House Majority Leader.
One by one, high-profile figures were called.
A forr CEO of Wells Fargo,
a forr CEO of Bechtel,
a forr Director of the CDC…
Each na was t with a quiet, raised hand.
Eight nas in total.
Kissinger spoke again.
"We will now proceed with the vote. All in favor of the resignations, please raise your hand."
The eight who had declared their resignations all raised their hands.
"Opposed?"
No one responded.
"Abstaining?"
Two hands were raised.
Forr Secretary of State Schulz and forr Secretary of Defense Hurst.
Schulz’s gaze held a final glimr of trust in Hols, while Hurst’s expression remained firm, indicating his intent to wait for definitive proof before making a judgnt.
Kissinger’s voice was heavy as he announced the results.
"With 8 votes in favor, 0 against, and 2 abstentions,
the resignations of the 8 board mbers are officially approved."
After a brief pause, he delivered his final statent.
"As of now, these resignations take imdiate effect. The remaining board mbers will proceed with forming a new board in accordance with the company charter. Furthermore, the use of the diagnostic device must be imdiately halted. Additionally, all patients who have undergone testing must be contacted and advised to seek re-evaluation. If this is not enforced…"
Kissinger’s gaze pierced through Hols.
"I will not stand idly by."
As his declaration concluded, one by one, the resigned board mbers rose from their seats and exited the conference room.
In an instant, the room was empty.
Hols could only stare blankly at their departing backs.
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