Everyone knew within hours.
I received 11 text messages that week from people I hadn’t heard from in years. Some were apologies. Some were expressions of support. A few were clearly fishing for gossip, which I ignored.
The message that mattered most came from Jennifer Thompson at Becker Legal. She followed up her wedding-night text with a formal email.
Subject: Sincere apologies, and a professional inquiry.
Paige,
I want to begin by apologizing properly. At the wedding, I made assumptions based on things Victoria had told me over the years.
Watching what actually happened that night, watching how you handled yourself with such dignity under impossible circumstances, made me ashamed of my own credulity.
I don’t expect forgiveness, but I would like to offer something concrete. Our firm is renovating our conference floor, and we’re looking for an interior designer who understands professionalism, discretion, and good taste.
If you’re interested, I’d love to discuss the project. Please let me know either way. And again, I’m sorry.
Jennifer.
I sat with that email for three days before responding. Part of me wanted to reject it, to refuse anything that came from Victoria’s social circle.
But another part recognized that Jennifer Thompson wasn’t Victoria. She was someone who’d been lied to, who’d believed those lies, and who was now trying to make amends.
