Chapter 13 - LORRAINE AND MARGARET FINALLY SPEAK ALONE
Thirty years of anger met over coffee.
No lawyers.
Bad idea.
Necessary.
Lorraine said:
“You always thought you were smarter than me.”
Margaret answered:
“I was better at operations.”
Lorraine laughed despite herself.
Then:
“You abandoned us.”
Margaret’s face changed.
“I was pushed out.”
“You took the money.”
“I took what I could prove I was owed.”
Lorraine stared.
Both had memories.
Then Lorraine admitted something.
“I was afraid Charles trusted you more.”
There.
Jealousy.
Not only money.
Margaret had been:
competent,
younger,
close to Charles professionally.
Lorraine suspected emotional betrayal though there had been no affair.
She resented Margaret’s influence.
So when restructuring came, Lorraine pushed harder for Margaret’s exit.
Margaret said:
“You spent thirty years punishing me for something I never did.”
Lorraine looked down.
Then:
“And you spent thirty years waiting to prove me wrong.”
Margaret paused.
May you like
Fair.
Neither woman walked away pure.
