She also didn’t know I had recently asked my controller to review Daniel’s restaurant accounts after noticing unusually high “marketing expenses.”

I hadn’t told Daniel yet.

I wanted facts first.

Vanessa raised her wine.

“Honestly, Margaret, you should retire. Maybe take up gardening. Something appropriate.”

Then she smiled.

“People need to know when their season is over.”

Daniel’s fork stopped.

I looked directly at Vanessa.

For the first time all evening, I didn’t smile.

Because my accountant had called that morning.

According to him, someone had charged more than $48,000 in personal expenses to Daniel’s restaurant over eight months.

The authorized user?

Vanessa.

I carefully folded my napkin.

She thought I was an aging woman too afraid to defend herself.

She had no idea I was already holding the match beside the gasoline.

The next Sunday, Vanessa was even crueler.

Maybe she had mistaken my silence for surrender.

She invited six people from her social circle and turned dinner into another performance.

When I arrived, she looked at my navy dress and said, “Oh, Margaret. That’s… brave.”