Chapter 11 - Victoria Faces Emma Without Daniel
Months later, Victoria requested a meeting with Emma.
Emma agreed under one condition.
Daniel would not attend.
Victoria arrived with her attorney but asked the attorney to wait
outside.
Emma sat across from her.
Victoria began:
“I’m sorry about the wine.”
Emma said nothing.
“I’m sorry I blocked your calls.”
Silence.
“I’m sorry I told Marcus to pressure you.”
Emma finally spoke.
“Why did you throw the wine?”
Victoria looked down.
“Because when I saw you, I knew the past had reached me.”
“That explains your fear.”
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t explain why humiliation was your first weapon.”
Victoria’s eyes filled.
“My father used humiliation constantly. He taught us that if someone
looked weak publicly, people stopped listening to them.”
Emma absorbed that.
“So you did to me what he taught you.”
“Yes.”
“Understanding that does not make it smaller.”
“I know.”
Emma asked whether Victoria expected forgiveness.
“No.”
That answer surprised her.
Victoria had begun therapy.
She had provided investigators with files against Marcus.
She was cooperating with restitution.
None of that entitled her to Emma’s forgiveness.
Emma stood.
“One more thing.”
Victoria looked up.
“You told me to learn my place.”
Victoria winced.
Emma continued:
“My place was never beneath you.”
“I know.”
“My place was never something you got to assign.”
“I know.”
Emma nodded.
“Then we’re done.”
She left.
Outside, Daniel was nowhere nearby.
Emma smiled.
May you like
For once, the most important confrontation in the story did not require
a powerful man to validate it.
