At my husband’s company party, he struck my shoulder hard enough to send me stumbling toward a champagne table, then whispered, “Go home.

Two years passed. Aurelia Systems had completely transformed.

Under the new leadership of Dr. Helena Park—an experienced operations expert whom Audrey had personally recruited—the company achieved its most profitable quarter in its twenty-year history.

Audrey served as Board Chair, visiting the corporate headquarters once a week for strategy sessions, but leaving the day-to-day management to Helena.

One rainy afternoon, Audrey was walking through the lobby of a downtown coffee shop near the university campus when a familiar voice called her name.

“Audrey?”

Audrey turned around.

Standing near the counter was Camilla Price.

She looked vastly different. Her flash red dresses and diamond accessories were gone, replaced by a simple beige trench coat and modest dark hair tied in a practical clip. She was holding a paper cup of tea.

“Hello, Camilla,” Audrey said politely, making no move to step closer or back away.

Camilla swallowed nervously, clutching her paper cup with both hands.

“I... I saw the news about Aurelia’s quarterly report,” Camilla offered softly. “Congratulations. You’ve done incredible work with the company.”

“Thank you.”

Camilla hesitated, looking down at the wooden floorboards before meeting Audrey’s eyes again.

“I know my apology means very little now,” Camilla whispered, her voice sincere. “But I am truly sorry. For the affair. For the vendor invoices. And... for taking your mother’s earrings.”

Audrey looked at her carefully, assessing the genuine shame in the woman's eyes.

“I accept your apology, Camilla,” Audrey said quietly. “Not because what you did was okay, but because keeping anger toward you takes up space I prefer to use for better things.”