Chương 9
Adrian’s smile disappeared.
She held the elevator door.
“You can call it observing. You can call it curiosity. You sat outside because you wanted to see what people did when they didn’t know who you were.”
He said nothing.
“You had the luxury of making yourself anonymous.”
His hand rested on the wheel.
Evelyn continued.
“Most people who get treated badly because someone thinks they don’t matter don’t get to reveal they own the building.”
The elevator chimed impatiently.
Adrian looked at her.
“No,” he said.
“You should think about that.”
The doors closed between them.
He did.
The following week became worse for everyone except the people watching from a distance.
The video passed two million views.
Madison deleted her public accounts.
That caused more attention.
A gossip site published photographs of her attending charity galas under the headline QUEEN OF KINDNESS?
Reed Hospitality released a second statement insisting she held no role in the company.
Her husband, Charles Reed, was photographed leaving an office without his wedding ring.
That photograph had been taken three months earlier at a gym.
Nobody cared.
Luxe Hair Studio received hundreds of one-star reviews from people who had never visited.
It also received five-star reviews from people who had never visited.
Evelyn hated both.
“Why are strangers defending us?” she asked Jenna one morning.
Jenna looked up from the reception computer.
“Because other strangers are attacking us.”
“That is insane.”
“Pretty much.”
“Can we remove all of them?”
“Which ones?”
“The internet.”
Jenna smiled.
“I’ll submit a request.”
Real clients reacted more slowly.
Three canceled appointments because they did not want to be photographed entering.
Six booked specifically because they wanted to support the salon.
One woman arrived, sat in Evelyn’s chair, and spent forty minutes explaining that she had always known Madison was “like that.”
Evelyn remembered seeing the same woman kiss Madison on both cheeks at a fundraiser two months earlier.
She did not mention it.
Madison did not come in.
Brooke did.
She arrived without makeup, wearing jeans and a navy sweater, and asked to speak privately.
Evelyn took her into the office.
Brooke sat in the chair Adrian had used.
Her eyes went immediately to the dying orchid.
“You need to throw that away.”
“I’m aware.”
“It’s depressing.”
“So are you. I haven’t thrown you away.”
Brooke laughed weakly.
Then she began crying.
Evelyn handed her a tissue.
“Please don’t do that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t mean stop.”
“I know.”
Brooke pressed the tissue beneath one eye.
“I look horrible.”
“You look normal.”
“That’s worse.”
Evelyn sat across from her.
“What happened?”
“Madison says we betrayed her.”
“Who is we?”
“Me. Ashley. You. Everyone.”
“Did you?”
Brooke looked down.
“I don’t know.”
“Try harder.”
Brooke gave a shaky breath.
“She wants me to say Adrian was hostile.”
“Was he?”
“No.”
“Then don’t.”
“That’s what everyone says.”
“Everyone?”
“Ashley. My husband. My sister. My therapist.”
“You have a large advisory board.”
Brooke almost smiled.
“She says I’m letting one bad moment destroy fifteen years of friendship.”
Evelyn folded her arms.
“How many bad moments have there been?”
Brooke’s eyes lifted.
“That’s what Ashley asked.”
“And?”
“I don’t know.”
Evelyn waited.
Brooke rubbed the tissue between her fingers.
“There have been things.”
“What things?”
“Comments. People. Waiters. Drivers. Assistants.”
“Water?”
“No.”
“Then Tuesday was worse.”
“Yes.”
“Different?”
Brooke took too long.
Evelyn saw the answer.
“No,” Brooke whispered.
The room seemed smaller.
Brooke continued.
“That’s what scares me.”
Evelyn looked at her.
“I keep trying to make Tuesday this crazy thing she did out of nowhere because then I don’t have to think about all the smaller things.”
A hair dryer started outside the office.
Brooke looked toward the door.
“She once made a bartender cry because he didn’t have the tequila she wanted.”
“That sounds like Madison.”
“I laughed then too.”
Evelyn said nothing.
Brooke stared at the tissue.
“I laugh a lot when she’s mean.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“You do.”
Brooke sighed.
“Because if you’re laughing, she’s not talking about you.”
Evelyn sat back.
That was not an answer she expected.
Brooke looked embarrassed by it.
“I know how pathetic that sounds.”
“It sounds useful.”
“Useful?”
“To understand.”
Brooke looked at her.
“Do you think Adrian hates me?”
“I don’t think Adrian spends enough time thinking about you to hate you.”
Brooke winced.
“Wow.”
“You asked.”
“Could’ve softened it.”
“Would you have believed me?”
“No.”
Evelyn stood and walked to the orchid.
One leaf came off when she touched it.
She dropped it into the trash.
“Do you want to apologize to him?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Brooke thought.
“Because I laughed.”
“That’s what you did. Why do you want to apologize?”
Brooke looked tired.
“Because I don’t like what it says about me.”
Evelyn turned.
“That is about you.”
“I know.”
“Try again.”
Brooke looked irritated.
“I don’t know what answer you want.”
“I don’t want one.”
“That sounds very wise.”
“It isn’t. I’m busy.”
Brooke laughed for real this time.
Then the laugh stopped.
“I think I want him to know I knew it was wrong and did it anyway.”
Evelyn nodded.
“That sounds closer.”
Ashley gave Adrian her statement three days later.
Not publicly.
Not online.
She sent it to Daniel Pike and copied Evelyn.
It was four paragraphs, factual and uncomfortable.
She admitted laughing.
She described Madison’s comments.
She stated Adrian had not threatened anyone.
She also wrote that Brooke had suggested going inside before Madison poured the water.
That detail mattered to Adrian more than he expected.
It complicated the easy version.
Brooke had laughed.
Brooke had also tried, weakly, to redirect the moment before it happened.
People were inconvenient that way.
Adrian forwarded the statement to counsel and wrote only:
Preserve. No release.
Daniel called immediately.
“Why are we sitting on this?”
“Because Ashley asked not to become a weapon.”
“She sent us a statement.”
“For the record.”
“She copied Evelyn.”
“Yes.”
May you like
“This could stop the claim that you threatened Madison.”
“Has Madison made that claim publicly?”
