The idea moved me.
Esther had not been certain of what happened, but she had left clues for someone patient enough to ask.
Chapter 27: Beth’s Decision
Beth did not become a heroic witness overnight.
She lost sleep, worried about legal bills, and feared that future employers would see her name linked to allegations against Bellwether.
Her lawyer advised careful cooperation and warned her not to speak about documents she had no right to disclose.
Beth followed that advice, although it frustrated Rachel and me at times.
During one meeting she refused to answer a question about an unrelated client file.
I initially thought she was protecting Preston.
Nora explained that a witness who respects boundaries is often more credible than one who tells everyone everything.
Beth also admitted an error in her original timeline.
She had confused a Thursday call with one made Friday morning.
The correction meant she could not place Preston at a particular meeting as confidently as she first claimed.
She told investigators herself.
I watched her face as she made the admission.
She looked frightened but relieved.
Afterward she said she hoped the case would not collapse because of one mistake.
Nora told her the purpose of the process was not to build a perfect story.
It was to discover what actually happened.
Beth eventually obtained work at a different company.
Her new supervisor asked about the investigation during the interview.
She explained her limited role and showed that she had sought legal guidance before speaking.
He hired her.
She sent Rachel a short message saying she was grateful to have ordinary office problems again.
I understood.
Not every chapter in a person’s life needed to be a test of character.
Sometimes a person deserved an afternoon worrying only about a printer that refused to work.
Chapter 28: The New Calendar
When the next autumn arrived, I bought a paper calendar for my apartment wall.
I wrote ordinary appointments in it, including dental checkups, volunteer shifts, and my father’s physical therapy sessions.
I used to mark each legal deadline in red and stare at it until the day arrived.
Now I allowed the case to occupy only the space it required.
Daniel still called when documents needed my attention.
Nora still asked factual questions.
The disputes had not vanished.
They had stopped controlling the shape of every day.
One evening I discovered I had forgotten the exact date of the first meeting Rachel attended in my dining room.
