Chapter 25 - Margaret’s Deposition
Margaret’s civil deposition lasted six hours.
Thomas’s attorneys questioned her aggressively.
They wanted to establish that she created the culture enabling him.
Margaret did not fight obvious truths.
“Did you instruct Mr. Avery to use Daniel’s invalid proxy?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know it had not been properly executed?”
“Yes.”
“Did you instruct him to conceal that fact from the board?”
Margaret paused.
“I instructed him to present the proxy.”
“That was not my question.”
“No.”
Her lawyer glanced at her.
Margaret continued.
“I did not explicitly tell him to lie if asked.”
“But you expected him not to volunteer the problem?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted the vote.”
The attorney seemed almost disappointed by the directness.
Later:
“Did you authorize undisclosed consulting arrangements?”
“Some.”
“Did you know Mr. Avery advised Vale House Events?”
“At a limited level.”
“Did you disclose that conflict?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I did not consider it material at the time.”
“Was that a mistake?”
“Yes.”
Again, no fight.
When the deposition ended, Daniel waited outside.
“How was it?”
“Six hours of discovering how irritating honesty can be.”
He smiled.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
Margaret looked tired.
“I used to think admitting mistakes would make people trust me less.”
“Does it?”
“Some people.”
“And others?”
“Apparently you.”
Daniel hugged her.
She froze for half a second.
Then hugged back.
Their relationship had become less polished.
Better.
Vanessa faced her own deposition regarding White Rose.
Thomas’s counsel attempted to shift blame.
“You initiated discussion of Daniel Harrington’s shares, correct?”
“Yes.”
“You wanted those shares used as collateral.”
“Yes.”
“You supplied signature samples.”
“Yes.”
“You requested the lender avoid contacting Daniel before the wedding.”
“Yes.”
“Then Mr. Avery did not force you.”
“No.”
Her lawyer watched carefully.
Vanessa continued.
“He lied to me about Daniel’s knowledge. He manipulated Vale House finances. He exploited my fear.”
The attorney nodded.
“But you chose.”
“Yes.”
The word had become central to her recovery.
Choice did not mean manipulation was irrelevant.
It meant Vanessa refused to disappear behind it.
The deposition moved to Margaret.
“You struck Mrs. Harrington because she threatened you.”
“No.”
The attorney frowned.
“She did threaten public disclosure.”
“Yes.”
“You were afraid.”
“Yes.”
“And then you struck her.”
“Yes.”
“So her threat caused your action.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“It influenced my emotional state. I caused my action.”
Camille looked almost proud.
Outside, reporters waited.
Vanessa used a side exit.
She no longer believed public humiliation had to be defeated every time.
Sometimes the healthiest response was leaving through another door.
By late summer, major civil claims settled.
Thomas agreed to substantial restitution to Harrington Hospitality and Vale House concerning documented improper transactions.
Insurance covered some losses.
He surrendered professional licenses relevant to certain advisory roles.
The company did not recover everything.
Neither did Vanessa.
Money could return.
Time could not.
Trust could not be reimbursed by wire.
Margaret received no money personally.
Her claim was not financial.
Vanessa’s settlement required no payment to Margaret beyond matters arising from the wedding assault already handled separately.
That pleased both women.
No one wanted their conflict reduced to a price.
Charles Wynn sold part of his Harrington stake.
An institutional investor purchased it under company procedures.
The Harrington family’s control decreased.
Margaret expected grief.
Instead she felt relief.
The company became less like a dynasty.
More like a business.
Daniel joined the board but never sought executive management.
He founded a small investment firm focusing on hospitality technology.
Margaret hated the logo.
He did not ask her opinion.
When she gave it anyway, he stared.
She stopped.
“Sorry.”
“Growth.”
“Don’t become Vanessa.”
They both laughed.
Vanessa eventually learned Daniel had started the firm.
She sent one message.
Congratulations. I hope nobody forges anything.
Daniel laughed aloud.
He replied:
Our compliance officer has a poster of Thomas in the break room.
Vanessa:
Cruel.
Daniel:
Fictional.
That was all.
Their contact had become light, rare and bounded.
Not friendship exactly.
Not enemies.
Two people who knew more about one another than most spouses ever would and had chosen to stop being married.
One afternoon Margaret received an invitation.
Vale House Events was reopening its renovated Manhattan studio.
Vanessa had not sent it personally.
It was a standard industry invitation.
Margaret showed Daniel.
“Do you think I should go?”
“Do you want to?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then don’t ask me what I think.”
She glared.
“You have become unbearable.”
“Healthy boundaries are annoying.”
Margaret left the invitation on her desk.
For three days she ignored it.
Then she RSVP’d.
Yes.
Not because she wanted friendship.
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Because she wanted to see what Vanessa had built after letting part of it fail.
And perhaps because some stories deserved one scene after the courtroom.
