Chapter 14 - Diane Did Not Become the Innocent Saint
Grant and Diane repaired their relationship slowly.
Not because Melissa vanished.
Because Diane had her own work.
The foundation review found her banking practices careless.
Weak password.
Shared devices.
Informal handling of sensitive tokens.
She resigned as volunteer treasurer.
Not from the board.
A professional finance officer took over treasury functions.
Diane remained involved in sailing scholarships and facilities.
Less control.
Better fit.
Then Grant confronted her about Melissa.
“You treated her like she had to prove she belonged every day.”
Diane answered:
“I didn’t trust her.”
“Before she gave you a reason.”
Diane stopped.
True.
She saw Melissa as ambitious.
Ambition in Grant?
Leadership.
Ambition in Melissa?
Threat.
Gender?
Class?
Possibly both.
Melissa came from a less wealthy family and had built her career aggressively.
Diane recognized parts of herself and disliked:
them.
Then Evan.
Diane apologized for allowing adult conflict to spill around him.
Not because she caused Melissa’s outburst.
Because she had argued with Melissa publicly enough that Evan knew the sides before he understood the issues.
Adults had made the yacht club lobby feel like family territory.
It was supposed to be:
a workplace,
a community institution,
and a place a nine-year-old could take sailing lessons without learning board politics.
May you like
That boundary improved too.
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