Once, long before, he had been a close friend and a trusted colleague — until the day he stood up and publicly accused my husband of embezzling from the warehouse accounts.

I had not believed him.

I could not believe him; believing him would have meant believing something unbearable about the man I loved.

So I had defended Victor with everything I had.

I had testified against Marcus in the internal audit.

I had helped end his career and drive him out, and for five years, whenever his name came up, I had called him a bitter, jealous liar.

He had tried to warn me.