I thought of the years nobody could give back.

“I don’t need him to like me,” I said.

“I need the record corrected.”

Lena sent a courteous rejection.

She also warned me not to mistake rejecting a settlement for a guarantee of victory.

Litigation had costs and risks; even strong evidence could produce incomplete relief.

I understood.

That night, I slept with fewer nightmares than I had in months.