“Can I come inside? I promise I won’t be long.”
“Sure.” She looked harmless enough, like an old hippie, so I took a few steps back. I didn’t offer her a seat.
“This belongs to you.” She placed a small velvet pouch in my palm. I knew immediately what it was.
“I can’t believe she kept it all these years.” I shook my head as I examined my mother’s ring and tears flooded my eyes.
“Apparently her mom did.”
“Wow.”
“There’s this, too.” She handed me a check. “Jordana said the amount will cover the money she took from you, with interest.”
“Thank you.” I nodded.
“One more thing.” She gave me a thick manila envelope.
“What’s this?”
“You’ll see.” She stood there for a moment and then said, “She’s not a bad person.”
“I think that depends on your definition of bad,” I replied. “Either way, she seems to live a pretty charmed life, so it’s hard to feel too sorry for her.”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
“Can they?”
“I’ve known Jordana since she moved here when she was a terrified seventeen-year-old-girl. I’ve watched her transform herself into a completely different person over the last two decades. She’s had some high highs and some very low lows. I’ve had to peel her off the floor more times than I care to recall. I bet you didn’t know that.”
“No.”
“I’m not expecting you to pity her. I know what she did to you. I’m only telling you that she’s troubled. She always has been and she probably always will be. I’m just glad she finally left.”
“Left what?”
“That disgusting husband of hers. That ridiculous facade of a life.”
“She’s gone?”
“Oh yeah. After your confrontation, she came straight to me and then went directly to the airport.”
“Where did she go?” I hadn’t expected that. I don’t know why. I suppose once a runner always a runner.
“I don’t know.”
“I doubt that.”
“Does it matter?”
“Not really.”
“What about the company?”
“It’s all in the folder. You’ll see. I’m not sure she appreciated your approach, but she obviously had great faith in you, even after everything.” She smiled faintly. “If you ask me, you did her a favor.”
“How so?”
“She wouldn’t have survived in that world for much longer. It was eating her alive. She was ready to go. Just scared. Deep down, she knew it. I’m glad you did, too.” Cathy turned toward the door, which was still open. “I’ll be going now.”
“Thank you for all of this.”
“You’re welcome.” She paused for a second and then looked back at me. “For what it’s worth, Jordana really liked you.”
EPILOGUE
Three months later, I sat at my desk half expecting Jordana to storm into the office and declare that it was all a mistake. That I’m the one who has to leave. But that never happened. Though the business is thriving, she has yet to return, and I doubt she ever will.
While there is a part of me that misses working with her, my sense of satisfaction at running the show buoys me. I finally found the purpose I’ve been seeking for so long.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this journey, it’s that life doesn’t follow a premeditated pattern. You can’t control your destiny.
Do I forgive Jordana? I don’t know. I do feel sorry for her, though, and I hope she finds what she’s looking for.
Inside the envelope Cathy gave me, there was paperwork from Jordana indicating that her payback to me—in addition to the money and the ring—was the company she grew from the bottom up. It’s now called Olivia Lewis Wedding Concierge. I think it has a nice ring to it. So did Lucy Noble and Donald Cooper and Alexa Griffin and Grey Wilder. They stuck with me, despite Jordana’s absence, because I’m good at what I do. And because they trust me. Thankfully, their loyalty was the catalyst for the company’s growth.
I suppose my gift to Jordana is guiltless, unencumbered freedom. I’m not looking to go after her for anything, not anymore. I’ve learned my lesson. Quit while you’re ahead.
Anyway, like my nana said: “Senseless revenge will whip its neck and snap you on the bottom.”
As I finished tying up some loose ends before closing up for the evening, my cell phone rang. The number was international, probably a misdial, but I answered anyway.
“Hello?”
“Olivia?” The connection was fuzzy, but the voice familiar. “It’s William. Can you hear me?”
“Barely.” I smiled.
“I’m calling to say thank you.”
“For what?”
“The ring. Everything.” Despite the fact that I didn’t approve of William marrying Tatiana, I did go to Harry Winston to pick out a wedding band that I knew he would love, and then I left it with his doorman. No matter what he thought of me, I had to do that for him. Not because I felt I owed him, but because I wanted to.
“You’re welcome. Although it looks like you won’t be needing it.”
“You tried to tell me.”
“I did.”
“Listen, Olivia. I’m not sure whether the reception will hold up. I’m traveling in Africa with my father for another few weeks. I needed a break. Some time to think. And you’ve been on my mind.”
“Really?” I shut my eyes to drown out my surroundings. I needed to hear everything he said as clearly as I could.
“Can I see you when I get back?”
“I don’t know.” I wanted to say yes. I wanted to jump up and down and scream it. But, what if revisiting the messiness of the past prevents me from moving forward? I made that mistake once already.
“Come on, I thought you were my faithful servant.” He laughed.
“Well, when you put it that way.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
“Okay.” The line went dead then. And all that was left was silence. Along with the delicious realization that William will come back to me.
As it turns out, happiness is a choice. It’s just not for sale.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
People often assume that writing a book is a solitary effort. But the truth is, by the time my novels reach the world, they’ve been touched by so many talented individuals in a variety of different ways.
Thank you first and foremost to my brilliant agent and cherished friend, Alyssa Reuben. How many drafts of this book did you read and edit with unbelievable precision? Actually, don’t tell me. I can say with absolute certainty that Pretty Revenge would not be what it is or where it is without your tireless efforts, not to mention your unyielding support. Because, let’s be honest, I’m a little type A and you know just how to talk me off the ledge. Each and every time.
My deepest gratitude also extends to my rock-star editor, Kate Dresser. You took what was a very rough first draft, saw exactly what needed to be done, and then guided me every step of the way, until the book was exactly where we both wanted it to be. It’s not easy switching publishing houses and editors, but you made the transition seamless for me, while championing me through each milestone. I’m so thrilled to be working with you and I look forward to shaping many more books together. As you say, Huzzah!
Many thanks to the team at Gallery and Simon & Schuster for welcoming me with open arms—Jen Bergstrom, Aimée Bell, Jennifer Long, Molly Gregory, and all of the amazing people in the publicity, marketing, and art departments. Stacey Sakal, you are an eagle-eyed copy editor; I’m so grateful for that!
Kathleen Carter, my publicist and friend for many years, you are a gift to authors. No one works harder than you do, and I appreciate your efforts more than you know.
Katelyn D
ougherty, you are a gem! Without your sage advice and phone-call therapy sessions, I would not have survived this process.
To the many authors who support and inspire me: Jane Green, Elin Hilderbrand, Lauren Weisberger, Emily Giffin, Sarah Pekkanen, Sarah McCoy, Lynne Constantine, Brenda Janowitz, Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke, Jamie Brenner, Abby Fabiaschi, and Susie Orman Schnall.
Thank you, also, to the readers’ groups, devoted book bloggers, editors, and event hosts: Robin Kall, Andrea Katz, Vilma Gonzalez, Melissa Amster, Jenny O’Regan, and many more. You make authors shine.
My readers are everything to me! Please keep reading and I’ll keep writing. Deal?
To my friends, who always lift me up: Melody Drake, Sara Haines, Kerry Kennedy, Jordana Gringer, Emily Rosnick, Allison Walmark, Anya Pechko, Alisyn Camerota, Stephanie Szostak, Heather Cody, Simona Levin, Andi Sklar, Kristina Grish, Anne Epstein, Jen Goldberg, Jenn Falik, Heather Bauer, Anne Greenberg, Hannah Lisette, Teresa Giudice, Margaret Josephs, David Goffin, Susie Landau, Michele Weisler, Karen Sutton, Devin Alexander, Marni Lane, Jamie Camche, Amy Falkenstein, Rachel Golan, and Julie Mountain, and special thanks to my first reader, Shari Arnold.
Maria Manzi, you keep everything running smoothly in our home and beyond. We could not love you more.
To my family, whom I’d be lost without—my parents, Tom and Kyle Einhorn; my grandmother, Ailene Rickel; my brother, Zack Einhorn; my soon-to-be sister-in-law (yay!), Nayani Vivekaandamorthy; and all of the Lieberts.
Finally, to my boys—my husband, Lewis, and our sons, Jaxsyn and Hugo. I love you all to the moon and back.
Gallery Books
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Emily Liebert
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Gallery Books trade paperback edition July 2019
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Interior design by Davina Mock-Maniscalco
Manufactured in the United States of America
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Liebert, Emily, author.
Title: Pretty revenge / Emily Liebert.
Description: First Gallery Books trade paperback edition. | New York : Gallery Books, 2019.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018044061| ISBN 9781982110291 (trade pbk.) | ISBN 9781982110307 (ebook)
Subjects: | GSAFD: Suspense fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3612.I33525 P74 2019 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lccn.loc.gov_2018044061&d=DwIFAg&c=jGUuvAdBXp_VqQ6t0yah2g&r=jOP_-CgRZWvBrDdCwa8xatiC6xfq_b-txHvQ-EzzwapJfII4Aa7gU5HEQRlR4PPw&m=egPCf5WLtdnB6sXb9dbo1LdudcqYRnpieqItG5T382E&s=k7SJnpYQdCBfmnx9SeIJHYd4mZh5PPaKxTwFrPABxIU&e=
ISBN 978-1-9821-1029-1
ISBN 978-1-9821-1030-7 (ebook)
Pretty Revenge (ARC) Page 24
