Chapter 19 - Lauren’s Debt
A week later, something unexpected happened.
One of Lauren’s old coworkers reached out to me through social media. We hadn’t spoken in years, but she had seen some of the drama online and wanted to talk.
We met for coffee.
She told me something that made my blood run cold.
“Lauren has been in a lot of debt for a while,” she said. “She’s been borrowing money from family members — including your parents — and not paying it back. There was talk at work about her possibly taking money from a client account a few years ago, but nothing was ever proven.”
I stared at her.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked.
She looked uncomfortable.
“Because I’ve seen the way she treats people when she feels cornered. And right now, she feels very cornered. I just… I thought you should know what you’re dealing with.”
After we parted ways, I sat in my car for a long time.
Lauren’s perfect image wasn’t just cracking.
It was built on lies.
Debt. Manipulation. Possibly worse.
And she had been taking it out on Grace — the easiest target.
That night, I added this new information to my folder.
I didn’t know yet how I would use it.
But I knew it changed things.
Lauren wasn’t just cruel.
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She was desperate.
And desperate people with something to hide were the most dangerous kind.
