Abigail’s face turned pale as she stared at the check in disbelief. “What are you talking about,” she asked, her voice trembling.
Scott rushed to explain before I could respond, trying to control the situation. “They are not saying you are a problem, it is just that our worlds are different and we are meeting people who may not understand.”
“They may not understand what exactly,” I asked, keeping my tone calm and steady.
He hesitated before answering, clearly uncomfortable but committed to his position. “Your lifestyle and your background might not fit into those environments.”
My background, I thought quietly, holding back a laugh that would have revealed too much. I looked at Abigail and saw the moment her trust in him began to fracture under the weight of his words.
Two minutes later, my phone buzzed on the table, interrupting the carefully constructed atmosphere. Earlier that day, I had asked my chief legal officer and board chair to be available for a call, sensing that something important might unfold.
I placed the check back into the envelope neatly and answered the call on speaker. “Good evening, Ms. Mills,” said Calvin Brooks, our board chair, his voice clear and professional.