I nodded, feeling the truth of her words settle deep inside me, warming the anxiety I hadn't even realized I was carrying. "I think I have the wrong order there."
"Throw that self-doubt in the gutter, my dear. You are beautiful—naturally, undeniably beautiful. And yes, you'll need guidance, strategy, and a little patience. But remember this: the rest of us—me included, and that skank Richard was seeing before your engagement—were all just noise. A distraction. You? You are your own force of nature."
My eyes widened in surprise. "You know about Gwen?" I asked.
"I suspected, but the real question is," she said, tilting her head, "why do you know about Gwen?"
"Ah—well—he told me!"
"Yeah, where was I?" she murmured, eyes narrowing slightly as she searched for her train of thought.
"The skank Richard was sleeping with?" I offered.
