sent apologies.
The first ones were terrible.
“I’m sorry everyone got upset.”
“I’m sorry the campaign idea was misunderstood.”
“I never intended to hurt Maya.”
I did not pass those to Maya.
Intent-centered apologies often ask the injured person to comfort the
person who caused the injury.
Then, eventually, Gwen wrote something different.
She addressed it to Maya but sent it through me.
I read it first because that was our agreement.
It said:
“I secretly arranged photographs of you without asking.
I used those photographs in a business proposal because I thought your
appearance would make my idea more powerful.
That was wrong.
Then, when the proposal was rejected partly because I had not obtained
proper consent, I blamed my embarrassment on you.
I insulted the same skin I had tried to profit from.
What I said at dinner was cruel.
You did not ruin the photographs.
I did.
