Once the news spread, my phone didn't stop buzzing.

The Anniversary Crew chat came back to life.

Grace!! We had NO idea. Daniel was awful to you.

Drinks soon? We miss you xx

Honestly we always thought Vanessa was trash.

The same twelve people who had laughed at me in a chat they thought I'd never see. Hannah messaged me privately: Want me to post the screenshots? Please say yes.

No, I wrote back. Watch this.

Then I wrote one message in the group:

Thank you all for ten years of friendship. I've seen the other chat. I wish you well. Goodbye. And I left.

Within a minute, three of them had messaged me to apologise. One sent flowers the next day. I gave them to the lady in the school office.

That afternoon, Arthur Bell called.

“Mrs Hart, the board met this morning. We need a chief executive while we search for a permanent one. We'd like it to be you.”

I laughed. “Arthur, I haven't worked in an office in twelve years.”

“You've read every report this company has produced for three years,” he said. “You understood them better than the man running it. Think about it.”

I didn't need to think for long.