Updated Feb 25, 2026 • ~3 min read
POV: Gabi
Kennedy invites me to the support group meeting.
All seven victims.
Plus me.
“You’re one of us,” she says. “He stole from you too.”
We meet at a community center in Capitol Hill.
Small room. Folding chairs. Coffee and donuts.
I’m nervous.
These women lost money because of my face.
But when I walk in, they applaud.
“The woman who took him down!”
“Our hero!”
I’m overwhelmed.
Kennedy introduces everyone.
Maya: Lost $12,000. Single mom. Needed it for her daughter’s medical bills.
Simone: Lost $8,000. Was saving for grad school.
Jade: Lost $20,000. Inheritance from her grandmother.
Lauren: Lost $6,000. Down payment for a car.
Petra: Lost $11,000. Small business startup funds.
Nadia: Lost $9,000. Savings for IVF treatments.
Each story is heartbreaking.
“I’m so sorry,” I say. “For what he did. Using my face. My identity.”
“Stop,” Maya says firmly. “You’re not responsible.”
“But—”
“No buts. HE did this. Not you.”
The others nod.
“We don’t blame you,” Simone adds. “We blame him.”
Relief washes over me.
“Thank you.”
We spend two hours sharing stories.
Not just about Brandon.
About healing.
Moving forward.
“I blocked him on everything,” Kennedy says. “All the apps. All the numbers. I don’t want to hear from him ever again.”
“I hired a financial advisor,” Jade adds. “To rebuild my savings. Properly this time.”
“I’m in therapy,” Lauren admits. “Trust issues are real.”
“Same,” says Nadia. “My therapist says it’s trauma. Not just from the money. From the betrayal.”
“How do you trust again?” I ask. “After something like this?”
Silence.
“You start small,” Petra finally says. “Trust yourself first. Then slowly let others in.”
“What if you’re scared?” I whisper.
“Then you’re human,” Maya answers. “Fear is normal. But don’t let it stop you from living.”
Kennedy looks at me.
“Are you seeing someone?”
“What? No. I mean—I’m still technically married—”
“The hot PI,” she clarifies. “The one who helped you. Are you into him?”
Everyone leans in.
“I… maybe? I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
“Life’s complicated,” Simone says. “Doesn’t mean you can’t be happy.”
“It’s too soon.”
“Says who?”
Good question.
“Society? Common sense? I’m not even divorced yet.”
“Brandon’s in jail for fraud,” Jade points out. “I think traditional timelines are out the window.”
They all laugh.
“Just think about it,” Kennedy says. “You deserve good things. Good people. Don’t punish yourself for his crimes.”
At the end of the meeting, we take a group photo.
Eight women.
Survivors.
“Posting this?” Maya asks.
“Hell yes,” Kennedy says. “Let the world see we’re not broken.”
She captions it: Scammed but not defeated. Sisters in survival. #BrandonValeScam
Within hours: 50,000 likes.
Comments pour in.
“Queens!”
“So proud of you all!”
“Survivors, not victims!”
And for the first time since this started, I feel powerful instead of pitiful.
END OF CHAPTER 13
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