“Dr. Lopez showed her a wedding photo and when she saw it she proceeded to announce to everyone in the lobby that her friend Nadia’s husband, Anil, got another woman pregnant while they were married. She was shocked you were still friends with him.”
“Oh my god. Why would she say that?”
“Gossip? She didn’t know I was the woman.” Jana swallowed. “She said Anil probablyhatedthat he was stuck with theother womanin his life forever because of thepoor child.”
Rohan picked up his phone. “I’m messaging her. How dare she—”
“Rohan, no. She didn’t know it was me.”
“Did Sam Uncle say anything?”
“No. I did, though. I told her the cute flower girl was thepoor childin question, and thatIwas the other woman.” She leaned down to rub behind Potato’s velvety ears. Jana knew she should ask Rohan if he knew anything about Anil and Nadia being together again, but honestly, it hurt too much to even think about it now. And she wanted to wait until she had spoken to Anil later. “Then I left. I may resign Monday.”
Rohan shook his head. “What? Why?”
“You don’t understand, Rohan.” She looked down at the dog. Dogs had life easy. All they wanted was a scratch on the head. “So many people heard her. Dr. Lopez, plus Dr. Peterson, who is the head of international development at U of T, but also the receptionist and a few other Think employees. Even my new research assistant. Sam Uncle might beunderstanding, but you know how much people love dirt like this. I…just can’t handle everyone talking about me anymore.”
“Oh, Jana.” Rohan’s voice was soft. Gentle.
She focused on the dog, who loved Jana no matter what she did. “I feel like…no one sees me. They only see this thing that happened to me. They either think my life isso hard, and I need to be pitied, or they think I’m a home-wrecker who split up a marriage. I can’t go to work if that’s all they see.” She sniffed loudly again, and Potato tilted his head with concern.
Rohan got up from the armchair and sat next to Jana, putting his arm around her. “I’m sorry everyone was cruel to you back then. You didn’t deserve that.”
Jana leaned into her friend and let her tears come.
Now that Jana was properly crying, Potato climbed on top of her, and Darcy joined him. Potato was a little heavy to be on her lap.
Jana chuckled. “You all are pretty good at comforting, but it’s a little crowded.”
Rohan laughed. He sat up straight and lifted Darcy onto his lap. Potato jumped back down to the floor and resumed his position facing Jana with his chin on her knees. She scratched his ears.
“We’ve known each other a long time,” Rohan said.
She nodded. “All my life.”
“And I think you and I are more alike than different. We’ve both always strived to be the best, and our professional image is important to us. For years, I struggled with a corporate shark reputation—I was nothing to some people but a heartless executive.”
That was ridiculous to Jana. Rohan was a bit buttoned up, but he was the most generous, giving person out there.
“Then I realized it was because I kept my personal and professional lives too separate. I never let anyone see any side of me but the professional one. People I work with needed to see me as a person—otherwise, all they’d see was a corporate shark. I know you’re private, but maybe letting people get to know the real you will help them see that you are a lot more than this reputation.”
“Yeah. Well, you know it’s hard for me to open up to people. That’s why they don’t like me.”
He shook his head. “Youknow that’s not true. Look at the wedding party. They all liked you. You enjoyed being with them, right?”
“Yeah, I guess I did.” She sniffled. “Too bad there’s not a Bridal Brigade party right now to take my mind off all this.”
Rohan frowned. “You know there can be, right? One text to Kamila and she can have a party here in less than half an hour.”
She’d been kidding when she’d said that. The last thing Jana wanted was a house full of people judging her for thinking about quitting her dream job. Jana had had enough of stepping out of her comfort zone for now—she’d been happier when she was lonely and bitter.
Jana shook her head. “Kamila is good but not that good. She can’t get a party together in half an hour.”
Rohan took his phone from the coffee table. “Shall we test her?”
Jana raised an eyebrow but then nodded. Mostly because she wanted to see if Kamila could really do it.
Rohan smiled as he texted his wife.
