About a month ago was before Reena and Nadim started dating. If the fiancé Jasmine was talking about was Nadim, maybe they’d split up since then?

“There’s even more,” Saira said. She took the phone and cued up another picture.

It was another screenshot—this one from Facebook. From the Ismaili Muslim Business Owner Network. The post was by Salim Shah. It was a family picture—Salim, his wife, his daughter Jasmine, and Nadim, with his swanky beard and precision hair. The caption was something about how much Salim was looking forward to his daughter’s upcoming wedding to his former business manager, Nadim Remtulla.

Reena nearly threw up her fake ice cream.

“Look at the date and time. That’s London time,” Saira said.

She did some calculations in her head. It was posted last Saturday night, Toronto time. She looked at her sister.

“Yeah, I checked, Reena. Dad is in this group.”

Three days ago, Salim Shah posted in a Facebook group Jasmine was marrying Nadim. This is how Dad found out. And this was the truth. Fuck.

CHAPTER THIRTY

It’s not a new picture,” Saira said.

“Of course it’s not. Nadim was with me Saturday night.” But that didn’t mean he wasn’t engaged to Jasmine. Because why would Jasmine’s family lie about this? After all, his engagement to Reena was fake. He admitted that himself, the day this picture was posted.

Reena didn’t know what to say. Looking at the picture in front of her, she saw a happy, healthy family. She saw a couple well suited for each other. Intelligent. Beautiful. Aspirational. In love. She put the phone down, her vision blurring.

“I’m sorry, Reena. I can’t believe he didn’t tell you he was engaged. Fucker.”

Reena fell back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. “I’m an idiot.”

Her sister was on the floor, feet stretched in front of her, wiggling her toes. Which just reminded Reena of Nadim’s foot thing. Ugh. How could the man who’d lovingly admired her arches done this to her? He’d even painted her toenails last week. They’d argued about calling it nail polish or nail varnish.

Saira looked at her. “You’re not an idiot. You’re trusting. He’s the idiot for not realizing your value.” She smiled sadly. “I know you like to avoid heavy stuff, but I do think you need to speak to him. No doubt he lied to you, but this doesn’t add up. It’s going to eat away at you forever unless you know the truth.”

“You sound like Khizar. Or a therapist.”

Saira grinned. “Janeya’s amazing. You should get a therapist. Everyone should. All I’m saying is speak to Nadim. Then we can kick him off a cliff.”

Reena sat up and drained her glass of juice, remembering the look on Nadim’s face when she tried to ask him about his past on Saturday night. “I’m not sure he’ll tell me. Although, we caught his lies, so what does he have to lose at this point?”

Saira shrugged. “You. He has you to lose. I think he’ll talk.”