“The party my mom threw for you for getting into Oxford, that was supposed to be my graduation party. Giving it to you was my punishment for being parked with Mr. Kama Sutra after I’d been forbidden to see him. Except it wasn’t me. And no one believed me when I told them that.” It was such a silly thing to get in trouble for—just one of many silly things that proved that no one trusted or respected Kamila. Ever.

Jana shook her head. “I’m sorry, Kamila. I didn’t know that. They told me you didn’t want a party. I didn’t realize that was all supposed to be for you.”

Kamila just blinked. It was no surprise her parents had lied to everyone. “If you’d known, what would you have done?”

Jana looked down. “I would have taken your party anyway. I didn’t like you. Mostly because you were what everyone wanted me to be.”

“I didn’t like you for the same reason.” Kamila sighed. “They pitted us against each other. I think maybe we didn’t have a chance.”

They were both silent for a while. Kamila couldn’t help but wonder if they had a chance now.

Finally, Jana spoke. “Hey, you know I’ve never even seen your office? It’s nearby, isn’t it? Maybe we can pop in next.”

Kamila frowned. “It’s not far. But why would you want to go there now?”

“Because I want to see it. I want to see the place that you say means so much to you.”

Kamila shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

They didn’t mention the past again as they finished their dinner. And after a quick stop at Boba Noodle (weirdly, Kevin wasn’t there) to get teas, they headed to Emerald. Walking in for the first time since she’d learned she was most likely going to lose it, Kamila was immediately overcome with sadness, despite the calm that came whenever she walked into her office. The pale flooring. The pink, green, and lavender geometric feature wall. The plants on every surface. All it needed was the sunlight that normally streamed in from the large window in the lobby area. She really loved this place. She couldn’t believe Dad and Rohan were closing it.

“Wow,” Jana said. “It’s stunning in here. I’d heard you redecorated, but…” Jana walked into the waiting area, running her hands over the glossy white end table. “Wow.”

“It’s really great, isn’t it?”

“I was expecting it to look more like your house. Bright and quirky is more your aesthetic. Not this.”

“Yeah, I like bright at home. But I wanted to go with pale and soothing here—financial talk is stressful, and a calming palette seemed a better fit.”

“I can’t believe this is an accounting office. It’s so…feminine. But modern, too. Show me around.”