“We’ll manage. If things get really out of control, Amma can always step in, no?” And while I’d detest seeing my mother every day at the office, no one could argue that she was the sharpest out of the lot of us. She’d helped my father with his bookkeeping from the day they got married. It was only then that Fonseka Jewellers really started to grow. Sure, my father’s family was well-off before—I doubt my mother would have agreed to marry him otherwise—but it was only after she joined the ranks that they became well and truly rich. My father liked to joke that my mother was his lucky charm. I knew better. With brains like hers, you didn’t really need luck. Too bad societal pressures forced her to be a stay-at-home mum and shift her focus to so much mindless gossip. If she’d been in charge, we’d have taken over the whole damn country.

“Are you fucking serious?”

“Why the hell do you care so much? Did you have a crush on him or something?” That should irritate her enough.

“Come on. You know I’ve never even met the guy. He’d just started, no? Thaththa’s driver told me.”

“Oh god, Tehani, you really need to stop gossiping with the help.” What the hell would people think if they saw her hobnobbing with a driver?

“You’re starting to sound like Amma. And you know Mr. Ananda’s wife’s sick, right? Cancer, stage four, I heard. He probably needed his job, Kaavi, what with the medical bills and all.”

“Well, he should have thought about her before he was such a colossal dick to me.” I nonchalantly chugged down my champagne while she rolled her eyes and started to text someone.

The room felt very quiet. I didn’t know his wife was sick. If I did, I’d have—well, I guess I wasn’t sure. I took out my phone and sent a hasty email to Lakshi, who worked at Pink Sapphires.

Hey, could you remind me to call Mr. Ananda when I get back? I need to check in on some misplaced files with him.

The least I could do is offer him some money to hold him over until he finds another job, which I’m sure wouldn’t take very long anyway. According to my father he was well qualified, despite his inability to spot basic mistakes.

“So, your appointment at Trinity Gallery is at three, right? What are your plans after?” Tehani asked.

“I’m meeting some friends from university for dinner and drinks.”

“Oh, okay. Then I’ll make an appointment at the spa and order room service, if that’s okay with you?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Thank god she didn’t ask to tag along and make me have to come up with another string of lies.

My phone beeped right on cue.

Reservations made for 7 p.m. Hope you’re ready to have your brains fucked out. xSteve

Let’s hope this asshole’s moves in bed were better than his supposed dirty talk. After all the chaos since the engagement, I deserved to blow off some steam.