A Fortunate Accident – Chapter 23

“I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that much in one sitting in my life.”

I groan as I lower myself to a sofa in Sejal’s room on the third floor of this massive house. My sensitive hearing from the plants is still hanging on. I winced through most of dinner and had to stop myself from raising my voice just because it felt like everyone else was shouting. It’s been a weird reaction. The plant made everything from the quietest whisper to the loudest yell the same volume. I hope it’s out of my system soon.

Saif sits next to me and takes my hand in his.

“Mom was so pleased. If you had eaten little bites all night, she would have cast you out. And asking for more chilis was a bold move. Your stomach must be on fire.” He squeezes my hand, his eyes gleaming with happiness.

I sigh. “I may regret that decision later, but you know I like it hot.” I wink at him.

“Now, now. It’s getting too spicy in here for my tastes.” Sejal shoos her brother away. “Go now. Skylar and I have business to discuss.”

“Okay.” He stands up. “Kalvin, Takemo, and I are going to light up the bonfire on the deck. Meet us out there when you’re done.”

When the door clicks behind him, I lean back on the sofa and place my hand over my expanding belly.

“You look positively pregnant,” Sejal says with a laugh.

“I hope it’s just a food baby. I haven’t signed any contracts yet.” I sit up a little. “Thank you,” I say, pressing a serious nature into my voice.

“For what?” She sits up too.

“For the first time I was here. The whole day was really embarrassing for me, and knowing you cared made me feel a lot better. So, thank you.”

She smacks her leg. “My brother can be such an idiot sometimes.” She blows out an exasperated breath and lifts her eyes to the ceiling. “Watch out for his petty and jealous side. It comes out when you least expect it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I grumble. “Anyway, I don’t want to keep you from your family. Arjun is lovely, by the way.”

“Thank you,” she says, pride lifting her chin. “He is pretty great. You’ll meet more of my network in the future. And yes, I asked you up here for business reasons. So, I know about your ship and your… dispute with your mother.”

I glance away, shame coloring my cheeks.

“I am incensed with rage about the way you’ve been treated. I do not take these kinds of transgressions lightly, especially when they are perpetrated against people I hope to call family.”

This catches my attention.

“Saif cares for you deeply, and dare I say it, he has for many, many years. He used to come home from far-school and chat about you endlessly. Even when he dated others in the interim years, I knew that he was a goner for you. He would talk about your strength and the things you learned and your humor.” She shakes her head. “He has never spoken about anyone else in the same way.”

I press my lips together. My belly is so full that crying will only make me sick, so I stay quiet.

“So, I would like to talk business. I am taking over Bhaat Jewelers in two years. My mother is retiring, and this business is mine. Well, it has been for some time, but it’ll be official then. I have made a name for this business in the last five to seven years by being in the gossip sites, getting influencers to wear our jewelry, and doing everything I can and could do to elevate Bhaat Jewelry to be the most sought-after business in the Duo Systems.”

“You’ve done an amazing job,” I say, reaching out to touch her leg briefly. Her shoulders relax a little.

“But with that notoriety has come unwanted attention, for both my family and my employees. One of my top jewelers was on his way home to Palo Alto last week when he was approached by our competitors and harassed into fearing for his life.”

“Really? That’s horrible.” Who thought jewelers would be so popular?

She sighs. “He was so shaken, and it spurred me into an idea. I hope you will listen with an open mind.”

This is intriguing.

“Go on.”

“I would like to fund your business in the hopes that you can also buy a second ship and work exclusively for Bhaat Jewelers for a time. Sure, we could hire Flyght ships, but even then, I am dubious about the privacy they afford. Instead, we would use your ships for business and pleasure trips, like getting my staff off public transport and to their homes safely. Or flying the family to vacation spots. That sort of thing.” She waves her hand in the air. “Of course, you would not be a family servant. You would be family.” She raises her chin. “A trusted individual. You and your whole network, not just Saif.”

I think for a moment, drumming my fingers on my knee. “So, we’d put together a contract and everything?”

“Yes,” she says with a nod. “I would make it all official.”

I sigh. “This is all assuming Saif sticks around, though.”

Sejal’s eyes widen. Oops, what are you doing, Skylar? I panic, wanting to reel back the statement.

“Well, I… Hmmm, Saif is great,” I assure her. “I doubt anything will go wrong.”

Her demeanor cools. “No. That obviously slipped out for a reason. Why wouldn’t he stick around?”

I press my lips together and scoot away from her a bit. “I don’t think you realize the kind of mess my family is. The kind of mess I am.”

I examine her and decide instantly that she’s a trustworthy soul. And if Saif leaves me, I won’t have to see her again anyway.

“I’m not good at relationships. In fact, I’ve never been in a committed relationship. Before Saif, I only had one-night stands. And when I decided those weren’t a good idea anymore, I visited sexbots for three years.”

If she’s horrified, she doesn’t show it. Her face is neutral.

“I wasn’t the model of a perfect first daughter, though I’m trying to be better now. Still, my mom’s third consort wants me dead and his daughter in my place. My mother is starting legal action to repossess my ship, and she’s disowning me. I have a dangerous job in the jungles of Rio, and I don’t know if I’ll survive long enough to even take advantage of your kind offer.”

I clasp my hands together and squeeze enough for my knuckles to whiten.

“Saif is amazing, but he wants so much from me. I don’t know if I can give him the life he wants.” I laugh, and it comes out bitter. “I’m barely a degree above frigid, and he’s so warm and kind. I wonder if it’s a good match for him.”

I groan and rest my face in my hand.

“I’m stupid for even saying anything to you.”

When I look up, Sejal waves away my concern like it’s nothing.

“You’re the perfect match for my brother. Trust me,” she says, leaning in and stressing the words. She shakes her head in annoyance. “You’re worrying for no reason. Everything that happened before right now is irrelevant. You are a phoenix rising from the ashes.” She lifts her hand into the air. “Women in the Bhaat family do not take this sort of thing lying down. We gather up all our resources and fight back.”

“Excuse me, but… Women in the Bhaat family? That’s awesome, but I’m not —”

She reaches over and smacks my leg. “My mother fed you six courses and couldn’t keep her eyes off of you. You’re in. Now we’ll go downstairs and have a drink to celebrate our new partnership.”

She rises from the sofa, but I stare at her in confusion.

What just happened?

“Come, come,” she says, waving me forward. “As much as I want to hang out all evening, I have pajamas calling my name in an hour. Early day tomorrow.”

I feel like I’ve just been bamboozled, and I kinda liked it.

I follow her out as she sweeps from the room and down the stairs. We sidestep the sleeping dogs in the front hall and approach the open doors to the back deck. Voices filter in, and I recognize my name. Grasping Sejal’s arm, I pull her to a stop.

“What?” she asks, but I hold up my finger to my lips and close my eyes.

“She was just so skinny, and her brown eyes were like two big shining discs, you know?” Saif pauses, and the fire crackles. “I used to sneak cookies out of the cafeteria for her after they were closed because she was always hungry.”

“Do you think they starved her on purpose? Or was it…” Kalvin’s voice quiets.

“Oh, it wasn’t her fault, like an eating disorder or anything. She wanted to eat. They forced her to cook for them and then locked her in the utility closet. She never told me this back then. Only just two weeks ago.”

“Fuck me,” Takemo whispers.

“She was always eating at far-school. Maybe she hoped to put on some weight so she’d feel less starved back home. I’m not sure. All I know is that whatever she wants from here on out, she gets.”

I open my eyes and nod to Sejal. Her face has fallen into a frown. She caught as much of that as I did.

“I’ll get the drinks,” she says, pulling away from me.

I try to make as much noise as possible approaching the back deck so they can stop talking about me and not feel as if they’ve been caught. But seeing the far-off haunted look in Marcelo’s eyes slows me down.

I was going to ignore it, but I’ve changed my mind.

“Hey,” I say, and they all stand up. “Oh, don’t get up.”

Kalvin and Saif make room for me between them, so I sit.

“And you can stop guessing. Yes, I ate more away from home, so I had more fat to burn for the long periods of starvation. But they stopped denying me food when I turned fourteen. Mom was catching on and wondering why I was so skinny, and I wasn’t developing.” I gesture to my body. “Dominic was almost caught then. He hated that I had to eat because he used to devour my servings. The gluttonous fucking pig he is. But the layers of his lies weren’t fully built yet.” I shrug. “Mom wasn’t with him one-hundred percent. She is now.”

Sejal arrives with my drink, whisky on the rocks. She taps her glass against mine and sits next to Marcelo. Takemo stares into the fire.

“So, let’s enjoy the fire for a bit, and then I’d like to head back to the hotel to sleep.”

“Sure, Skylar,” Kalvin says, glancing at Saif. “Whatever you want.”