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Dina shuddered. “Leave me out of this,” she said. “A magazine photo shoot is one thing, but I have no desire to be part of a reality TV show, Hania. You should have run this past me, Mom and Dad before you started filming.”

“Mom and Dad are down. They think it will be good for Haq Law. And Arshad is a man whore for attention. This would be huge for me. I need this, Dina. I’m not a lawyer like you. Your life is set, but I’m out here hustling.”

Dina rolled her eyes and made a big show of looking around the immaculate yard, the mansion behind them. “You’re right, your life has been nothing but trials and tribulations,” she said.

“You can tease, but it’s hard being the black sheep of the Haq family,” Hania said. “Especially next to my perfect big sister.”

“I’m not perfect,” Dina said, surprised at Hania’s words. “It’s not like I had a lot of choices. While you were off finding yourself and sampling every undergrad major available before dropping out, one of us had to carry on the Haq Law legacy.”

Hania peered at her. “Did you?” she asked. “I know Dad put pressure on us to become lawyers and that was hard, but nobody, like, forced you, right?”

Dina stared at her sister, a mix of irritation and helplessness washing over her. Of course, Hania was right—nobody had forced her to take the LSAT or apply to law school or join her father’s firm. Except her father had thrown a big party when she got into U of T law, and an even bigger one when she graduated. Her LSAT results had been hotly anticipated by both her parents, and the expression on her dad’s face when she had walked the stage to deliver the valedictorian address at her graduation was one of her happiest memories.

Her sister was just made differently, and Dina had long ago made her peace with that—or so she had thought. She shook her head. Now was not the time to think about her simmering sibling resentments. She needed to survive the next few days, see Hania and Samir off on their honeymoon, and then disappoint her parents with news of her divorce. Lots to do, plenty of time to regret it all later.

“If this is what you really want, I’ll try to get on board,” she grumbled. “Though I’m not reality TV material.”

Hania hugged her. “We can totally shoot around you if you don’t want to participate,” she said. “Maybe you’re right—you’re too boring for reality TV. No offense. I mean, it’s not like Arshad is cheating on you, or you’re in love with someone else, or you’re keeping a big secret from everyone. I mean, can you imagine?” Her sister giggled, and Dina mustered a faint smile.

“I truly can’t,” Dina said.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Dinner was served on a dining table so long that Dina, seated at one end, had to shout to be heard at the other end, where Yahya and Rabia sat alongside her parents. Unfortunately, she was seated beside Arshad, but fortunately, he was busy flirting with Samir’s pretty cousins from New Mexico. Samir and Hania were seated across from her. A dozen other people were staying at Crescent House, and though Dina had been introduced to all of them, she couldn’t quite remember who was the cousin of whose sister and which brother had flown in from India. In any case, the other guests were so busy catching up and exchanging family gossip, they had little interest in the Haq family. At least the food was delicious. She made the mistake of trying to convey her compliments to the hosts.

“This lamb is delicious!” she called down the table.

“What’s that, dear?” Yahya said.

Thus followed a game of broken telephone as her words were relayed from guest to guest. By the time her message reached Yahya, the older man looked perturbed. “Your arm is gangrenous? We should have that looked at right away. Dawud, you’re a doctor—have a look,” he said, addressing a young man in spectacles sitting to his right.

Dina shook her hands. “I’m fine!” she yelled. “I was just saying I’m enjoying my meal.”

“Yes, a wedding is a big deal,” Rabia called, agreeing with her.

Samir laughed at the exchange and assured her that he would personally pass along her message to the chef after dinner.

Dina smiled her thanks and focused on her food, which was both plentiful and a good selection. In addition to roast lamb, the chef had prepared saag paneer, which was made by slow roasting spinach and rapini with tomatoes and serving it with paneer cheese, as well as a malai chicken, a curry made with cream and roasted spices, heaps of fresh chapati and naan, and a platter of vegetable pulao made with basmati rice. There were also trays of samosas and other savory pastries. Dina ate her fill, and when she looked over at her erstwhile ex-husband, she noticed he was too busy flirting with every woman seated nearby to finish the food on his plate. She helped herself to his chicken.

As she chewed, she reflected that there was a time when such behavior would have bothered her. Now it only made her shake her head. Arshad was who he was, his charm and need to be admired as inevitable as dessert following dinner. She felt Samir’s sharp eyes on her often, noticing her dynamic with Arshad, his expression assessing as it moved between them. She met his gaze and smiled before turning back to her food, grateful that the liveliness of the table gave her ample opportunity to remain quiet and to consider her conversation with her sister.

Hania’s announcement was less surprising than the questions it had aroused in Dina. Her sister was a restless, creative spirit who wasn’t happy with anything for too long. Hania was right to think about what came next.

What was truly surprising was how much her sister’s words had resonated. Dina meant what she said—part of the reason she had entered the law was because she knew it would make her father happy, and that it would ensure the Haq legacy would be preserved. It was just that, after her split with Arshad, she was tired and exhausted by what the job demanded of her, and she was left wondering what, if anything, came next.

Excusing herself, Dina escaped to one of the bathrooms on the main floor and locked herself inside. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Dina had never thought much about her looks, which was what happened when one was considered the “smart daughter” next to Hania’s beauty. Her eyes were a bit too wide, her forehead a bit too big, and her lips a bit too small. Yet she had managed to find her (smaller) share of admirers over the years, and to capture the attention of Arshad, even if he had been attracted by her wealth and family connections as much as her physical charms. She examined the skin around her eyes. Was she developing fine lines, or was she seeing things?

What she really needed was a pick-me-up; she decided to call her best friend. The phone rang a few times, and just when Dina was about to hang up, Lisa answered.

“I was just thinking of you. Tell me everyone is being dull so I’ll feel okay about missing all the fun,” Lisa said.

“No one has said anything interesting or witty since Toronto,” Dina assured her.

“That’s a relief,” Lisa said. “Not even your sister? She must have said something at least a little bit ridiculous.”

“Hania did just inform me she doesn’t want to be an influencer anymore,” Dina said.

Her friend snorted. “What does she want to do, become a lady of leisure? Start a cult? Become a self-help guru?” She paused. “She’d be really good at that last one, actually.”