Wanda could have told Kate about Flora’s false testimony but decided against it. She didn’t want to add stress to her friend’s shoulders, especially as her due date approached.
Before she left, she promised Kate she would follow her lead, leaving the case to the attorneys and turning her focus back to where it should be—to her daily life.
Chapter 47
Wanda studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her cheeks looked a bit rounder, the dark circles under her eyes had lessened. She managed to wash her hair regularly. She was beginning to look more like Wanda Julienne with each passing day. Her meeting with Kate and her interview with The Times reporter had marked a turning point. Her case was anything but resolved, but she now realized that she had made some courageous decisions over the past several months, and her actions might help others in similar situations. That made her proud.
But sadness remained in her eyes. She couldn’t hide it with extra layers of mascara or oversized sunglasses. And even if she could hide the sadness from others, she couldn’t hide it from herself. She felt it in her heart when she looked at Nelly and saw the smile that should have made her smile. Instead, that smile reminded her of Max. He continued to send her checks, and they piled up on the counter. She preferred a steady diet of pasta and potatoes, interrupted only by better meals at Galina’s table, to falling into a routine of dependence.
Wanda planned to continue down this road of stubborn dissidence, to carry on with a deepening sadness in her heart. She had grown used to this routine of ignoring her own desires and her own happiness.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She was expecting Galina, who had told her to get dressed, put on some makeup and sit tight. Galina hadn’t explained the reason for her impending visit, but Wanda figured it was related to her case. Strange it would be in this part of town though, she thought.
Galina marched into the apartment, threw her summer white handbag to the floor and asked Wanda to join her on the couch.
“What’s this about? Everything OK with the case?” Just as Wanda was about to enter panic mode, Galina put a hand on her arm and spoke.
“This isn’t about the case. It’s about Max.”
“What about him?”
“I ran into Rich this morning. Max is about to sign on for another medical mission.”
Wanda felt as if her heart had dropped into her stomach.
“He’s not going to wait around forever, Wanda.”
“But he just got the job at the hospital. I thought—”
“He signed a nine-month renewable contract at the hospital. It ends in September.”
“So he’s not renewing.” Her voice was dull, empty, a reflection of her heart.
“Well, wouldn’t you do the same if the person you loved kept slamming the door in your face? Would you want to remain in the same city?”
“Maybe not.” Wanda stood up and paced, hands to her face. All of a sudden, she accepted the feelings she hadn’t wanted to accept. All of a sudden, she understood that she couldn’t avoid risk entirely. All of a sudden, she acknowledged that she should have followed her heart.
“It’s too late,” she hissed. “I’ve made a mistake, and it’s too late.”
“No it isn’t, silly,” Galina said. She stood before Wanda and forced her to look into her eyes. “I didn’t come here to drop bad news in your lap and then take off. I’m all about action, and you know it. Rich told me nothing is official yet. Max has another week to decide. And I happen to know he’s off work today. I suggest you hightail it over to his apartment and take control of your future.”
“But what about Nelly? I—”
“What do you think I’m here for?” Galina pushed a few bills into Wanda’s hand. “I’ve called a taxi. It’s waiting for you.”
Chapter 48
Wanda’s heart pounded as the taxi driver sped through town and up the hilly streets of Montmartre. He swerved around a corner and parked in front of the building Wanda hadn’t been to for months. She climbed the rickety wooden staircase that slanted in certain spots and smoothed out when least expected. Then she stood at Max’s door.
What would she say? The short taxi ride hadn’t given her enough time to plan. But she knew that even a two-day taxi ride wouldn’t have given her enough time. The door opened before she had a chance to knock. Max stepped back, and she nearly jumped.
“I guess we’re both surprised,” he said. He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and looked a bit disheveled as he often did on his days off.
“You were going out. I can come back if it’s not a good time.” Wanda’s words stumbled over each other, and she looked down in discomfort.
“No, it wasn’t anything urgent.” He took a step back. “C’mon in. Excuse the mess, though. I’ve been working a lot lately so not much time for house cleaning.”
“As if I’m the greatest housekeeper?” she said, following him to the couch. He pushed aside a pile of newspapers, and she sat at the edge of a cushion, hands folded in her lap. She was a nervous wreck, and that was impossible to hide.
“So I’m guessing you’re here for a reason,” he said. He had given up on coaxing her into a relationship. It was clear by the distance in his eyes and the nonchalance of his words.
“I’m sorry,” she said before she could lose the courage to pronounce the words. Her eyes remained focused on the embroidered edge of her beige skirt, the light color a contrast to her even paler skin. “I pushed you away, and I shouldn’t have. I refused to believe in you, and I refused to believe in myself. For me, everything—everyone—represented a potential for betrayal. I didn’t think you could love me enough to want to go through all of this with me.”
Then she looked up, into eyes that showed a hint of the emotion of the past.
“If it’s too late, I understand. But if it isn’t too late, I wanted to say… I love you.”
And then, before he could reply, Wanda stood up and rushed out the door.
“Wanda!” He called out her name and hurried down the steps, but Wanda had become an expert at running away. She made it to the pavement in record time and lost herself in the sinewy streets of Montmartre.
~~~~
“He wasn’t home,” she told Galina when she returned to her apartment an hour later.
“Damn!” Galina shook her head. “Maybe he was out on an errand. Go back. I can stay with Nelly.”
“No, I can handle this, all right? I’ll call him.”
Galina sighed, looking into Wanda’s eyes as if she could read them. She probably can, Wanda thought. She probably knows you’re lying. But Wanda couldn’t explain to Galina her reason for running. She couldn’t even explain it to herself. She’d cried the entire way home, then hastily wiped her eyes at her front door and told her friend she had cried out of disappointment.
“I’ll stay here with you,” Galina said.
“No, I’m fine.” Wanda’s words came out with more firmness than she’d intended. Galina knitted her eyebrows as she gathered up her handbag.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so snappy. I’m just exhausted.”
“That’s OK, Wanda.” Galina took her by the hands and looked at her with sympathetic eyes. “Get some rest—please. And don’t forget to call him.”
“I won’t,” Wanda promised.
Wanda went about her daily routine as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn’t proclaimed her love to Max and then run out the door. She didn’t allow herself to cry, didn’t allow herself to regret the words that seemed so awkward as she played them over and over in her mind. She glanced at her phone, hoping for a call or message from Max even though she would never admit it. And then it was bedtime, and she cried herself to sleep.
Chapter 49
Three days passed. Wanda avoided offering Galina information about the Max situation. “I left him a message, and I haven’t heard back.” Galina had seemed puzzled but didn’t press for further details. And her friend didn’t have time to
get too involved now that the workweek had begun. Galina had thrown herself into Wanda’s case with gusto—as Wanda had expected—so had little time for unrelated conversations.
Friday evening rolled around, and Wanda treated herself to a bath. The one good thing about the ramshackle apartment was it had a decent bathtub. She filled the tub with lavender bath salts and settled in for a soak. Nelly had finished her bottle in record time and slipped into a peaceful sleep.
Wanda tried to block out thoughts of the case and thoughts of Max, the two subjects troubling her. She attempted a meditation technique until the water became so cold that she decided bath time was over. She wrapped herself in her terrycloth robe, unwound her hair from its knot on the top of her head and sank onto the couch. A gentle knock at the door. Or maybe just a sound outside?
Wanda didn’t move. The knocking—it was indeed knocking—was louder this time. She approached the door and glanced out the peephole. Max. She wouldn’t get her hopes up. He was probably here to tell her of his decision: that he would be leaving in September.
With trepidation, she opened the door.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Nelly sleeping?”
“Yeah.”
She took a step back, and he followed her inside. He’d worked today—she could tell by the fatigue in his eyes—but he’d stopped home to shower—she could tell by the soapy scent.
Wanda turned to face him as they stood beside the couch as if not knowing whether to sit or stand. She crossed her arms and tried to look unbothered, indifferent even.
“Look, I understand if what I said was too late. No hard feelings, OK?” She would rather stem the bleeding than face total humiliation. Better to save a bit of her pride.
But Max just shook his head, took her hands and drew her closer. His eyes carried that expression, that sparkle, they had months ago, and Wanda’s heart skipped a beat.
“Wanda, I love you,” he said. “I tried to tell you the other day—”
“Why didn’t you—”
“Come by earlier? I almost did. But I had something to take care of. You see, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay here without you. I was ready to sign up for another medical trip, but for the wrong reason. I was looking for an escape. I wanted to escape the pain of life without you and Nelly. It was wrong, I know. These missions are extremely important and deserve doctors who commit for the right reasons.”
Wanda’s mind was racing. He wasn’t going. He had chosen her. She let herself take a step closer, and closer, until she was in his arms, her heart pounding against his.
Chapter 50
Approaching the broad nineteenth century building, Wanda walked between Galina and Constance as if they were her bodyguards. The attorneys wore their traditional black robes, creating a picture of austerity. There was much ceremony and history in a French courtroom. Wanda refused to look left or right, only straight ahead at the massive ancient structure, flanked by naked plane trees.
They climbed to the top floor, and Wanda gazed out the wall of windows to the street below. Passersby carrying shopping bags or briefcases went about the daily routine; for most people, today was like any other.
In the hallway, Wanda spotted three Whilt human resources employees, the company’s attorneys and Louis. She shuddered at the sight of them. Physically, they had been out of her life for months, yet their presence remained, a grim shadow following her every move. They looked the same as always and chatted pleasantly amongst themselves. When they tossed a glance in her direction, she nodded politely, then turned away.
In her corner, she had her attorneys and Max for moral support. Her heart should have been beating a mile a minute, but she felt strangely calm and confident. The panic and worries of the past months had reached a maximum only to collapse as she had collapsed into Max’s arms. And from that point until the trial, a sense of stability had taken over.
Before they entered the courtroom, Galina pulled her aside.
“Whilt’s attorneys will say some unpleasant things about you, they will say things we know aren’t true.” Galina’s voice was firm, but her eyes were kind. “No matter what they say, you are to remain quiet. Constance and I are handling this case—not you. You are only to speak if an attorney or judge asks you to speak. Is that understood?”
Wanda had prepared herself for the worst; she was ready for any insult, any lie. She nodded and shot one last glance at Max, who would remain in the back of the room. His eyes communicated a multitude of messages that filled her with strength.
The courtroom, with its antique wood and scalloped designs on high ceilings, normally would have captured Wanda’s eye, but she hardly noticed a thing as she slid onto the bench next to her attorneys. Her eyes were on the judge, the lawyers, Louis, and her own hands fidgeting in her lap.
Wanda remained passive as both sides presented their points. She cringed as the Whilt attorney spoke of her “abysmal fund performance,” without mentioning that Thomas had been the one to sink her funds while she was away. And she clenched her jaw when the Whilt attorney suggested that any sexual harassment was a figment of Wanda’s overactive imagination. Galina glanced at her, but Wanda wouldn’t even catch her eye. She kept her gaze down at her knees, where her fingers twisted her black silk skirt into knots.
It was only when Constance called a witness to the stand that Wanda’s eyes rose to meet those of her best friend.
The risk had frightened Wanda, but it hadn’t frightened Galina. Maddie would take the stand.
Epilogue
One Year Later
“Have a good evening,” Wanda called out over her shoulder to Kate as she dashed down the hall. It was their first week in business together. Kate had put up the cash to start a fund management operation, catering to women and families. It was the two of them so far, but they had already received applications from analysts and fund managers—some Whilt employees on the edge as Wanda and Kate had both been such a short time ago.
They shared office space with Galina, in a sixteenth arrondissement building around the corner from Wanda’s old apartment. From the windows, the top of the Eiffel Tower peeked through the trees. But Wanda hadn’t returned to the old neighborhood full time; she hadn’t sought another apartment where she could look out the window and wave to her best friend.
She and Galina were closer than ever, yet Wanda no longer had to cling to her as a psychological crutch. Their friendship was no longer off-balance, with Galina as the strong leader and Wanda as the weak follower. They were now on the same level, sharing successes and failures. And it felt good.
“I have to thank you,” Galina had said to her one day as they unpacked boxes in the new office space.
“For what?” Wanda asked, wiping sweat from her brow. “Getting you into this moving mess?”
“No, for daring to stand up to me, for spurring me to wake up and take charge of my life.”
“I can thank you for the same thing,” Wanda said. “Except you didn’t have to ‘dare’ as it’s not that difficult to stand up to me.”
Galina laughed. “We’re even then?”
“Even.”
Wanda thought back to the conversation as she rushed down the stairs and into the street, the chill of fall making her shiver in her unbuttoned trench coat. She was about to head back to the apartment she and Max had recently rented on the Rue des Martyrs, the street she had discovered during her interview with The Times reporter. She loved their eighteenth century building, and their apartment in particular, with its small balcony overlooking the busy street below. It was a nice change, doing business in one neighborhood and then going home to another, far from thoughts of the office. Because once she was home, she didn’t think of work any more. She thought of Max, Nelly and the positive pregnancy test she’d taken that morning. She set a hand on her stomach and smiled. She would have news for Max when he returned from the hospital tonight.
Wanda buttoned her coat, looked toward the subway station, and then walked in
the opposite direction, accompanying the wind and crackling leaves along the wide sidewalk.
Wanda rarely thought of Whilt and the experience that had torn apart her life for more than a year. Even though Galina had been an integral part of it, she never sparked memories of those dark days. Sometimes Wanda would remember how Galina had taken the bet Wanda had feared—asking Maddie to testify—and how that bet had led them to an easy victory. She could still see the look of shock on the Whilt attorney’s face.
Wanda never told the press—and her attorneys never told the courtroom—about everything that had gone on at Whilt. She hadn’t spoken of Raymond Grant snatching her hotel room, Jim Tuxford singing Singing in the Rain in the middle of the office, or Tricia Warren sleeping her way to the top. She didn’t talk about Xavier exposing the bitcoin scandal and losing his job, Elodie throwing herself out a window or Maddie negotiating her way out of a difficult situation.
Those events illustrated the dysfunctional nature of Whilt, but Wanda and her attorneys didn’t need them to prove that management had mistreated her. She had plenty of concrete evidence, so why go with the outrageous occurrences that people outside of Whilt might not believe?
Wanda stopped in front of the familiar glass tower and looked up at the windows that had held her captive for so many years. She hadn’t been back here since she had shut down her computer for the last time.
If you haven’t experienced the lunacy, it’s easy to view it as that: lunacy, delirious visions in a confused mind, Wanda whispered to herself. But if you’ve spent any time at the Creepshow, and you’re not drinking too much of their Kool-Aid, you’ll know it’s true. Then she turned around and walked away, her silhouette blending with the others against the Parisian sky.
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