Janet’s Point of View
Tracy drove fast as we left the hospital parking lot. Once we were on the main road, she glanced at me with worried eyes.
“What the hell happened there?” she asked, her voice soft with concern.
I leaned my head against the window, watching the building
blur past. The cool glass felt good against my hot forehead.
“They asked if I was married,” I said, my voice tight. “Like it matters for the job.”
“They what?” Tracy’s hands gripped the steering wheel tighter.
I sat up straighter, anger bubbling up inside me again. “The director, Alice, asked if I was married or in a long–term relationship. Said their clients prefer counselors who share ‘certain life experiences.” I made air quotes with my fingers, not hiding the bitterness in my voice.
Tracy shook her head, her lips pressed into a thin line. “That’s ridiculous! Your job doesn’t depend on your relationship status. It never should.”
“That’s what I said!” I threw my hands up. “I told her I thought professional skills should matter more than marital status.”
“And what did she say to that?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “She said it does matter, but their clients pay a lot of money, so they get to be picky about
who treats them.”
Tracy made a disgusted sound. “That’s discriminatory and probably illegal. We could report them if you want.”
I sighed, the fight draining out of me. “It’s not worth it. I don’t want to work somewhere that thinks like that anyway.”
“You’re right,” Tracy nodded, her voice gentle now. “You deserve better than that place.”
We drove in silence for a while. I watched the neighborhoods change through the window–from downtown’s busy streets to the quieter, tree–lined roads of the wealthy part of the city where Tracy and my brothers lived.
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” Tracy said as we turned onto their street.
I gave her a small smile. “It’s okay. Something better will come along.”
She pulled into the driveway of the big house–my new home, though it still felt strange to think of it that way.
We got out of the car, and I headed straight upstairs while Tracy went to the kitchen. All I wanted was to be alone for a while, to process everything that had happened. My mind was still spinning from the interview, from the way Director Alice had
looked at me when I said I was leaving.
I pushed open the door to my new bedroom–a guest room that Tracy and my brothers had quickly made up for me when I arrived yesterday. It was bigger than my room at Rowan’s house, with a soft blue bedspread and curtains that matched.
I dropped my purse on the bed and kicked off my heels. My feet were aching from the new shoes I’d bought at the mall. As I
bent down to rub my sore toes, the door opened behind me.
I turned, expecting to see Tracy, but instead, Jasper stood there. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, his face lit up with a smile when he saw me.
“Hey, sis! You’re back early,” he said, walking into the room. Then his smile faded as he saw my face. “What’s wrong? How
was the interview?”
I straightened up, trying to put on a brave face. “It was… not great.”
Jasper’s eyebrows pulled together with concern. “What happened? Did you not like the place?”
1/3
Chapter 0018
+25 BONUS
I sat down on the edge of the bed, and Jasper came to sit beside me. He was so big that the mattress dipped under his weight.
“The place was beautiful,” I said. “Very fancy, very clean. But they asked about my marriage status.”
“Your what?” Jasper’s voice went up.
“They wanted to know if I was married. Said their clients prefer therapists who are married, with kids. More ‘relatable.“” My voice caught on the last word.
Jasper’s face darkened like a storm cloud. “That’s messed up.”
