Once I hit send, I stood up, forcing a polite smile onto my face despite the anger I was feeling. “It was... nice meeting you,” I said, though the words felt hollow. He didn’t even look up from his laptop, and I didn’t wait for a reply.

I walked out of the restaurant, my steps faster than I intended, but I needed to get out of there. The second I reached the parking lot, the driver was already waiting by the car. He opened the door for me, and I slipped inside without a word.

As we ...