Janet forces a recently tended, housebound man out into bright sunlight, provoking his cry, "Leave me alone!" Bystanders sneer about his ruined legs and pity his future. Janet argues she needs his famed business judgment—"in the novel, his business sense is insane"—to pick a location for her dessert shop. A supervisor threatens, "Help her, and you're fired," raising the stakes. After struggle and public shame, the man reluctantly agrees to assist. Their decision sends them back into scrutiny and job risk, leaving the outcome unresolved.