Chapter 7
Camila
My phone buzzes on my desk, and the screen lights up with Mamá Rosa. I almost let it go to voicemail, but I swipe anyway.
“Hello?”
“Camila?” Her voice carries that sharp edge I know too well. “Why are you trying to convince your sister not to marry? Do you want Selena to end up alone like you? Like me?”
I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Nice to hear from you too, Mamá.”
“Ay, ay, ay,” my mom clucks. “Landon is a good man who will take care of Selena. She’ll want for nothing the rest of her life.”
“I’m sorry, Mamá, but that’s not a good enough excuse to marry the man.”
“It is for me.”
“Of course it is for you,” I bite back.
“What happened to you? What happened to the little girl I raised? The one who would play pretend wedding with her dolls? Make a wedding veil out of napkins and paper towels?”
“She grew up.”
Her tone softens only enough to cut deeper. “Where did I go wrong, raising such a stubborn woman? You fight men, you hate them, you don’t believe in marriage—”
I let out a short laugh. “Hate men? No. Distrust men? Absolutely. And gee, I wonder why. Maybe because I watched you rush into marriages with winners like—what was Husband Number Three’s name again? The one who ‘borrowed’ your car and never came back?”
“Don’t you put your issues on me, Camila. They are yours and yours alone, and don’t you dare put them on your little sister. She’s making good choices for her life.”
Before I can shoot back about how Selena’s choices are going to land her in my office in a couple of years, my door cracks open, and Marcy, my secretary, leans in. I point at the phone, mouthing Mom, and she nods sympathetically.
“Mamá, I have to go. I have clients with real problems. We’ll talk later.”
“You run from me like you run from everything,” she huffs.
“Love you too,” I say dryly and hang up before she can say more. I sit back in my chair, looking at Marcy. “That woman is going to drive me insane.”
“I have some good news that will make you feel better.” She grins as if she can barely keep it in. “Richard’s secretary just called. They want you in his office right now.”
Three days back at work, and Richard Vanderveer hasn’t said a word about my future in this law firm. I’ve been discouraged, to say the least, but now my life suddenly makes sense again.
After a quick dance party with Marcy, I walk to the top floor and lightly tap my knuckles on his door before stepping inside. “You wanted to see me?”
“Ah, Camila. Come in.” But it’s not just Richard. It’s every partner plus the co-owner, Jerry Wendtz. A room full of men, casually sitting on Italian leather couches. This isn’t the time to show weakness. Moments like these are meant for my best foot forward.
I roll my shoulders back, carefully placing a confident smile on my lips as I glance around the room. “Gentlemen.”
“Take a seat.” Richard gestures to the empty chair in front of me. “There are some things we’d like to discuss with you.”
My mind goes through the mental list of achievements and accolades I’ve earned over the years at this law firm. I’m ready to argue my case as to why I deserve to be the first female partner.
“Richard has been telling us what an all-star you are,” Jerry starts.
A strategic smile drifts across my mouth. “I’m more than an all-star. I’m an indispensable asset to this company.”
Jerry laughs. “I think we’re seeing that to be true.”
“Camila, where do you see yourself in five, ten, twenty years from now?” Richard leans back in his chair.
“I see myself as one of the top divorce attorneys in the West.”
There are a few nods of approval from the men around the room.
“Do you plan to get married? Have a family? Kids?”
A thinly veiled question asked only to a woman.
“While I do think women can have a family and a career, that’s not a path I’m personally interested in.”
“Yes”—Richard glances at the other men, donning his politically correct smile—“we firmly believe that women can have it all. Women should be able to choose their path.” I nod, though I know he’s lying through his teeth. “So we’re trying to ascertain what ‘having it all’ means to you.”
“Having it all means becoming a partner involved in major decisions that will shape the future of this firm.”
“Being a partner means more responsibility and, at times, longer hours. If your attention is divided between, let’s say, a home and your career, a partnership might not be the best avenue for you. There are other ways you can still help shape the future of this firm.”
“Richard, if you’re asking if I plan to get married and have kids, I can assure you that’s not part of my goals.
My goal is to advance my career as an attorney.
Being made a partner is the first step in achieving that.
I’ve proved myself as a skilled lawyer, brought in lucrative clients, and have represented this firm’s reputation flawlessly.
” My eyes narrow. “But if you gentlemen can’t see the value I bring, I’ll take my skills elsewhere. ”
Richard and Jerry exchange smirks as Richard’s secretary discreetly walks into the room and hands him a note.
“Camila, you are exactly the firecracker this firm needs,” Jerry says. “I love a person who plays hardball.”
“Yeah, bring him in.” Richard waves to someone at the door. “Camila, we’re going to have to pause for a moment. It looks like you have a delivery.”
My brows skip up. “I do?”
A man holding a vase full of beautiful flowers steps into the room and looks directly at me. “Camila Jiménez?”
“Yes.” I can’t help the excitement bubbling in my chest from receiving such a beautiful array. I have no clue who it could be from, but they chose well. It’s a beautiful combination of sunflowers, gerbera daisies, and yellow roses. Some of my favorites.
He hands me the flowers.
“Who’s it from?” Jerry asks.
“I don’t know.” I fish through the bouquet for the card and open it up. “It’s blank.”
Then the deliveryman hands me an envelope. “Camila Jiménez, you’ve been served.” He doesn’t even hang around to see my reaction, which is complete astonishment.
Served? Why would I ever be served? There’s a definite blow to my ego from thinking someone sent me flowers to getting served legal papers.
Richard’s voice sounds stern. “What is the meaning of this?”
“I’m not sure.”
I set the vase on the side table so I can focus on opening the envelope and begin reading the letter inside.
Dear Mr. Harrison Taylor and Ms. Camila Jiménez,
This letter is to inform you that our client, Mr. Glen Lucas, has filed a petition with the Probate Court seeking a judicial declaration that your marriage is not valid and was not entered into in good faith.
Because this issue directly affects your eligibility to receive funds from the Glen Lucas Irrevocable Trust, the Trustee has been instructed to stop all remaining payments until the Court makes its decision.
If the Court rules that the marriage is invalid, Mr. Lucas will ask that any money already distributed be returned, along with related costs.
You will receive official notice from the Court once a hearing date is set. Until then, please do not attempt to access or request any additional trust funds.
Sincerely,
Hawthorne & Bell, LLP
Counsel for Mr. Glen Lucas
I gasp as I read the lines again that Glen Lucas is seeking a judicial declaration that my marriage is not valid and was not entered into in good faith.
There’s immediate panic.
I can’t afford to pay back the funds.
It’s not like I have that kind of money just sitting in my bank account.
The first big payout went to paying for law school, paying for my diabetes when I didn’t have health insurance, helping my mom buy a house, paying for Selena’s life in high school, paying for Selena to go to cosmetology school, and, of course, one hundred thousand went to Hess for his part in the marriage.
Since then, the monthly payments have been used to buy a car, help me buy the condo I’m currently living in, and a small portion a year went to Hess.
“What is it?” Richard asks, reminding me that I’m in a room full of my colleagues and superiors.
“Nothing!” I quickly fold the paper and shove it safely back inside the envelope. “Just a paperwork mix-up with my family’s estate. You know, something filed years ago by a lawyer who’s a friend of the family. Nothing I can’t easily fix myself.”
Jerry laughs. “Sounds like a nuisance that’s below your pay grade.”
“Yes.” I fake a chuckle. “Anyway, should we continue our conversation?”
Richard dives back into his vision for my future with the firm, but the damage is already done. I can’t focus on a word he says. And I definitely can’t tell the man who doesn’t want me to have a family and a career that the marriage I’m not supposed to have is being challenged.