CHAPTER SEVEN
MANON
“So, let me get this straight. You think a multi-million-dollar company is suing you for money that you don’t have, because of a Reddit post?”
There was a lengthy break of nothingness as I watched the depth of my words hit her harder than the storm that was beginning to build outside.
What in the world is wrong with her?
I thought I was imagining things when I first saw her fur coat whipping in the wind, because even after reading her short but panicked email I was still at a loss for words. There was no way the one person I’ve been avoiding was standing right outside my job like a stalker.
If this was any other client, this is when I’d call the cops, drop their case and move on about my life. For a moment, as soon as I got off the elevator, I stood there contemplating it. Everyone had already gone home, and I was pretty much the last person on my floor besides the cleaning crew.
It was the type of situation you heard about in movies. The lawyer who took on the broke client that became obsessed with her until she got the chance to kill her. I was writing the news article myself and with my experience I was right on the nail.
Was this what it all came down too? A crazed client losing her mind and waiting until I was alone to end me?
When I watched her pink hair create a suffocating mask that covered every inch of her face, I let my fears escape me. Within seconds, I had run over and unlocked the door to let the possible murderer right into the lobby. As I watched her stand there frozen in time, I knew then, that she didn't have the ability to kill anyone. She could hardly even walk in her cowgirl boots let alone murder someone.
My exhausted brain was making up fake scenarios.
“Well, when you put it like that...” Cassie's voice trailed off. I could see her eyes beginning to waver between embarrassment and shame.
“I guess I could have just emailed you about this, huh?”
The silence was loud, my upturned brows answered her question for her and quickly I could see her entire body deflate in defeat.
Stains of scarlet began to appear on her cheeks, and I had never felt guilt fill me so fast. My instinct to be harsh and dry wasn't helping the situation one bit, but I was still thrown off by her even being here.
I had just sent a follow up email to her today, which I knew she saw immediately, because I had my “opened” mode turned on. So, I thought it was strange when I saw that she read my first email and waited to reply until the next morning. Just to send me the most lackluster, childish message I had ever received, since I started working at Perian.
In the moment I thought it was a joke. I waited a few minutes to see if another email came in but when it never came, I immediately started writing my second one. As harsh or cutthroat as it seemed, I couldn’t risk her not being prepared. But I did push myself to wait at least a day in between to seem a little bit less crazy.
Although, now seeing how insane Cassie really was, I feel like I shouldn’t even worry, nothing could top her.
A small smile struggled to not spread wide as soft chuckles released from my lips.
“Don’t get me wrong, I think you waiting outside was more than enough payback for Friday morning.”
Her mellow green eyes were the shade of forest green when they finally raised to meet mine. They’d been glued to the carpet in my office as if I was punishing her. I mean, I should be with how scatterbrained she was acting. I needed her focused and stable, but right now she seemed to be down an endless rabbit hole.
Not even a smile cracked back at me. She seemed restless as her bottom lip was caught between her teeth. Just gnawing through her emotions, as my eyes scrutinized her.
Her delicate pale hands gripped the strap to her fringe bag, before beginning to stand up. “I guess I should probably go. I’m sorry about this, I got pulled into some mess about other people being sued, and I guess I just got paranoi—”
My voice raised to cut her off, suddenly my low and calm tone was loud and rushed.
“—Wait, there were multiple people who have been sued?”
I almost flung out of my seat with how fast I sprung forward. My ears rang with disbelief, as my mind filled with questions.
Cassie stared blankly, watching the expression on my face change rapidly.
“Yeah, I mean there were hundreds of people responding with similar stories about family members being sued or harassed by Blue Wheels.”
Her voice was still reserved, and apprehension made her linger between sitting back down and continuing to stand.
But the wheels were spinning. My brain couldn’t wrap around the idea.
“Show me the thread,” I demanded, not wasting any time by letting my questions go unanswered.
She shuffled around, quickly digging into her tote to pull out a thin black folder filled with papers. Her arm extended out until she placed it right in front of me. My head snapped up swiftly in confusion.
“I printed them out and highlighted the ones I thought seemed worth looking into.” Cassie spoke in a suffocated whisper—she was nervous.
My eyes shot up and from the folder as I studied her. Had she done all this research on her own?
Without another thought in mind, I gestured for her to sit back down, before beginning to flip through hundreds upon hundreds of pieces of evidence.
***
“So, what do you think?” Cassie blurted out. I slightly jerked forward, making her scarcely aware of her own voice.
It was so quiet I had almost forgotten Cassie was there. My head whipped around as I brought myself back to reality. I didn’t realize long I’d been sitting here flipping through pages of comments.
It had been hours. Every so often moving from my desk to laying on the floor, and back to sitting at my desk. I knew I was down bad because I only did that when I was deep in a pit of research–that I had no intention of being pulled out of any time soon.
Cassie silently passed me paper after paper as I dissected each comment thoroughly. Slowly creating two separate piles of evidence and just petty drama. We didn’t need to exchange words to work like a well-oiled machine. We flowed better than when I had to work with some of my other colleagues.
I scoffed, letting it a small huff of breath, “I mean… this is gold, Cassie.”
Her eyes widened, the small hairs that sat right above the inner tear ducts of her eyes, bowed. Her lips parted like she wanted to speak but the words were missing, so I continued.
“We definitely have to do some more digging to try and contact them all directly, but Cassie these stories all suggest that Blue Wheels is a scam.”
Her cool voice broke into a bright buzz that rang in my ears, “Oh my god—!”
Her body shot up and out of her seat. I don't think I’d ever seen anyone move so fast. My brows grew tight as I watched her feet shuffle across my room. and My arms quickly flung out in a knee jerk reaction to her fringe purse beginning to fall from my chair.
My stomach was stretched across my desk with my feet kicking in the air. I could hear every clink and jingle in her bag, and I wanted no part of it on my freshly steamed carpet.
“—I knew it! I totally knew it!” she exclaimed, her back still towards me; not a clue of the kind of position I was currently in.
I let out a small grunt as my fingers just barely grabbed a hold of one of the many tendrils of hanging fabric. I scooped it up just before it hit the ground, tossing it right back in the seat she just jumped out of. It was perfect timing.
“I knew they had to be some type of low-life, scumbag, pyramid scheme, scamming, compa—”
“—Woahhh!!” I cut her off, as she finally spun around just in time for me to get back on my feet.
My eyes did a quick once-over of the stack of papers that were spread across my desk.
“Where did you see pyramid scheme? Did I miss something?” I was flipping through paper faster than the words could leave my mouth.
Cassie’s hands started waving. “Oh no, I just made that one up. It was just a heat of the moment kind of thing, ya’ know?”
Sometimes she talks so fast I can hardly make out what she’s trying to say. But this time, I heard her loud and clear. My head tilted as my face twisted in annoyance. Cassie was acting the exact opposite to how I’d hope she would.
“No. I don't know, actually.”
Suddenly she stopped moving, my hardened tone causing her big smile to drop. The energy in the room shifted like the sky did during various times of the day. In my office, it felt thick, and gloomy like a storm was about to arise.
“Look, I’ll admit that you’re onto something and you made the right decision on coming down here.”
My voice dragged on as I watched Cassie’s face settle into a frown.
“But I need you to understand something. This isn't something lighthearted or passive that you can just talk about in any kind of way. Do you even realize how much is at stake here?”
I knew my eyes had to be bulging from their sockets with how much the veins in my face were straining. This was exactly what I wanted to avoid. I didn’t need some obvious conspiracy theorist hoarder as a client in such a life-altering case. I had to nip this right in the bud, if I was going to even try taking this further. Because based on our previous emails we were not starting on the best track.
I expected her to be upset or hurt by my rant. I’d never spoken to a client like this before, so I quickly prepared myself for a combative reaction.
What I didn't see coming was the way Cassie’s eyes began to mirror mine, but with a burning faraway look within them. Her lips wrinkled with tightness, but I couldn't tell if it was out of anger or anguish.
But soon, I was about to find out why, because when her body flopped back into the seat—right on top of her fringe purse, she looked determined. Not scared or worried about how left things were turning. Her face was full of strength, shining with a steadfast and serene peace.
She possessed some type of iron self-control as I watched as she forced herself to settle down. The air went still and for a moment we sat there just merely staring at each other.
When her mouth opened to speak, I was immediately taken aback with how calm and reserved her voice was.
“I mean this with the utmost respect for you and the time that you’ve spent helping me, but I have nothing. And as of right now, I don't even have a job. So, I don’t even know if I’ll have an apartment by next month.”
Slowly, my eyelids fell in shame.
How could I have been so self-centered?
“I know there’s a lot on the line for you too, but I can’t change overnight. I know I’m not your ideal or dream client, and you may not like the way I dress or how I talk. But this isn’t the ideal or dream situation for me either. I understand what you need from me to get your job done, which might be rough, but I’m adjusting as fast as I can. But as your client, I need you to do the same.”
The heavy lashes that shadowed my cheeks flew up, but I was too startled by her suggestion to offer any objection.
She continued, but this time her voice was faint. “I can’t be the only one trying here.”
She spoke with a quiet but desperate firmness, only making me feel shittier than I already did.
In such a short amount of time, this woman had been able to infiltrate my life with such a presence that’s caused a ripple effect in all realms within it. She’s made me uncomfortable with all the unwarranted feelings being brought up from my past. The day she entered my life, my almost yearlong streak of sticking to my routine was instantaneously ruined.
I had been looking at her as a curse this whole time and she was my biggest life lesson.
“You’re right,” I said finally breaking the awkward silence. My eyes never left hers. I watched as her facial expression shifted from stern and motionless to shocked. Her pink hair framed her face perfectly as her head shook slowly—clearly uncertain of how she should react.
“I am?” Cassie questioned as her eyes narrowed.
I almost chuckled, but this wasn’t time for laughing. This was time for me to take accountability.
“I wrongfully judged you from the second we met—” I started off strong, causing her eyes to widen.
“—I wanted no part of your case because I thought you were just like the other douchebags that my coworkers had to deal with. But I didn’t even give you the chance for you to prove me wrong. Before I misjudged you.”
Cassie's chin raised; she was starting to enjoy this too much.
“And as much as it hurts for me to hear, I needed the reality check. If we’re going to be working as partners through this case, then we need to be on the same side. Thank you for even communicating to me how you felt.”
Amusement began to flicker in her eyes, “Not us already having our first argument.”
A flash of humor crossed her face before she started giggling. She quickly raised her hand up to stifle her laugh, but it was too late.
Her laugh was infectious. Eventually, I couldn’t help myself from joining in.
The room filled with our sleep deprived deep voices, as our laughter slurred into one harmonious tune. We sounded exhausted but most of all, happy. It was the first time I had felt myself being genuinely happy with someone else other than Neil.
After a while Cassie’s laugh drags on until it slowly turns into a whine, like the sound of a cat crying. My eyes flew wide as I watched her hands shoot to her hair.
“What the hell am I going to do about my job? I’m going to be homeless.”
The mood had switched so suddenly, I didn’t give myself time to think before continuing to speak.
“Well, you’re obviously going to stay with me.”
I knew it was a rash decision I made, because even I was surprised. My eyes mirrored her golf ball sized ones, and we sat there in silence waiting for someone to speak.
But I refused to be the first, my heart was already hammering with nerves. Why would I just say that?
“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” Cassie broke the stillness, her face looked baffled as she became shadowed with confusion.
But instead of repeating myself or even brushing it off, I doubled down.
“Well, I’m not going to just let my client go homeless. We couldn’t win the case if that happened.”