Chapter 4
MINJI
There is a knock on my door, and I pray that it’s not Aaron. I don’t think I can even stomach looking at him after the humiliation of this morning. All I want to do is crawl under my desk and die. Instead, I straighten my back and call out, “Come in.”
Katia peeks her head in. “Minji, Aaron told me to let you know he’s gone home for the day. He’ll be back in two days.”
“Thank you, Katia.”
“He seemed… I don’t know, a bit annoyed, maybe upset?
” she adds, lingering in the doorway. I know she’s fishing for office gossip, which she won’t be getting from me.
And why would Aaron be upset? He wasn’t the one exposed.
He didn’t have his breasts on display. The nerve of men at times. It’s the audacity for me.
“Is there anything else?” I ask, my tone making it clear the conversation is over.
She shakes her head as she retreats, “Nope, nothing else.” She closes the door behind her.
I sink further into my chair, finally allowing my shoulders to slump.
Two days of having my office to myself. Thank heavens.
I’ve faced billionaires, celebrities, and ruthless opposing counsel without breaking a sweat, but one romance writer catches me in my bra, and I’m suddenly freaking out.
Maybe it’s because I can’t quite put my finger on where I know him from. It’s going to bug me until I find out.
I open his website on my laptop and look at his smiling face on the ‘About Me’ page.
Aaron Singleton has perfect teeth, smooth brown skin, and hazel eyes that seem to see right through you, even in photos.
I notice he went to Columbia University, just like me…
could it be? No, that guy wanted to be a chemist; there’s no way he switched to something as silly as being a romance writer.
If only I knew that Aaron’s last name from college.
Damn, I should never have deleted my Facebook; this would be a perfect time to have it.
I keep scrolling through his long list of NYT bestsellers and check the ‘personal life’ section, which reveals nothing.
I mean I can always ask him, but how awkward that would be especially if I never slept with him.
I close out the tab and press the heels of my hands to my face.
I pray it’s not that Aaron. He’ll be out of the office for two days so I guess I can do some research if I’m right.
Maybe even check the alumni records—if it’s him, that should be enough.
I make a note on my legal pad. Ask Aaron about Columbia?
Then immediately cross it out. If I’m mistaken…
Well, I’ll look like the egomaniac who assumes every man is someone she once rejected.
And if it is? What then? I pick up my phone to call Demi, but then I can picture her reaction now, eyes wide and she’ll probably spew nonsense about how this is destiny, fate or some shit along those lines. I’ll tell her later when I’m mentally prepared.
I force myself back to my task list for the Hui-Wang case, but my concentration is shot.
Every time I try to review the discovery schedule, my brain conjures up that same stupid question.
The pull is magnetic and masochistic; now that I’ve considered the possibility, I will never unknow it.
I check the time—almost lunch. I should probably try to eat something, but I’d rather work through to keep my thoughts from spiraling.
A chime pulls me out of my spiral. It’s an email from Caleb, reminding me that Aaron’s ‘shadow period’ is non-negotiable and that I should make the most of it by ‘demonstrating our best professional practices.’ In other words, don’t scare away their little celebrity pet.
I refrain from slamming my keyboard on the desk.
Instead, I type a passive-aggressive reply, “Thanks for the reminder, I will make sure Mr. Singleton is fully briefed on our firm’s procedures,” and hit send before I can regret it.
Everyone sees me as a weapon. But what happens when someone starts to see you as a character?
Emotions will come into play—emotions I buried so deep after my breakup last year.
I still feel an overwhelming sense of rage when I think back to that relationship.
My ex and I had been together for two years, and I thought things were moving in the right direction, toward something permanent.
Two years together, and all I got was a Fourth of July fireworks show where he detonated our relationship while red and blue explosions lit up the sky behind us.
“We’re just not compatible anymore,” he’d said, voice barely audible over the celebration.
The irony of America’s Independence Day wasn’t lost on me.
A week later came the truth: there hadn’t been just one woman.
There’d been several, and I never saw it coming.
My office door swings open without warning. I look up to find William standing in the threshold, his bow tie perfectly centered on his throat like a bullseye.
“Minji, I was hoping to discuss the Thornton case with you.” He clears his throat, fingers rising to adjust the bow tie that’s already straight.
The stapler on my desk suddenly feels heavy, like it wants to fly across the room. I grip my pen tighter instead, leaving indentations in my palm. Eight weeks of leave, and Caleb hands my cases to the one associate who needed flashcards to pass the bar exam.
“That’s interesting.” I sigh. “I was under the impression from Caleb that you were handling everything perfectly fine in my absence. So what is there we need to discuss?”
“Well, there’s been a development. Mrs. Thornton is claiming that her husband hid assets in the Cayman Islands. I’ve been trying to trace them, but—”
“But you’re in over your head,” I finish for him, not bothering to soften the blow. Was that petty? Unprofessional? Of course, but I can’t help it. He honestly deserves more. “What happened to ‘Minji’s cases are in good hands’?”
“It’s more complicated than we initially thought.”
I cock my head to the side. “We? There is no ‘we’ in this scenario, William. This failure is yours alone.” I lean back, drumming my manicured nails against the armrest while fixing him with a stare that’s made opposing counsel cry. “Hand it over.”
He slides the folder across my desk, his shoulders visibly relaxing.
Each page I turn feels like another nail in my blood pressure coffin. “Financial disclosures from offshore accounts should have been your first move.” I’m trying to keep the annoyance out of my tone. “The prenup has an entire section on hidden assets. Did you even read it?”
“I was planning to get to that part.”
“Planning to? While you’ve been ‘planning,’ our client’s soon-to-be ex has had months to move everything beyond our reach.”
His expression crumples. For a heartbeat, I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. But William made his bed, and I’m certainly not going to lie in it with him.
“I’ll handle it from here.” I close the folder. “You can go.”
“Minji, show a little respect. I get you’re upset, but I oversee this case.
If you want to have any input, you’ll work underneath me, and I don’t think that would be a problem.
” He finishes with a smirk that makes my blood boil.
“You’ve always been eager to be under me if my memory serves me correctly. ”
I stand up slowly, placing both hands flat on my desk. “?? ??? (You got me fucked up).”
“What did you say?”
“No, what did you just say to me?”
“I’m just saying that your… emotional state since returning might be clouding your judgment. Taking a supporting role might be better for everyone.”
The audacity of this man. My fingers curl against the surface of my desk as I fight to maintain control.
This idiot comes into my office seeking my help, and now he is trying to flip the script.
I feel like I’m being punk’d… I have to be getting punk’d.
Did they install cameras in my office? This has to be some sick joke.
“Let me be crystal clear, William,” I say, trying to keep the anger out of my tone.
“You walked into my office like a wounded snake needing my help. And the fact that you’ve fumbled this so spectacularly only proves what I already knew…
You were never qualified to handle my clients.
” Having to go on leave after securing the Thornton case was the worst timing ever.
He opens his mouth to protest, but I cut him off.
“And if you ever suggest I work ‘underneath’ you again, I’ll take this conversation straight to HR and then to Caleb.
I will scream from the mountaintops about how unprofessional you are.
It will tarnish not only your name but also your reputation.
You of all people should know how I get when I’m pushed into a corner.
I didn’t tolerate your disrespect when we were dating, and I won’t tolerate it now. ”
His face flushes an ugly shade of red. “Minji, I was trying to offer you an olive branch.”
“No, you were trying to assert dominance over me because you’re terrified. I’m back. Then everyone will see how incompetent you truly are.” I sit back down and turn to my computer. “??? ?? (pathetic bastard). Close the door on your way out.”
He stands there a moment longer, then reaches over, snatching the file off my desk. “You still haven’t changed,” he hisses, clutching the folder to his chest like it’s his only lifeline.
The door slams behind him with enough force to rattle my certificates on the wall.
I feel a headache forming at my temples.
This is exactly what I didn’t need today, William’s pathetic power play on top of the Aaron situation.
I can’t deal with this shit. If he wants my help, I need to be the lead attorney on the case.
I grab my phone. I can not let William screw this up.
Me
We need to talk about the Thornton case. William’s mishandling it.
His response comes quickly.
Caleb
My office—5 PM.