Chapter 4

My mind went blank for a second.

A fresh intern straight out of law school could have won a straightforward case like that, yet Daniel had lost it.

The backup file was still under my name. This was not just about my professional reputation going forward. It was about the courage it had taken for Jack Wilson to trust me in the first place.

When I said nothing, Daniel looked even more aggrieved. "Cal, I really did try my best."

Jessica waved a hand as if it were nothing. "It's a trial. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. That's normal. I looked over the case. It was just a divorce. So he lost. It happens. Worst case, I'll cover the winning bonus out of my own pocket and give it to you."

Bonus? I had taken a case nobody else wanted. It had never been about the bonus.

I opened my mouth to respond, but my phone rang. The front desk told me someone was outside asking for me.

I stood, glanced at the two of them, and walked out.

Jack was waiting for me by the door.

He was my client, but he stood off to the side with his head lowered, his fingers twisting the hem of his shirt.

Something in my chest clenched. I hurried over. "I'm sorry, I..."

He looked up. The hope that used to fill his eyes was gone. "It's fine, Mr. Walton. You were willing to take my case. I'm already grateful for that. Win or lose, I can live with it.

"It's just that I don't have enough money for the kid's school anymore. But I've got two hands and two legs. I can still work. I can still earn it. I came to say thank you. That's all."

He gave a subdued farewell, then walked away with his back hunched.

I clenched my fists, but I could not find a single word to say.

What was there to say? Nothing but an apology would have meant anything, and even that would not have been enough.

My phone buzzed with a message. My supervisor, Hank Sutton, wanted to see me.

I pushed open his office door, and he got straight to the point. "Are you quitting because you lost this case? Callum, I know exactly how many years it took you to work your way up to where you are.

"The team lead vote is at the end of the month, and you let something this careless happen? Losing a case at this level isn't just about the vote. It's going to follow you for the rest of your career."

He looked at me, his tone heavy with meaning. "This industry is small. If you want to climb, every case matters, big or small."

I pressed my lips together and nodded. "I understand, Mr. Sutton. But I didn't argue this case. And that's not why I'm quitting, either."

…

Half an hour later, Hank's office was full.

Daniel, Jessica, and I stood before Hank, whose face had gone stone cold. "I don't care what's going on between the three of you privately.

"Jessica, who gave you the authority to hand a case off to an intern? Firm policy requires six months of internship before anyone can second-chair in court. Did you not know that?

"A case this simple, and it still went wrong. Who's responsible for that?"

Jessica looked at me, calm and unbothered. "Mr. Sutton, Daniel is an intern, but he has relevant prior work experience. By that measure, he's qualified to appear in court.

"This was just an unfortunate one-off. As for fixing it, Mr. Walton clearly needs this month-end review. Why not have him refile the appeal for the client?"

Daniel apologized too. "I'm sorry. This one's on me. I own it. But Miss Garner told me that... cases can go either way, and I shouldn't take it too hard."

I looked at him, and for the first time, he felt like a stranger.

I had gone into law in the first place because Daniel's mother had been widowed and bullied by his father's family.

They had taken the death benefit paid out by his father's company and ignored the law entirely. They had never paid a cent of child support.

Back then, I had sworn I would get Daniel what he was owed. He had cried and told me I was the family he had chosen for himself.

But now, even he had changed.

I thought of Jack again, of the way he had walked away with his back hunched, alone and diminished, exactly like Daniel had been back then.

I pulled myself from the memory and looked at Hank. "I want to refile the appeal."

It was the one thing I had to finish before I left. It had nothing to do with anyone else. I needed to do it so I could live with myself.

When I stepped out of the office, Jessica stopped me, her expression complicated. "I just said that off the top of my head. Are you seriously refiling?"

I glanced at Daniel. He avoided my eyes.

"Neither of you has a conscience. I do."

Jessica blinked, then sighed. "You're still sulking. Cal, I already told you, wait until—"

"I'm not sulking." My expression remained calm. I stepped around her and walked straight out. "And I don't want to wait, either."