Chapter 6

Alice’s POV

It had been a whole day since Arlington had sent me the notes and discovery on his recent case. It was an interesting one- high profile banker and wife were separating and it wasn’t amicable. I was happy to organize it, read through the discovery, and help point out some finer points that his junior staff, fresh university recruits, missed. There was a nuance to this work and that only came with age and experience.

Still no sign of David, no response, and no more worried calls from grandpa. That was just fine; I was too focused on my real passion. However, Arlington called me that day, after work, eager to ask me something. I could tell in his tone.

“Alice, your skills haven’t dulled since you were last in the office,” he complimented, always starting with compliments when he wanted something.

“An experienced eye is always a good thing to have on a case,” I replied, deflecting.

“True, which is why I think your first official case is going to be something you’ll sincerely enjoy,” he joked, tempting me.

“Are you going to tell me?”

“Oh, well, I probably should fill you in, though it might be a conflict of interest…”

“What is it?” I demanded, eager to get back to the bullpen that was the law firm.

“Well, our firm has been asked to consult on a big case involving billions of dollars in foreign investments…”

“You want me to work on the Neighley Group case? Are you insane?”

“Are you?” He responded, making me pause. “You don’t have to, and like I said, it might be a conflict of interest if you are directly involved, but technically there isn’t a law forbidding you.”

“No, but clearly the committee isn’t going to want me involved in any way,” I sighed, shaking my head. “You just love to create drama, don’t you, Duke?”

“Sometimes, but in this instance, I don’t think its an issue.”

“Let me think about it…”

“Think all you want, but I know you, Alice,” he hummed, clearly amused. “This is a juicy case even if it didn’t involve your husband’s family.”

“If only he were my ex-husband,” I replied coldly, Arlington pausing.

“Just think on it and let me know,” he finally said, clear noise in the background. “I’ve got to run, dinner reservations. Reach out to me anytime and you know, you could always come into the office.”

“Thanks, have a good night,” I replied with a smile, hanging up the phone.

It was the next morning when things really started to get dramatic. I checked my phone only to see hundreds of messages, tags, and comments on my social media. I didn’t understand why until I saw the video.

The video of David leaving me in the rain, carrying Lily, and plenty of commenters and social media personalities labeling me a gold-digger and a failed trophy wife. It was going viral and that was the last straw.

I closed the apps, muted their notifications, and searched through my phone contacts, finding the exact person I was looking for. The line rang only twice before she picked up.

“Alice? Alice! It’s been so long…”

“Hello Elaine, how are you?”

“Better than you, I’d imagine,” she replied, making me grin. Elaine was the best, and most well-connected P.R. manager in the business.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to speak to our about.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“I don’t want it deleted or removed,” I explained, looking at my laptop now. “But I do need a P.R. facelift, or better yet, an entirely new identity.”

“What are we thinking?” she asked, the sound of her typing clacking in the background.

“By tomorrow morning, I want the world to know exactly who Alice McCutchen is,” I replied, knowing that after this, I couldn’t go back. It was a relief. “I want LinkedIn and Wikipedia to be updated as well as all professional profiles.”

“Updated to what?” Elaine asked, eager to get started.

“Cambridge honor grad, New York Bar legend, and the youngest lead counsel at Sidley Austin,” I stated, Elaine gasping before chuckling at my answer.

“Well, well, well,” she drawled, her enthusiasm even brighter than mine. “Goodbye Mrs. Neighley and hello Miss McCutchen.”