Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Chapter 1

"I don't want to talk about this," Effie Marsh said, hurling her bag onto the couch.Her face was etched with icy detachment, shutting down any chance of further discussion.I rubbed my throbbing temples, bone-tired from the endless back-and-forth.We'd been at each other's throats since clocking out, sparked by the events at the firm's annual gala earlier that day.I couldn't comprehend why she had diminished my hard-earned victories while propping up Kevin Taylor, the fresh-faced newcomer who'd joined the firm only months ago.To her, my objections were petty, a childish scramble for minor perks against Kevin. The spat dragged on until we both dug in our heels, the air crackling with tension.Her phone pinged with an incoming message. She fished it out, scanned the screen, and furrowed her brow."Something urgent came up at the office. I gotta head back for a client schmooze," she said. "I'm done arguing over nonsense. Pull yourself together, and remember to compile that case

Chapter 2

A bitter chuckle escaped my lips as Effie's car finally stopped at a hotel.Barred from following her inside, I zeroed in on her car instead.Slipping into the driver's seat, I unlocked the dash camera and rewound the footage, my heart pounding as Effie's voice filled the air."Babe, you make it yet? I'm pulling up soon. Blame the delay on Gabriel. He's been paranoid, picking fights over nothing."My brows knitted, but her follow-up jab sliced deeper. "He forgets who handed him his big break. Now he's flipping out over the bonus. It's driving me nuts. I need your kisses to calm down."Rage surged through my veins as I recognized the voice on the line. It belonged to Kevin.His meteoric rise, the lavish praise, the bonus bonanza, and Effie's extended working hours all made sense now."How could you betray me like this?" I muttered bitterly.In fact, Kevin's arrival had raised eyebrows from day one. He was just a fresh graduate with scant experience, yet he landed a leadership ro

Chapter 3

"You sure about resigning?" the HR coordinator asked, wide-eyed."Absolutely," I replied firmly.He gaped, probing me repeatedly to confirm.My marriage to Effie was never broadcast, but office gossip had pieced it together over time.Unwilling to be part of our domestic drama, the HR coordinator hemmed and hawed. "Uh, this is huge. I'm not authorized to greenlight it solo. Maybe consult with Ms. Marsh? See what she says."My role was central to the firm, and my exit indeed required her stamp of approval."Skip that step," I insisted. "Process it by standard procedure."My tone was steady and resolute. It didn't sound like a rushed decision.After a pause, the coordinator relented, telling me to collect the paperwork in the afternoon.But no sooner had I stepped out than Effie buzzed me back to her office. Kevin was there, greeting me with a plastic grin. "Hey, Gabriel.""Perfect timing," Effie said. "Caught that vigilante killing story on the news last night—the one avenging

Chapter 4

Our gazes clashed, and Effie froze."You're torching our marriage over a bonus squabble and today's argument?" she sulked. "Seriously? Grow a backbone. You're acting like a child."Disbelief clung to her, prompting an unconscious retreat.Kevin's eyes flashed with glee before he masked it with faux mediation."Gabriel, calm down," he chimed in. "I'm willing to give up my bonus to you. Don't torpedo your life with Ms. Marsh over this. Divorce talk is no joke."His words prompted Effie to compare us. "Gabriel, have some shame. Strong-arming a junior into forking over cash? You've been in the trenches for so many years, yet Kevin has got more maturity. Act your age, okay?"Kevin basked in her praise, but I remained impassive, undeterred by her barbs."Save it," I said. "Resignation and divorce are locked in. End of story."Effie squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to contain her fury. "Fine! I'll flip the bonus your way and tee up a promotion next cycle. Satisfied? That's your endg

Chapter 5

"Literally what it looks like," I said lazily, not bothering to explain anything.Effie's voice crackled with righteous anger. "Have I coddled you too much? First resigning, and now this? What games are you running?"Before I could respond, she barreled on, "Ask yourself. Haven't I hooked you up royally? Wardrobe, meals, and a roof over your head. I've covered it all. Ditching me over pocket change? That's absurd! You figure your hot streak gives you leverage? Newsflash: crawl back now, and I'll overlook your tantrum. Or else...""No dice!" I refused flatly, tiredly rubbing my temples.She strutted like a martyr, amnesia striking her mind. Back when the firm started, I burned midnight oil on relentless caseloads, forging our prestige through courtroom triumphs.In lean times, funding droughts were quenched by my schmoozing marathons. Booze-fueled deals sealed our survival.Her initial support was crucial, but our ascent was my sweat equity.She had conveniently erased those foun

Chapter 6

Effie showed up at the courthouse entrance, dressed impeccably, though faint dark circles betrayed a sleepless night.We spoke only as needed, proceeding to finalize the divorce.The process was smooth as silk, and by that afternoon, the paperwork was stamped and official.I glanced at her, expecting relief or disdain. Instead, she looked lost.I didn't bother to dissect why she'd suddenly agreed to this. Maybe she was just fed up with me, or perhaps she'd spent the night tangled up with Kevin.Whatever the reason, the divorce was done, and that was all that mattered.Kevin came to pick her up, decked out in a sharp suit like a groom.With our marriage officially kaput, he dropped the nice-guy act, his smirk practically screaming victory."You're gonna regret letting Effie slip through your fingers," he said, raising her chin.I didn't dignify that with a response.Effie's gaze was hard to read. She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but I walked away without looking

Chapter 7

"What?" I frowned, thrown by her late-night call out of the blue.Effie paused. "Remember that case from the day you quit? The one about the guy avenging his mother?"The pieces fell into place.Kevin had swooped in on that high-profile case, taking it himself after I passed, but his lackluster skills and by-the-book approach backfired spectacularly.The defense was a disaster. The kid got convicted, and Kevin got scolded.Clips of the trial went viral, sparking outrage. People tore into Kevin for being heartless, accusing him of chasing cash over justice.The firm's social media was flooded with criticism, while the kid filed for an appeal, gearing up for a second trial.Effie, desperate to salvage the firm's reputation, had apparently shopped the case around to other lawyers, but no one would touch the toxic mess.In the end, she turned to me."The public backlash is out of control. PR can't contain it," she added, a hint of her old self-assurance creeping in. "Here is the d

Chapter 8

"Mr. Walsh, this is low, even for you." Effie leaned over the desk, her face flushed with indignation. "We had a deal at that dinner. Nobody in the top-tier circle was supposed to touch Gabriel's resume. We agreed to freeze him out, and you went behind my back?"Henry sipped his tea leisurely. "Come on. Dinner talk doesn't hold up in court. Everyone's got a soft spot for talent, and let's be real. Gabriel's track record speaks for itself. He is a free agent now, and I'm not the only one who'd snap him up."Effie sucked in a sharp breath, trying to rein in her frustration. "But you're the only one who actually made a move."Henry's face fell at her harsh tone. She was just a newcomer in the elite legal scene, and her attitude wasn't winning her any favors."You wanna talk about playing dirty?" he scoffed. "Trying to blackball your ex to force him back? That's small-time. The rest of us gave you a pass because your firm's been pulling decent numbers lately, but screwing with someone'

Chapter 9

"You're divorced, and you're still making Effie miserable? What is your problem?" Kevin roared, unloading a tirade of accusations. "Have you no shame? Playing hard-to-get like some manipulative jerk. Think you're slick with these games?"I held the phone away from my ear as his shouting rattled my skull.Effie's sharp voice cut in. "Kevin, enough."It was followed by the clatter of the phone hitting the floor and their heated argument.I blinked, not expecting them to fight over me."Am I wrong?" Kevin yelled defiantly. "He treats you like dirt, and you still hold on? You're divorced!""What's it to you?" Effie yelled back. "You don't get to mention Gabriel. Do your job and don't overstep."Kevin froze, not expecting his place in her heart to have sunk so low."You're snapping at me over him?" he muttered. "After all your gripes about Gabriel, you said if you ever got bored, I'd be your first pick. Were those...""Lies, of course. You actually believed that?" Effie said, shatt

Chapter 10

The police laid out the whole sordid story.After their blowout, Effie and Kevin reconciled when he groveled.But the firm was crumbling. Mismanagement bled cash, and a wave of attorney resignations gutted its core.That botched case from before snowballed, dragging the firm's name deeper into the mud.Effie, drowning in stress, looked haggard every day. That was when Kevin showed his true colors, betraying her, too.She caught him siphoning off company assets and attempting to escape.She confronted him, and in the ensuing argument, she lost control, grabbing scissors and stabbing him in the chest.It happened so fast. By the time the staff screamed for paramedics, Kevin was bleeding out on the office floor.Despite efforts to save him, he didn't make it.Effie was cuffed and hauled away by the police.Kevin's wife filed a lawsuit, and Effie finally learned that he'd been married all along.Regret hit her hard, and she thought of me."For old times' sake, please help me,"

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