All Chapters of Justice Has a Minimum Spend: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

Three days later, I deliberately took the day off from work to accompany Dad to court for the lawsuit. "Once I get my wages back, the first thing I'll do is buy your mom a few new outfits. I can also help Uncle Daniel out so he can buy Iris a laptop for her college applications." The thought of getting his money back visibly lifted the old man's spirits, and he babbled on the entire ride.Yet, the moment we arrived at the courthouse, Mr. Smith, who had contacted Dad the night before, seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. No matter how many times we tried, we couldn't reach him. "Did he get the time wrong?" Dad sat in the plaintiff's seat, anxiously picking at the thick calluses on his hands. "Clem was the one who contacted Mr. Smith, Cece. Why don't you call Clem and ask him?" However, before I could dial Clement's number, the door was pushed open. The person who walked in wasn't Mr. Smith, but Ben's newly hired lawyer—the intern Clement had been staying late at the

That night, two different teams of doctors cycled through the operating room. Mom held me and fainted from crying multiple times. Dad's condition finally stabilized when day broke. Yet, Clement never once set foot in the hospital to see him. "Cece, where's Clem? Did he not come back with you?"Dad came to on the third day. Noticing how haggard I looked, his eyes filled with heartache. "It's okay, Dad." I forced a smile. "I won't allow something like this to happen again, and I won't let anyone hurt you or Mom again."After hearing that, Mom and Dad fell silent for a long while before patting me on the shoulder. "Go ahead and do what you want to do. We'll support whatever decision you make." After stepping out of the hospital room, I called Clement again."What is it?""Mom and Dad want to see you. Plus, there's something I need to talk to you about." His voice was raspy, as though he hadn't slept all night. "Tomorrow won't do. Reina's defending her thesis tomorrow. I need

I chuckled and ignored Clement's warning glare. Without a moment's hesitation, I opened the file and began my presentation. "I'm Celeste Blackwood, and I'm an elementary school teacher. Truth be told, I've created countless multi-page presentations for lesson plans and parent-teacher conferences. I never thought that this time, I'd be making one packed with evidence of my husband's affair with his mistress." I watched the color drain from Clement and Reina's faces with every single word I uttered."Celeste, have you lost your mind?" Clement stared at me with a pained expression. "Are you dead set on destroying our decade-long relationship today?"Reina was so anxious her eyes misted over. "Mrs. Hawthorne, you've completely misunderstood my relationship with Professor Hawthorne. I'm begging you to stop making a scene, alright? At this rate, you're going to ruin my future!"Mrs. Hawthorne? That was the very first time I'd ever heard her address me that way. I wasn't flustered in

"I'll represent Cece in her divorce proceedings!" The moment that voice rang out, all the professors and students seated inside the lecture hall rose to their feet. Countless law students outside the hall set their books down and crowded around the entrance until it was completely blocked. Reina blanched when she saw the two women."It's Ms. Sterling, the one and only female legend in the legal profession, who hasn't lost a single case in 30 years, and her daughter, Ms. Wilson. She became a partner at Crestline Legal Group at 24, and she's the attorney who won that high-profile child custody case!" "Ms. Sterling has been out of the spotlight for eight years and hardly ever makes a public appearance. Ms. Wilson, on the other hand, is famous for being utterly impartial. Now that the two of them are here, Clement and Reina have definitely bitten off way more than they can chew!"May helped Clarissa navigate her way to the front amid the cheers of the crowd. "Mom and I are here to su