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’s livelihood over personal drama? That’s a bad look.”
Effie’s face cycled through shades of red and white, her anger warring with embarrassment.
Henry spotted me in the doorway and broke into a warm smile. “Gabriel, right on time. Come in and take a seat.”
Turning back to Effie, he added, “This guy is a gem. How did you let it get this messy?”
Effie whirled around and scrambled to her feet, words tumbling out in a rush. “Gabriel? When did you get here? Did you hear all that? I-I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted you back at the firm. It wasn’t personal, just… You know, dinner talk got out-of hand.”
I sneered, not responding.
In this business, everyone was a shark. Nobody at those dinners would mistake her “joking” for anything but a calculated power play.
Sure, most firms held off on offering me jobs outright, but that was just them playing nice with her. All it took was me sending out a resume to know who was genuine and who wasn’t.
What baffled me was why she started to value me when I was gone.
I couldn’t hold back the question.
She hesitated, then admitted, “After you left, the other lawyers at the firm got harder to manage. There’s no one at home to lean on either, and the firm’s numbers are tanking, especially with that case blowing up. Gabriel, I need you. The firm needs you.”
“So, you want me back because you’re desperate,” I smiled bitterly.
Her expression shifted, and she hurried to backtrack. “No, it’s not like that. I really miss you. Kevin was just a distraction. I’ll make it right. Name your terms.”
Her pleas were almost comical.
The firm’s top attorneys were Ivy League hotshots recruited and trained by me. Of course, they wouldn’t roll over for Kevin, a guy with only a few years in the game and zero credibility to lead.
Now, no number of flowery promises could sway me.
“Why are you so stubborn?” she exclaimed.
“Save your energy for Kevin. Leave me out of your life,” I said, turning to leave the office.
Earlier, Henry had slipped downstairs with some flimsy excuse.
1/2
Effie’s eyes welled up, her voice breaking. “We’ve been six years together and five years married. Don’t you love…”
“Nope,” I cut her off.
She broke down, covering her face and bolting from the room.
That same day, I received a call from Kevin.
2/2
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.
