The moment those words left his mouth, the last shred of warmth in Rosamond's heart vanished without a trace.
She never imagined Bryce would go this far for Olympia.
A sharp sting flooded her eyes. Her throat locked tight, and she forced herself to stay standing.
Bryce glanced at Rosamond, a flicker of guilt crossing his face.
"I apologize for my wife's conduct. I'll personally bear all losses suffered by Pinnacle Corp. Please... forgive her."
Before he even finished, Harold Lawrence hurled the stack of documents straight at Rosamond.
"Personally bear it? With what?"
"Forget the lawsuit involving two hundred million dollars in claims. Pinnacle's stock price tanked today alone. How exactly do you plan to cover that?"
"Henson, and you had the nerve to call yourself some undefeated attorney. What a joke! You'll be hearing from my lawyers."
Tears pooled at the rims of her eyes. Her throat was raw and parched. She clenched her jaw so hard her teeth ached, every breath a trembling sliver of pain. Rosamond's voice shook as she spoke.
"Mr. Lawrence, I'm begging you, trust me just this once. I swear on my career, I had nothing to do with this."
"Give me two days. I will find the truth."
Harold cut her off, his patience spent.
"Rosamond Henson, you really have no shame."
"Your own husband already admitted it, and you're still trying to weasel your way out? Instead of groveling here, you'd better start thinking about how you're going to handle the investigation."
He shoved her aside and stormed out.
Managing Partner Winslow fixed Rosamond with a vicious glare.
"Rosamond, do you have any idea how much trouble you've brought down on this firm?"
"Well? How do you propose we fix this?"
Rosamond turned and looked around. Every single colleague was pointing, whispering, their voices carrying just enough to reach her.
"So Rosamond's been sleeping with clients to land her cases. Guess that explains a lot."
"She always looked so prim and proper. Turns out she's been playing all kinds of games behind closed doors. Poor Mr. Delgado, marrying someone like that."
"I always said there was no way someone that young could be that good. Dirty tricks, obviously. Disgusting. Can't believe I've been working alongside her."
Rosamond stood trapped between Winslow and Olympia, forced to absorb every whisper and sneer.
Olympia's lips curled upward, her eyes bright with undisguised mockery.
Rosamond looked at Winslow. She had always been composed, but now her voice was nothing but tremors.
"Garrett, we've worked together for years. You don't trust me either?"
Winslow looked at her, then at Olympia, and spoke in a low, measured tone.
"Rosamond, the evidence is right in front of us. I'd be a fool not to believe it."
"This isn't just about Pinnacle needing answers. The firm needs answers too."
Olympia smiled faintly.
"If you ask me, Garrett, the simplest solution is to let Attorney Henson leave the firm."
"It's the only way to keep her from dragging the rest of us down."
The words hit Rosamond like a physical blow. She couldn't believe Olympia intended to destroy her completely. She opened her mouth to speak, but Bryce cut in first.
"That works. I'll compensate Pinnacle and the firm for their losses on her behalf. But I have one condition."
"After she's gone, Olympia takes her position."
Winslow considered this for a moment, then nodded.
"Fine. Rosamond, for the sake of our years together, I'll let you resign on your own terms."
Bitterness surged through her chest.
Just like that, in a handful of sentences, they had decided her fate.
Not the husband she had devoted herself to. Not the colleague she had trusted with her life. Not a single one of them had spared a thought for how she felt.
All they wanted was to push her out the door fast enough to make room for Olympia.
Something seized Rosamond's heart and squeezed. The bitterness spread through her veins like poison. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Her face was white. She bit down hard on the tip of her tongue, the sharp pain forcing her mind back into focus.
"On what grounds are you convicting me without hearing my side?"
"You all know perfectly well who's really behind this. Don't even think about pinning it on me."
"Pinnacle wants to investigate? Fine. I'll cooperate fully. But until that investigation is complete, I am not leaving this firm."
She reached for her phone.
Olympia hadn't expected that. A flash of panic crossed her eyes, and she looked at Bryce with a silent plea.
In the next second, Bryce snatched the phone from Rosamond's hand and smashed it against the floor.
"Rosamond, enough! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already?"
"Stop making a scene. Come home with me quietly, or things are going to get worse for everyone."
He was threatening her.
Winslow stared at Rosamond, his voice flat and detached.
"Rosamond, whether you stay at this firm is no longer your decision. If you won't resign, I'll have no choice but to terminate you."
"And when that happens, your reputation in this industry will be finished."
A chill settled deep inside her.
She looked at Winslow, the man who had once fought beside her, who had been both mentor and friend. He wore a different face now.
When she first joined, this firm had been a failing practice on the verge of shutting its doors. She had worked around the clock, hunting down cases, building connections, pulling it back from the brink and growing it into what it was today.
Back then, Winslow had taken her hand and told her the firm was as much hers as his. That they would watch it thrive together.
But somewhere along the way, he had changed. And now he was siding with outsiders to force her out.
For the first time in her life, Rosamond felt completely lost.
Without her realizing when it happened, Olympia had turned every person around her. Rosamond was truly, utterly alone.
