To my surprise, the usually indifferent Sophia Miller flat-out refused, insisting that people from prestigious schools were nothing but bookworms, and that the firm should hire someone “more capable.”
And by “capable,” she meant Jason Reed, a graduate from a third-rate college who hadn’t even passed the bar exam.
I tried reasoning with her, but she jabbed her finger at me and scolded:
“Don’t think I don’t know—you just want to abuse your position to bring in your own student!”
“I’ll tell you what I hate the most: useless hires who get in through connections. The firm isn’t your personal fiefdom—you don’t get to decide everything!”
In the end, I had no choice but to hire Jason along with my student.
But once Jason joined Parker & Associates Law Firm, he couldn’t even draft the most basic legal documents. All he did was trail after Sophia all day.
It was obvious who the real “useless connection” was.
Yet Sophia coddled him relentlessly. To get him promoted as quickly as possible, she even went so far as to steal credit from others.
When I spoke up about it, she started giving me the cold shoulder.
At the time, I was busy with a high-stakes case, so she couldn’t go after me directly. Instead, she began targeting Daniel Scott, my assistant.
I knew exactly what she was doing—using him as a way to slap me in the face, to prove that even if I brought my own student into the firm, she could still make me look bad.
In the past, I endured it for the sake of our marriage. But now, I no longer wanted to endure.
“I’ve decided to jump ship to another firm. Their salary and benefits are more than double what I get here. Do you want to come with me?” I asked Daniel.
He was thrilled at first, but then hesitated.
“Ethan, everyone knows your ability. But if you take me too, wouldn’t that put you in a tough spot?”
I chuckled.
“Don’t let Sophia gaslight you. You’re my student—how bad could you be?”
After hanging up, I grabbed the divorce papers and went to the private dining room where Jason had organized a dinner.
The moment I walked in, the lively room fell silent.
Jason and Sophia sat in the center, surrounded by colleagues like they were celebrities, just about to toast with intertwined arms.
When she saw me, Sophia reluctantly stood, her expression sour.
“What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Please, I have better things to do. I just need you to sign some documents.”
Her face twisted with impatience.
“You’d better have something important. If you’re wasting my time on purpose, you’ll regret it.”
She could take the entire staff out for a day off just because Jason asked, yet she couldn’t spare a moment for me. The difference spoke volumes.
When she tried to leave, Jason boldly grabbed her hand. Then, with a mocking glance in my direction, he picked up a napkin and gently wiped the corner of her lips.
“Didn’t notice earlier—you smudged your lipstick.”
How it had been smudged was obvious from the flush on Sophia’s cheeks.
In five years with her, she had barely let me touch her—not even to hold hands. I had always been forced to keep my distance.
Yet now, the woman who claimed to have psychological issues could kiss Jason in public without hesitation.
Love and indifference were plain as day.
Outside the dining room, I handed her the divorce papers.
She took them without even glancing at the contents, frowning at me with the look of someone already planning revenge.
