Ara
"I'm being fired?" I was fortunate to be sitting down at the moment, or I would have ended up on the floor, as I suddenly felt dizzy. "Yes, unfortunately and hopefully this will only be temporary, but evidence was discovered that suggests you intended to throw the Williams case, and it was leaked to the media by someone. They are acting like vultures right now, so we are undertaking damage control actions until an internal investigation is completed." My boss, Mr. Palmetto of Palmetto and Associates Law Firm, delivered the news in a neutral tone, his expression puzzled.
He must have sensed that I didn't know what to say at this moment, so he rose from behind his desk while he continued talking. I observed him as he approached the dry bar and poured himself a drink before returning to me with an intense gaze. "Based on the information you shared with me and the senior lawyers before the trial, you were poised to secure a resounding victory on your own merits. However, when your crucial witness was put on the stand to testify against Mr. Williams, he vehemently denied Mr. Williams had any involvement in the crimes. The entire case was teetering on the brink of dismissal until I intervened to persuade the jury of Williams' guilt." Mr. Palmetto sipped his bourbon and leaned against his desk in front of me as he recounted his actions.
"That was two days ago. As I told you I would, I did a little digging into why a witness who was airtight before was suddenly as unreliable as an inflatable with a hole in it. Imagine my surprise that all the breadcrumbs lead back to you. At the same time, I'm getting reports that you are suddenly making headlines not as the rising star lawyer who won a big case but as the young lawyer with questionable ethics." If this is what people on the stands feel like when Mr. Palmetto interrogates them, then it's no surprise to me that they always tell him what he wants to know. This man is intimidating as fuck. I'm trying not to be intimidated, but I fear my efforts are futile.
"You are a lot of things, but sloppy and stupid aren't two of them. I've known you for over 3 years. You graduated top of your class, and you had interned here for two years before graduation. So what happened?"
While Mr. Palmetto talked, I was trying to figure that out myself. When he had texted saying he wanted to talk this morning, I thought I would be discussing my future path to becoming a senior lawyer. I should have known that giving me two days of vacation to relax after an almost disastrous trial wasn't simple kindness. I can figure this out. Papa always said one step at a time. When things have gone pineapple (he never did like the fruit), take a step back and figure out how to find the hints of where the pineapple came from. Tuning Mr. Palmetto out for the moment, I did some calming visualizations to help me calm down enough to think more clearly.
I know I had made sure everything was airtight. I double- and triple-checked everything the night before, yet somehow the opposition found out about my witness, got to him, and pinned the blame on me, making it look like I intended to throw the case for a later favor. No one but the firm and … no, Koba wouldn't do this to me. He knew this trial was my official debut into the big leagues. He was so supportive for once in making sure I mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared for this trial. I could feel my calm beginning to slip again. I shoved the suffocating feeling in my chest to the back of my mind. I can't doubt him, not when everything is finally coming together for us. Yet the memories of his recently loving behavior would not let my suspicions rest.
Was I a fool? These past few weeks, was I so blinded by the love and affection he so rarely offers so freely that … I didn't question the reason behind the sudden change? "Ah, it appears you have put the pieces together. I have my own guess, but we can discuss how we will handle all that …" I know my boss… I mean my now ex-boss is telling me the game plan for how this situation will be handled. I know logically he hasn't given up on me, but… The words just blur together into white background noise. My mind just keeps asking me, how did I not see the truth? Over and over, I ask myself this question.
Two new questions emerge after the tenth cycle: can I accept thatthe man I love is the source of my current predicament? If I can't accept it, do I break up with him? Koba is so tangled up in my life, it will be like pulling rose thorns out of my flesh. And what about Minette?
When I no longer could hear Mr. Palmetto talking, I looked up to see him staring at me with a sympathetic expression. I had seen enough of that look after becoming an orphan to know I needed to leave before I snapped, so I stood, gave him what I hope was a grateful nod, then left his office. I believe he was speaking to me, but all I could hear was white noise. Under the piercing gazes of my former colleagues, I quickly gathered my belongings from my desk and left the building without uttering a single word to anyone.
Getting into my car, I drove away from the elite law firm I had busted my ass to join as soon as I passed the bar. My mind went numb as it kept trying to make sense of what I thought I knew and what my heart still foolishly wished to deny. I could be wrong. Koba knows that being a lawyer has been my goal since high school. He saw me make sacrifices both willing and unwillingly to always be the best so I could work for the best.
He is not the type of man to ruin my reputation for any reason. He loves me. Just like everything else in my life, I worked hard to gain his love. I drove to Koba's house unintentionally, but maybe it's for the best. I wouldn't be able to rest not knowing the truth anyway. It wasn't long before I was parking my car across the street from Koba's house.
Walking up the driveway, I noticed there were a lot of people around drinking and smoking. I am now unemployed, I just found out my reputation is being dragged through the mud by the media and when I come to talk to my lover about these important matters he is throwing a party in the middle of the day. "Fuck my life, this isn't what I want to be dealing with right now," I mutter to myself as I let myself into the house. I search through the house for my boyfriend, and when I do find him, he has some girl giving him a lap dance in the basement. What the ever-loving fuck am I seeing right now?
The back-to-back shocks must be causing my brain to lag. I am not seeing my boyfriend letting some female grind on his dick while his friends act as if this is a common occurrence. Yet my eyes did not stop showing me this additional betrayal. I stood at the edge of the circle, watching them in a daze until one of his friends noticed me and pointed me out to Koba.
Koba stands up, gives the girl a kiss and a smack on the ass before he comes over to pull me into his arms. He exudes a scent of sex, smoke, and something sour. "Hey, babe, what are you doing here at this hour? I thought you'd be at work?" He playfully nibbles on my ear while practically humping my stomach. Somehow the fact that he doesn't smell like my Koba or dressed like him is throwing me for a loop. I'm used to him being well dressed whether in casual attire or work attire. He stands before me looking and smelling like a common street thug. Who is this man?
The next hump brings me back online and I lash out angrily while trying to get out of his embrace, "I would be at work if I hadn't been fired because of your actions." Looking into his eyes with the last bit of hope, I send a plea out into the universe. Please deny my accusation. Don't let me be right. I will break. I just finally felt like I was back together again. I don't want to break.
For a moment, he appears confused, but then I see realization dawn on his face. "Oh, that? I didn't think they'd fire you over that, especially since your boss still managed to convict Mr. Williams." Koba responds nonchalantly, as if his actions haven't potentially cost me everything I've worked towards since I decided to become a lawyer. He reaches out to me again, and I forcefully knock away his hands.
"Koba, why would you do this? I trusted you! This case was going to solidify me as a competent lawyer in the district. Instead I might have my license suspended! You know how hard it has been for me to get to this point." I'm trying to be understanding in this absurd situation I've found myself in, but it seems I was still too naive and in denial.
"Mr. Williams is a friend of a friend of my boss, so my boss asked me if I would help sabotage the case for $500,000 and a later favor. I figured there would be other cases, so it wouldn't hurt you too much, and if this did mess things up for you, then I figured you are smart enough to figure your way out of trouble. You always did know how to get you and Minette out of the trouble she got you two into when you both were still in high school."
The indifference in his tone, coupled with his smirk, sent a sickening feeling through my gut. This is the man I had always wanted to be with, ever since Minette and I became best friends in middle school. This is the man I had chased and worked tirelessly to become worthy of. And yet, here he was, the one who had professed his love for me, only to have no qualms about selling me out for half a million dollars without hesitation.
My head felt light, and the nausea swelled. I should have gone home and vented to Minette. But I needed the truth—this sharp, stabbing truth. Did he ever love me?