Page 80 of Dissension

Reaching out a hand, Dieter hovers it over her shoulder, as if considering placing it there in some form of affection or comfort. Seeing the look in her eyes, he artfully hovers it and smoothly drifts it away, gesturing to the door. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

It feels like she’s being strangled. Kara can’t form a reply, almost mindless with the knowledge that she’s not escaping him;she’s part of his life.

As her ride arrives outside, Kara barely has the strength to keep her face from crumpling as she throws herself within, finally out of his sight.

There are no words for how it feels to be her, alone in her apartment, in the days that follow.

Unsafe. Lied to. Ashamed.

Multiple missed calls and texts are on her phone, but she doesn’t have the heart to deal with any of it.

She remembers when she decided to go to Law School. She wanted to be a lawyer, because she loved the art of an argument. It was an outlet for all her baggage from childhood. She figured she could put her fire to use helping others prosecute their wrong-doers. Savings others, getting them justice that she never got.

Now, she feels like she’s become a mockery of herself. She’s become something she never wanted to be.

She’s become someone who defends and shieldswickedness.

Calling Gale is one of the hardest things she’s ever had to do, but she has no one else she can talk to about this situation. Only Gale truly…understands what it is to work for Dietrich Bittinger. He’s been her client foryears.

The idea of it is horrifying. Damning, almost.

Gale picks up on the fourth ring and Kara feels her heart crawl up into her throat, nearly choking her. She doesn’t want to have this sort of confrontation, but she can’t just let this go.

“Hey, how are things, friend?” Gale has that pleasant tone that somehow always sounds perfectly professional. Perhaps just a mask.

“Not good,” Kara replies bluntly. There is no sugarcoating this. “There was a situation this week. With our mutual friend. I want out. Ineedout.”

Silence greets her for a moment as Gale digests those sudden words. Clearly, she was not expecting this. “Oh. With…? Oh,friend. You know it’s hard to just walk away, there’s NDAs and such-”

“That’s fine. I can’t do it anymore. Not after what happened. I simply can’t. I’ll sign whatever I have to sign gladly. I just…” Her voice cracks. “I can’t.”

“Don’t say any specifics on the phone,” Gale warns, always looking out forDieter. “I’ll talk with him, figure out if…or how…this separation will be handled.” A sigh. “Kara. I don’t know exactly what caused this change of heart for you, but Iamsorry.”

“Think of something terrible and that will ease your confusion on the matter.” There’s only one more thing that Kara wants to know before she mentally writes Gale out of her life. “How can you live with yourself, if you know even an ounce of what I know?”

“I did warn you about him,” Gale tells her with regret coloring her tone. There is no apology in her tone, because Gale believes that choices have consequences. “Please, be careful. It isn’t easy to unwind oneself from these types of clients. I’ll do my best when I speak with him to walk through the process.”

“You didn’t warn meenough.” Cold fury is ashen in her breast as Kara ends the call.

It’s not unexpected that he shows up a day later, standing at her front door with a useless key. The stolen spare is still in his hand as she swings open the door, seeing the annoyance on his face.

Despite the moral revulsion she feels, her heart still flips at the sight of him.

“I changed the locks,” Kara chokes out, because the reality of it is crashing down hard. It feels like losing something,someone, and it doesn’t even feel self-inflicted. Perhaps that’s what pains her the most;shedidn’t destroy her relationship with Dieter because of her problems; she has to end it because of what she knows heis.

He’s a monster and she didn’t see it until it was too late. What sort of fool is she?

“I’ve noticed that, actually.” Dieter’s tone is as dry as the desert. He pokes his tongue in his cheek momentarily. “You work fast.”

“I’m leaving you,” Kara utters, hating her voice, the way she sounds weak. She wants to rip the band-aid off. “I already spoke with Gale. I assume she’s called you. There was no reason for you to come here.”

She wants him to think this means nothing to her, the way she likely means nothing to him. It stings. It burns inside of her like a bed of red-hot nails.

Dieter tilts his head in that perfect way of his, light catching his feather-soft hair. That hair always makes her think of how a soft bunny must feel, if one were to let her pet it. “You are? How novel. No one has ever done that to me before.” He’s grinning, but there’s something empty in his green eyes, something that makes Kara want to say,your mother always left you.

For once, she keeps her mouth shut, because antagonizing him is the last thing she wants. Inside, fear wars with bitterness. Fear of him is winning, because now sheknowsand she isn’t looking to play his games.

Dieter pauses briefly, staring at her in surprise. Then, he snorts out a laugh. “Oh, you’re serious? I suppose you’re afraid of me?” He allows those words to sink in, watching her facecarefully. Seeing straight down into her wounded soul. “Good girl,” he drawls finally, agreeing with whatever it is that he sees. “That’s smart.” He looks pointedly into her apartment. “Are you going to let me in so we can finish this conversation or do your neighbors need to hear it too?”

---