Page 108 of It's Always Been You
“Brad, I told you two weeks ago that the trust you had your uncle execute wasn’t final. That what he signed did not contain some very important changes that he requested. You knew that, and he knows that too, because you blamed it on me, even though you jumped the gun. In fact—” I turn my gaze to Harvey, whose gaze is bouncing between Brad and me. “Mr. Randall, you called me five days ago to ask for the new draft, which I sent to you not fifteen minutes after that phone call.”
I pause and take a deep breath, the reminder of exactly what transpired after that phone call pressing on my chest and making it hard to breathe. But I shove it away, unwilling to show these men even an ounce of weakness.
“Have you executed the new trust?”
Brad waves a hand as if dismissing the entire idea, but when he speaks, his voice has the tone of someone who is rapidly trying to fix an issue he didn’t realize he caused. “We can do that later. The old trust will be fine for now, and we can execute the new one later, after you finalize it.”
I shake my head, still unwilling to believe that a single person could be so fucking stupid, despite spending half my career having things incorrectly explained to me by a vast number of men who are wildly inferior to me in every way imaginable.
“I’m going to speak slowly so maybe this time you’ll understand. There are so many reasons the old trust won’t work. Not the least of which is, we already revoked the old trust so even if you wanted to use it, which would be a stupid idea, you can’t. You already knew that but decided not to listen to me in favor of screwing me over to look better in front of your uncle. And since the new trust isn’t finalized yet, what you’re doing is executing subpar partnership documents that will just be hanging in limbo until we can finalize it. And don’t even get me started on the potential tax consequences. You are royally fucking up every single part of this and will, I’m sure, blame me for it as soon as everything goes to shit.”
Harvey stands up, smoothing down his dress shirt and holding out his hands like he’s trying to calm a child. Men, I swear. Take me to Themyscira to live with Wonder Woman and the Amazons because I am so fucking done with the men. Well not Gabe. Or Ben, Asher, Jer, and Jordan. And Ben and Julie’s dad. They’re the good ones. But all the rest of them.
“Molly, you really do need to calm down. Brad is a lawyer, just like you, and I’m sure he knows exactly what he’s doing. You haven’t been available, and I really just wanted to get this done, so Brad stepped in and made that happen. If there’s some kind of issue in the future with whatever I’m signing now, I’m sure you’ll be able to handle it and fix whatever needs fixing. You’re so very good at that.”
Harvey winks at me and sits down with a satisfied look on his face, leaning back and crossing his arms over his stomach as if he didn’t just dismiss my entire life’s work in a single sentence. Brad stands there nodding in agreement, smug look plastered on his stupid face, and just like that, I am so completely done with this shit.
“No,” I say, my voice low and controlled.
“No what?” Harvey asks, his face screwing up in confusion as if he doesn’t understand the meaning of the word.
“No, I won’t be able to fix whatever needs fixing because I’m done. I’m sure Brad can handle whatever needs handling from now on. I quit.”
“You can’t quit,” Harvey sputters indignantly. “I’m your client. There are ethics rules that say you can’t just leave a client. Aren’t there?” He looks up at Brad, as if Brad will have the answer, and I almost laugh because seriously? That guy wouldn’t know an ethics rule if it stood up and introduced itself.
“There certainly are ethics rules. As a matter of fact, Rule 1.16(b)(4) of the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct states that a lawyer may withdraw from representing a client where the client insists on taking an action that the lawyer considers repugnant or with which the lawyer has a fundamental disagreement.”
Both men goggle at me, and I just lift a shoulder, smiling at them. “Photographic memory. Mr. Randall, I consider you taking Brad’s advice when he has consistently shown himself tobe an inferior lawyer who cuts corners and takes action despite not having the expertise or experience to do so repugnant. And I have a fundamental disagreement with doing things such as executing corporate documents before they’re ready and only executing half an estate plan when doing so inures to my client’s detriment. Ever since you brought Brad on, you have consistently failed to take my advice and have, at times, done the exact opposite of what I recommended. I cannot, in good conscience, continue on in a representation where I see such obvious disregard for the law and for the basic tenets of my profession. I have a reputation to protect as well, and I refuse to put my name to work on a product that is so inferior it borders on malpractice. Consider this your notice that I am terminating this representation. Since you seem already to be employing alternate counsel, that termination is effective immediately. I’ll have all your files sent over tomorrow, along with my final bill.”
I turn to leave, but Brad’s voice stops me.
“Molly, wait.”
I turn back around, and the look on his face is so desperate it’s almost comical. I say nothing, just look at him and wait for him to speak.
“I’m sure we can work something out. Share the representation more equally.”
“Well, that would be a fantastic idea,” Harvey says, standing again and clapping his hands together.
This time I do laugh. “A fantastic idea for whom, exactly? Not for me. I’m done working for people who don’t appreciate me. I’m a brilliant and accomplished lawyer who graduated first in my class. I have a list of career accolades a mile long, and in the five years I’ve been representing you, I have never provided anything less than excellent advice and work product. I have gone above and beyond for you, and, well, you probably shouldhave thought about all of that before you decided to do whatever this is.” I wave a hand between him and Brad.
“Whatever you’ve got going on now, I’m sure Brad can take it from here. Have an excellent day, gentlemen.”
With that, I turn and stalk out of the office and straight out of the building without a backward glance, satisfaction humming in my veins the whole way home.
Chapter Forty-Two
Gabe
“Gabe, you home?”
I smile at the sound of the front door slamming shut and Molly’s voice filtering up the stairs. After spending so much time without her, I could live with her for a thousand years and never get tired of the sound of her coming home to me.
“In my office,” I yell down, leaning back in my chair and tossing my glasses on the desk.
Molly thunders up the stairs, and in two seconds flat, she’s stalking through my office door and straight to me. She’s dressed in her pink pantsuit, her hair is curling wildly down her back, and the look on her face is a steely determination that has my arousal rising hot and fast.
Without a word, she climbs onto my lap and pushes her hands into my hair, sealing her mouth to mine in a kiss that is all wet, hot need. She sucks my bottom lip into her mouth, nipping at it and then licking away the sting as my hands fly to her hips, holding on for dear life. I don’t know what this is, but I’m here for it.
