Chapter 2
This time, I pretended to stop her, but really, I just said lightly, "Erin, don't talk nonsense."
Erin pouted and shot back, "You're cold, Miss Broderick! Who goes around telling people to get divorced?
"You're breaking up a marriage. God will strike you down for it."
As I expected, the very next second, Agatha, furious, gave Erin a hard slap across the face.
A little thrill of satisfaction ran through me.
I remembered how Erin's supposed cleverness in my previous life had ruined an innocent girl, cost both Agatha and me our lives, and even brought down the law firm.
This slap was just the beginning.
Erin clutched her face and burst into tears.
The unusual commotion caught the attention of the staff at the law firm.
They gathered around the office door, whispering among themselves.
"Why is she hitting people?"
"Is Miss Broderick making things hard for Erin on purpose? I've seen her lose her temper at Erin more than once."
I glanced around the room, smirking coldly to myself.
If any of them had to deal with Erin, they'd probably lose their temper even faster than I did.
Back in my previous life, I stopped Agatha and gave Erin a piece of my mind, shouting at her.
After Erin ran out crying, I became the infamous, heartless "devil boss" everyone whispered about at the office.
Everyone melted at Erin's tears and sided with her. And when Agatha stormed in with a knife, they rushed to protect Erin and retreated to safety.
Meanwhile, I got shoved out by the crowd and ended up impaled by the knife.
With everyone backing her up, Erin acted like she was invincible. Nothing scared her now.
She looked up, eyes red, trying to explain herself, "I... I just don't want to see anyone get divorced. Love is so important. Why would you give it up?"
Agatha, her rage still burning, struck Erin again. "Who are you in this firm? You think you can tell me how to do things?"
A collective gasp went up from the crowd.
Another intern muttered under her breath, "What a crazy bitch. How dare she..."
The person next to her quickly cut her off, whispering, "She's a VIP client here. You really don't want to cross her."
How ridiculous.
If I had been the one to lay a hand on her, everyone would be cursing me out in no time.
But Agatha had been entrusting her company's business to our firm for years. She was our biggest client, no question.
Even if she slapped Erin a few more times, nobody would dare say a word, not if they wanted to keep their bonuses.
But everyone seemed to forget that I was the one who brought Agatha in as our VIP client in the first place.
Erin started to panic, covering her face as tears rolled down her cheeks.
She turned and saw Robert Broderick, the law firm director, coming over. Instantly, she hid behind him for protection.
"Mr. Broderick, I swear, I'm simply thinking about what's best for the client," Erin said. "It's one thing if Agatha doesn't get me, but even Miss Broderick won't back me up."
Hearing this, Robert's face darkened, and he shot me a frown.
"Laura, you're Erin's supervising attorney. Aren't you supposed to stand up for her?" he said, his tone sharp. "Have you forgotten what I told you?"
I almost burst out laughing.
To anyone watching, it'd seem like Erin was his daughter.
Robert was my father, but at the firm, he never let me call him "Dad". I had to address him formally.
One time, I slipped and called him "Dad," and he docked me nearly half a year's salary and bonuses.
Back then, my phone screen was cracked and I couldn't afford a new one. He publicly scolded me in front of all my colleagues, saying I was a disgrace to him.
So the kind of guy who won't let me call him "Dad" at work, let someone else call him so affectionately in the office.
Snapping out of it, I shot back, "So, Mr. Broderick, what do you think I should've done?"
Robert froze for a couple of seconds, stumped by my question.
He was about to speak when Agatha cut him off.
Agatha fixed Mr. Broderick with a frosty glare. "Is this really how your firm handles things?
"Instead of backing up your star attorney, you're making things difficult for her over an intern? Do you think that's professional?"
My emotions were a tangled mess.
The person who ended my life in my previous life was actually speaking up for me.
Robert forced a smile. "Ms. Brewster, you're misunderstanding the situation.
"Erin's just new to the workplace. She doesn't know any better yet. Please, don't be too hard on her."
Erin bit her lip, her face all pitiful and wronged.
"I was just telling the truth. I'm not wrong," Erin protested.
Agatha let out a cold snort and paid them no mind.
Robert had no choice but to bend over with a groveling smile. "Ms. Brewster, this time, all our services are on the house.
"Please, for my sake, could you let this go and not be angry?"
He really was generous.
Just like that, my bonus was gone down the drain.