Chapter 4
She turned and walked out of the office, coming face-to-face with Sasha.
Sasha looked flawless, coffee in hand. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Athena, a hint of a smirk tugging at her lips.
"Oh, Athena," Sasha said, tilting her head, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I heard you've been having a rough time lately? Don't worry, I'll be sure to handle your cases for you. After all..."
She took a slow sip of her coffee, her smile growing even sharper. "Some people are just destined to be beneath everyone else..."
Before Sasha could finish, Athena smacked her across the face.
Sasha, caught off guard, stumbled and fell to the floor. Her coffee cup slipped from her hand, landing on her and spilling coffee all over her.
Her elegant white suit was smeared with coffee stains, stray hairs stuck to her cheeks, and her elbow hit the marble floor, making her gasp in pain.
The polished city girl who'd been so put-together was left completely disheveled just seconds ago.
Everyone turned to stare.
Sasha sat on the floor, stunned for a moment, her eyes welling up with tears.
She looked up at Athena, her lips trembling, her voice quivering with hurt and disbelief. "Ms. Morton, what are you doing?"
"I'm just following the firm's work arrangements. Don't take your frustration out on me," she said, trying to sound innocent.
The colleagues exchanged uneasy glances, and soon, hushed whispers started spreading through the office.
"Athena really crossed the line this time..."
"Seriously, you can't just slap someone. Sasha didn't even do anything wrong."
"Yeah, Mr. Hogan made the work arrangements. What's that got to do with Sasha?"
"Wow, I never thought Athena was that kind of person."
Athena dropped her hand, her palm still tingling, knuckles flushed red.
She'd never been the type to take crap from anyone.
Never was, and now, even less so.
Especially now, she had nothing left to lose.
"What's going on?"
A gentle male voice came from the end of the corridor.
Everyone turned to look. The man was standing at the entrance, dressed in a dark suit and carrying a briefcase. His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Sasha, who was sitting on the floor.
His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a flicker of coldness flashed in his eyes.
But Cullen quickly regained his usual gentle composure. "I'm here to coordinate on a case with Ms. Cline. Mr. Hogan asked me to come."
Sasha got up from the floor, a bruise already forming on her elbow. She kept her head down, wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and said softly, "Mr. Wells, just give me a second. I need to clean up."
"No rush," Cullen said, stepping aside and gesturing for her to go ahead. "Let's talk in your office."
They headed into Sasha's office, one after the other.
People in the hallway gradually drifted away, and the whispers faded along with their footsteps. Some folks gave Athena a wide berth as they passed, like she was carrying bad luck or something.
Athena made her way to her desk. As she passed Sasha's office, she caught a glimpse through the cracked door. Cullen was crouched in front of Sasha, one hand cradling her chin, his thumb gently tracing circles on her reddened skin. His gaze was full of concern, a far cry from the businesslike attitude he'd shown just moments ago.
Tears still clung to Sasha's lashes, her voice shaky with sobs. "She's already gotten physical... Do you think she'll get even worse next time?"
"No, she won't," Cullen said gently. "Don't worry, I'll stand up for you and make things right."
Sasha smiled through her tears as she threw her arms around his neck.
Athena's heart clenched hard, like someone had grabbed it and wouldn't let go.
She dropped her gaze, keeping her cool as she quietly looked away, then walked back to her desk with steady steps.
She sat down and opened her drawer, finding a snapshot of her and Cullen together.
In the photo, they were smiling like nothing else in the world mattered.
It had been taken on her birthday last year. Cullen had his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him, with the Ferris wheel in Zavala glowing behind them. The city lights cast a warm, happy glow on their faces.
Cullen had told her their relationship couldn't be public, and she'd believed him. So she'd kept the photo tucked away, treating it like something precious.
Thinking about it now, she felt ridiculous.
She tore the photo into pieces and tossed it into the trash.
She didn't have much to pack, so it was done in no time.
As soon as work was over, she walked out of the law firm with a cardboard box in her arms.
The late autumn wind slipped down her collar as she headed for the parking lot, when a familiar voice called out from behind her.
"Athena."
It was Cullen, looking as gentle and caring as ever, his eyes clear, his smile just right, like the perfect boyfriend.
"Try not to worry, okay?" Cullen said softly. "Let someone else take over the case for now and use this time to rest up. Nothing's more important than your health."
Athena gave a small nod. "Yeah."