Chapter 3

I stared at that line for a long time.

The wound on my hand throbbed faintly under the bandage.

Tina came in, files in hand. "Ms. Ryan, Edward said you should go to his office at four this afternoon."

I closed the email. "Tell him I've got a client call at four."

Tina hesitated, "Um..."

"After the call, I need to get ready for my defense on Friday," I said.

Tina glanced at me, then fell silent.

After she left, I opened my defense presentation.

The first slide had my name on it: Sophie Ryan.

Eight years in practice, eight years at the firm, led the firm in revenue for three consecutive years, and not a single major complaint on any team case.

I've spent countless late nights chasing this seat.

Back then, Edward had said, "Once you make partner, we'll go public."

I believed him.

I even thought about taking Tina out for dinner when we finally went public, just to make up for all those years she had to deal with Edward's calls for me, and got freaked out.

Now, seeing Lily's name on the review list, I suddenly felt like that slide was almost too harsh to look at.

At four in the afternoon, the client call started right on time.

Edward called me once, but I didn't pick up.

At five thirty, he sent me a message.

[Come to my office after the meeting.]

I replied: [I haven't finished the presentation materials yet.]

A few minutes later, he replied: [I was just about to talk to you about the review.]

After reading his message, I closed the chat window.

"Auto-save successful" flashed in the corner of my PowerPoint.

I started a new document in the same folder. [Resume_Sophie Ryan]

The cursor blinked in the "Job Objective" field.

I typed: [Dispute Resolution.]

On Friday afternoon, the partner review was held in the big conference room on the twenty-seventh floor.

When I walked in, Lily was sitting by the door, quietly rehearsing her presentation script.

She was dressed in a light gray suit, her hair in a low bun, looking much steadier than usual. As soon as she saw me, she stood up right away.

Lily said, "Sophie."

I nodded and went to sit on the other side.

She clutched her script, hesitated for a moment, then scooted over. "Is your hand feeling any better?"

"It's alright," I said.

"I'm really sorry about what happened that day. I never thought things would go that way," Lily murmured, barely above a whisper.

"If I'd reacted a little quicker, maybe Edward wouldn't have had to step in..." She cut herself off at just the right moment.

I looked up at her.

Lily's eyes were so clear, just like whenever she was around Edward, always carrying that hint of innocence and vulnerability.

I used to really dislike that about her.

I hated it so much that I'd lie awake at night, obsessing over every word, wondering what she was really up to.

But lately, even hating her feels like a waste.

"You should get ready for your presentation," I said.

Lily's expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm just a little nervous. Edward said you're the best litigator here, and I should really learn from you."

I didn't say anything else.

At two fifty, the secretary called me in.

There were nine equity partners sitting in the conference room.

Edward was in the second seat on the right, dressed in a dark suit, with my application materials spread out in front of him.

He had dark circles under his eyes. It looked like he hadn't been getting much sleep lately either.

I plugged in my USB drive and started my presentation.

Eight years of work could be summed up in twenty minutes.

I talked through three key cases: a major commercial arbitration, a class-action equity dispute, and a cross-border enforcement.

Every number, milestone, risk, and outcome was vivid in my mind... I could recall them all without missing a beat.

When I got to the team development section, Tina's name and those of two other lawyers appeared on the slide.

I said, "In the first half of this year, we brought on two new lead attorneys and promoted one associate to full attorney.

"We've finished training the second-in-command for the Evermark, Grandwell, and NovaRise cases. Even if I'm not present at every hearing, the team keeps things running smoothly."

As I said that, Edward shot me a look.

I continued without missing a beat.

Once I wrapped up, the partners threw a few questions my way.

Someone asked if I'd be willing to take on more management duties if I got promoted to junior partner.

I said, "I'm up for it, as long as the boundaries and authority are spelled out."

Someone chuckled, "Ms. Ryan, you never change. Still so direct."

The atmosphere wasn't bad.

Then the managing partner closed my file and looked over at Edward. "Edward, you've worked with Sophie the most. Why don't you say a few words?"

Edward pressed his fingertips lightly against the edge of the file. "Ms. Ryan's professional ability is beyond dispute."

The room went quiet.

Usually, when someone starts like that, there's a "but" coming.

Edward paused for a couple of seconds, then said, "Over the past few years, she's taken on the firm's toughest litigation cases, brought in steady revenue, and earned high praise from clients.

"My suggestion is to give her a six-month transition period, moving the team from relying on individual strengths to a more system-driven approach.

"There's only one junior partner position this year, and I think we should give it to someone who could benefit more from the firm's support."

I sat under the glow of the projector, with the bandage gone from my hand; just a slender scar remained.

That scar suddenly started to itch.

The managing partner frowned. "So, you're saying Sophie should be put on hold this year?"

Edward shot me a quick look.

It was brief, almost like he was offering a bit of comfort. "She's mature enough. Missing this chance won't really set her back. Lily's just started here, and she needs the firm to help her build up her client base and find her direction.

"If we keep losing young lawyers, it'll mess up the whole talent pipeline for the firm."

One of the female partners on the left just laughed.

"Lily's only been here six months and hasn't even managed a full project by herself. Edward, that's a bit of a gamble," she said.

Edward kept his tone steady. "She really stood out on the Fusion project with her communication skills, and she's shown she can take care of our top clients.

"For junior partners, it's not just about what they've done. It's about their potential."

I looked at him.

I'd heard this kind of talk from him so many times before.

Whenever he was fighting for a better valuation for a client, he'd always know how to sidestep the real issues.

He'd call weaknesses "room for growth," loopholes "special opportunities," and somehow dress up even the sketchiest situation so it looked totally legit.

The managing partner turned to me. "Sophie, what do you think?"

All eyes were on me.

If this had happened before, I probably would've felt pretty awkward. Maybe even humiliated.

I would've barged into Edward's office after the meeting, demanding to know why he did this and if he ever really noticed everything I'd done for him all these years.

But that day, I just capped my pen. "I respect the partner committee's decision."

Edward's brow twitched just barely.

The managing partner asked again, "Anything you'd like to add?"

"No," I replied.

I unplugged my laptop, put away my USB drive, and got up to leave the conference room.

Before the door closed, I could still hear them discussing Lily's eligibility for the review.

I didn't stop.

Tina was waiting for me outside. As soon as I came out, she stood up quickly. "Ms. Ryan, how did it go?"

I glanced at the case files in her arms. "Send me the Evermark appeal brief. I'll take a look tonight."

She paused, a bit stunned. "What about the review?"

"The results aren't out yet," I said.

"Oh." She followed me, careful not to get in my way. "Lily just went in."

"Yeah," I replied.

Back in my office, I closed the door.

On my desk was a pothos plant Edward brought back for me after a business trip last year.

He said my office felt too sterile, and a touch of green would make it better.

That pothos was surprisingly resilient. I kept forgetting to water it, but it still grew lush and healthy.

I took it down from the windowsill and set it on the shelf in the common area.

Tina came in with some files and spotted the plant. "Ms. Ryan, why'd you put the pothos out here?"

"Just clearing out the office, so I moved it," I said.

"Clearing out?" she echoed.

"Mm-hmm," I replied.

She looked like she had more to say, but I was already opening my laptop.

There was a new email in my inbox.

It was from Serena Hughes, the managing partner at a boutique dispute resolution firm in Southgate.

I'd sent them my resume three days ago, not expecting much.

But they got back to me right away. [Hi Ms. Ryan, after reviewing your resume, we'd like to set up an online call as soon as possible. Would you be available this weekend?]

I sent my reply: [I'm available at ten on Saturday morning.]

After sending the email, I opened the Evermark case brief.

At seven that evening, the review results were posted on the firm's internal network.

Lily was selected for this year's junior partner development slot.

Next to my name, it just said: [Review Deferred.]

Tina was standing at my office door, looking like she'd just been punched in the gut, worse than me.

"Ms. Ryan, how could they treat you like this?" she said.

I flipped to page thirteen of the brief. "The order of facts in the seventh paragraph is wrong. Go back and fix it."

Her eyes were red. "Ms. Ryan..."

I looked up at her. "We've got court next week, and the client already paid up."

Tina wiped her nose, took the file back, and said, "I'll get right on it."

Not long after she left, Edward came by.

He didn't bother knocking, just walked in while I was highlighting flaws in the opposing side's evidence.

"Did you see the review results?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Sophie, I can explain," he said.

I put my pen down and met his gaze.

Edward stood in front of my desk, his tie a little loose, looking tired. "There's only one junior partner slot this year.

"You've already built a strong practice, so waiting six months won't really hurt you. But Lily really needs this. If she doesn't get it now, she might not stick around."

"Mm," I replied.

He looked a little taken aback by how blunt I was.

"Don't just give me a one-word answer," he said.

I closed the folder. "Mr. Grant, I've got work to do."

"This isn't personal," he said, then seemed to realize he sounded a bit harsh and quickly softened his tone. "I'm thinking about what's best for the team."

I stared at him for a moment.

The conference room lights spilled across his shoulders, and he still looked as steady and unshakeable as ever, like nothing could ever rattle him.

Suddenly, all those late nights came rushing back to me.

When I was so wiped out I'd pass out at my desk, he'd slip his jacket over my shoulders and quietly finish the last draft of the brief for me.

He'd seen me at my messiest, and he'd watched me claw my way back every single time.

He knew exactly what this spot meant to me.

But in the end, he was the one who made sure my name got sidelined.

I put the review materials into my drawer. "From the team's perspective, I accept the outcome."

Edward stared at me. "And from your perspective?"

"I'll adjust my career plan," I said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

I didn't answer.

He stepped closer, bracing his hand on the edge of my desk. "Sophie, if you're upset, say it. Don't use your career plans to get back at me."

This time, I didn't even bother to smile.

"Mr. Grant, the Evermark case is up in court next week. I need to get the materials ready," I said.

He stared at me for a long time.

Finally, he took a Band-Aid out of his pocket and placed it on my desk.

"Don't get your hand wet," Edward said.

The door closed again.

The Band-Aid sat next to the review materials, its wrapper spotless and the corners perfectly pressed.

I didn't touch it.

At nine that night, I scheduled my interview with Serena Hughes from Southgate.

Then I pulled my resignation draft out of the drafts folder and dropped it onto my desktop.

I changed the filename to: [Resignation Handover Plan_Sophie Ryan]