Chapter 1
The new junior who suddenly joined our law firm wanted to look like some kind of genius prodigy, so she insisted on handling a court defense to prove herself.
But the moment the opposing lawyer started questioning her, she froze in panic and completely lost control. Within minutes, the whole case fell apart.
When the verdict came down, she ran straight into my fiancé's arms, sobbing, "That lawyer was so mean. It was my first time in court. I got nervous."
Because of her screw-up, our innocent client ended up behind bars.
Instead of holding her accountable, my fiancé and my other junior comforted her, "Don't cry. Not every case can be won! You're so smart. Next time, you'll do great."
I couldn't take it anymore. I said, "The courtroom isn't your playground. It's where we fight for truth and justice. Your mistake sent an innocent person to jail. How can you live with that?"
She burst into tears again, acting like I'd bullied her, acting like she wanted to die.
They then twisted everything around and made me the scapegoat.
I was forced to resign and my lawyer's license on the verge of being revoked.
Helpless and in despair, I stepped into the street and got hit by a car.
When I opened my eyes again, it was the morning of that trial.
*****
"I-I don't know..." Right there in the courtroom, Aileen Osborne, the defense attorney, just broke down and started crying.
The plaintiff's lawyer smelled blood and kept pouncing, zeroing in on every slip-up in Aileen's answers.
Her face went ghostly pale as she turned to my fiancé, George Miller in the audience, desperate for help.
"George, w-what am I supposed to do?" she stammered.
In my previous life, Aileen slipped up, and the plaintiff's lawyer immediately caught her mistake.
She broke down right there in court, and we totally lost the upper hand.
Our client, the defendant, who was almost certain to be acquitted, got thrown in jail and faced ten years behind bars.
The client's family kept showing up at the firm, raising hell and demanding answers.
Trying to calm things down, George threw me under the bus, shielding Aileen completely.
I had no choice but to quit in disgrace. To make things worse, the family slapped me with a massive lawsuit.
With nowhere else to turn, I reached out to Colin Lotimer, the other junior I'd taken under my wing from day one.
But Colin shut me out and mocked me, looking like he was enjoying every second of my downfall.
In despair, I wandered into the street and got hit by a car.
As I lay dying, I refused to accept my fate.
It was all Aileen's fault, so why did I have to be her scapegoat?
Fueled by overwhelming anger, I found myself right back to when Aileen was bawling her eyes out in court.
This time, I was going to tear Aileen, George and Colin apart, making them suffer a thousand times over for what they did to me in my previous life.
As the audience murmured in surprise, I rose to my feet and forced Aileen to stay seated.
Drawing in a deep breath, I spoke in a steady voice. "We reject the validity, relevance, and admissibility of the plaintiff's entire set of evidence, and do not acknowledge the purpose behind it."
With precision and composure, I systematically refuted the plaintiff's lawyer, exposing every loophole and contradiction in their case.
The courtroom turned into a battleground of wits, sparks flying as both sides clashed.
In the end, the defendant walked free. There just wasn't enough evidence to keep him locked up.
I walked out of the courtroom and shot Aileen a cold, merciless glare.
Smack. The crisp sound of my slap cut through the air.
I let every bit of rage and hatred from my previous life squarely on Aileen's face.
She crashed to the floor, staring up at me, stunned and unable to believe what just happened.
I pointed straight at the court's crest, hanging high above us.
"You're pathetic. As a lawyer, your duty is to fight with everything you've got for your client," I said.
Aileen's lips quivered as she looked up at me, her whole face the picture of misery. "Sarah, this was my first time in court, okay? I was so scared. I just couldn't help it."
Ever since Aileen parachuted into the firm, she'd been working her tricks.
She built up this whole genius persona, making everyone believe she was some legal whiz and trust her with important cases.
But her actual skills never lived up to the hype. Whenever she screwed up, she'd just turn on the charm and come up with excuses to dodge responsibility.
But this time was different. What happened here would decide someone's entire future.
"Sarah," George started, his voice soft.
"Shut up!" I snapped. I shot George a glare that could cut glass.
I said to Aileen, "Don't bite off more than you can chew. You talked a big game when you took the case, but when it was time to deliver, you totally chickened out.
"If you screw up, are you actually going to serve time in prison for your client?"
Colin stepped up, trying to cover for Aileen.
"Sarah, come on, it was Aileen's first time in court. She was just way too nervous," he insisted.
"You keep quiet too," I shot back at him, my tone icy and fierce.
Colin just stood there, stunned. It was the first time I'd ever snapped at him.