Chapter 3

The next morning, I packed the heavy folders of evidence and drove to Ethan's law firm.

When the receptionist saw me, a look of pure awkwardness washed over her face.

"Oh, Mrs. Vance... I'm so sorry, but Mr. Vance took an emergency leave of absence today."

"Where did he go?"

"He... he took Miss Hailey to her therapy appointment."

My heart sank into a cold, dark abyss.

Standing in the sleek, modern lobby of Vance & Associates, I felt like the biggest joke in the city.

From the nearby breakroom, the hushed gossip of two junior associates floated over clearly.

"Mr. Vance is seriously a saint when it comes to Hailey. He treats her like a queen."

"Right? I heard he even cancelled his afternoon settlement meeting with the opposing counsel just to drive her to therapy."

I squeezed the folders in my arms, my fingernails cutting deep into the cardboard.

"Mrs. Vance, would you like to wait in the VIP conference room?" the receptionist asked, trying to break the heavy silence.

I nodded numbly.

As the hours dragged on, my phone buzzed. It was my father, Richard. His voice was tight with anxiety.

"Maya, sweetheart, how is it going? Has Ethan reviewed the final defense strategy yet?"

"I'm still waiting at his office, Dad."

On the other end, my father went quiet for a moment before forcing a warm tone. "Don't rush him. Being a senior partner is stressful. Let him take his time."

My throat tightened.

"How... how are you feeling after yesterday's surgery?" he asked softly.

My fingers trembled. I lied. "I'm doing great, Dad. Don't worry about me."

At 4:00 PM, Ethan finally walked through the glass doors, guiding a red-eyed Hailey by the elbow.

Hailey flinched when she saw me, immediately lowering her head and hiding behind Ethan like a frightened child.

"Maya, I'm so sorry... I ended up taking up Ethan's time again."

I didn't even look at her. I slid the thick folders across the table directly in front of Ethan.

"The deadline to submit our final witness list and evidence is in exactly one hour."

A flash of guilt crossed Ethan's face. "Hailey had a panic attack at the clinic. I couldn't just leave her."

Hailey immediately grabbed his sleeve, her voice dripping with artificial sweet poison.

"It's all my fault... Seeing all those scary legal documents just reminds me of how my ex-husband used to threaten me. It makes my heart race..."

Ethan gently patted her hand, his eyes incredibly tender. "It's okay. You're safe now."

I watched those hands---hands that were supposed to fight for justice in a courtroom---comforting another woman's fragile ego. The irony was suffocating.

"Ethan. Check the files. Now," I demanded.

He picked up a pen, but before he could write a single word, Hailey gasped, clutching her temples.

"Oh... my head is spinning so fast..."

She turned incredibly pale, as if she were about to faint.

Ethan immediately dropped his pen and caught her. "Hailey! What's wrong?"

At that exact moment, my phone rang again. It was my father calling back, desperately seeking an update.

Meanwhile, Hailey looked up at me with tears streaming down her face. "Maya, I'm so sorry... Every time I see you, I'm reminded of how badly my own marriage failed. My chest hurts... I think my panic attack is coming back..."

Ethan slammed the folders shut.

"Maya, check them yourself. I have to drive Hailey home immediately."

I stared at him in utter disbelief.

"You promised me you would personally review every single page of this filing!"

His face darkened, his eyes suddenly filled with deep disappointment and annoyance.

"You're one of the top translation directors in the country, Maya. Are you telling me you can't even double-check a few simple documents?"

With that, he wrapped his arm around the shivering Hailey and walked away.

As Hailey brushed past me, she paused for a split second.

In a voice so low only I could hear, she whispered, "You're so lucky, Maya. You still have a rich dad to save. But me? I have absolutely nothing left."

I stood frozen as the elevator doors closed.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up the pen and signed my own name on the final legal submission form.