The Litigator’s Revenge: No More Chances

1.

Our ten-year relationship ended today.

My lawyer boyfriend, Adrian, stood me up again for one of his important clients.

On our 10th anniversary, the day we had planned to hold our wedding ceremony at the town hall, they let me down.

But then, I saw it on Instagram. A picture of him and his childhood sweetheart, Chloe, holding a marriage certificate.

Her caption read: "Some roads always lead you back home."

My phone immediately blew up with DMs from my and Adrian's mutual friends, all asking me what the hell was going on.

I just calmly posted a single Instagram Story: "Remember to invite me to the baby shower. I'll buy out your entire Tiffany & Co. registry."

A second later, the story was deleted. Adrian's call came through, his voice dripping with blame.

"Chloe accidentally posted it publicly instead of to 'close friends.' Did you really have to be so passive-aggressive? What will people think of her now?"

"Besides, she just got divorced. She has no idea how the remarriage process works. As her lawyer, what's wrong with me walking her through a rehearsal? It's just a piece of paper. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

"Post an apology right now. Once she's over her divorce, I'll find some time to schedule our wedding."

But he forgot. This was the sixty-seventh time he'd made me that same empty promise.

And this time, I was done.

I hung up on him and immediately submitted my digital resignation to the law firm where we both worked.

He had no idea that when he came back, he'd be coming back to an empty apartment. Our lives were about to become two parallel lines, never to cross again.

...

I ignored the dozen calls that followed from Adrian.

Finally, he sent a text, his patience gone:

"Amelia, are you serious right now? You dare to hang up on me? You're the one who was wrong, and you're acting like you have the moral high ground?"

"You have five minutes to post an apology, or we're breaking up."

In our ten years together, I had heard threats like this hundreds of times.

And every single time, I was the one who caved, the one who apologized.

This was the first time I'd ever just hung up on him.

When he got no response, Adrian started a "breakup countdown" on his own Instagram story.

He had once established a "three-day rule" with meDif we went more than seventy-two hours without speaking, we were automatically broken up.

My love for him made him fearless.

So every time we fought, he would use this countdown to pressure me.

For ten years, he used that rule to play me like a fiddle.

And every time, just as the clock was about to run out, I would be the one to break and beg him to stay.

But now, I was just so tired. I didn't want to be played for a fool anymore.

Shortly after Adrian posted his countdown, Chloe made a post of her own and made sure to tag me.

"It was just a little joke with Adrian that I accidentally made public. I didn't think Amelia would have such a big reaction. I guess I'll be too scared to talk to her from now on, in case I make her angry again."

Adrian, who rarely ever looked at social media, was the first one to like it.

He commented: "It's some people's own issue, Chloe, don't blame yourself. And why should it be 'close friends only'? If you want to post something, post it publicly."

It was obvious that "some people" meant me. Our friends, who relied on Adrian for their careers, quickly liked and supported his comment.

"Amelia is so petty. Chloe, don't feel bad because of someone like her."

"No wonder Adrian never married her. Who would marry such a small-minded woman?"

I let out a bitter laugh. He would do anything to defend Chloe, to protect her from the slightest discomfort.

But for me, his girlfriend of ten years, all he ever had was neglect and coldness.

A single sneeze from Chloe was enough for him to cancel our wedding appointment at City Hall.

But if I complained, he'd get angrier than me, accusing me of disrespecting his freedom and being narrow-minded.

And now that I was choosing to let go and congratulate them, he was the one lashing out.

Using a countdown to force me to apologize.

The truth is, there was never a right or wrong. It was just that the scales of his heart had tipped long ago.

"Ma'am, the information you've entered for the gentleman shows that he is currently in a registered marriage. Would you like to reschedule?" the clerk at City Hall asked, looking at me with pity.

I took back my ID and smiled.

"I'll think about it."

The young couple behind me cheered as I stepped aside.

Appointments for a City Hall ceremony on our anniversary were nearly impossible to get.

I had waited in line since early this morning just to get this spot.

But now, looking at the registration form I had filled out countless times, I didn't hesitate to tear it to shreds and toss it in the trash.

I had filled out that form sixty-seven times. I had given him sixty-seven chances.

Every single time, I had shown up early just like today, filled with hope, watching the other happy couples while I waited for him to arrive.

And every single time, just before our appointment, he would call and tell me an "urgent case" had come up at the firm.

When I questioned him, he'd use his clients' interests to shut me down.

"Amelia, these cases are people's entire lives. You want me to ignore their futures for the sake of a ceremony? How can you be so cold?"

He said it with such self-righteousness, looking down on me from his high horse.

He never knew that after he'd ditch me for Chloe, she would send me texts to taunt me.

"The steak Adrian cooked for me was amazing. I bet you've never had it, have you?"

"I only walked a little too much today, and Adrian felt so bad he bought me a new car. I seem to remember you still take the bike-share to work, right?"

And now, he had even gone and gotten a marriage certificate with her.

It was time for our relationship to finally end.

2.

The moment I stepped out of City Hall, I got a call from the head of HR. Her tone was strictly business.

She said they'd received my resignation, but because I was a key revenue generator for the firm, my departure required a complex client handover process as per my employment agreement.

"Amelia, this will require a 'Client File Transfer Authorization' signed personally by Adrian, our managing partner. He has already informed me that you are not to take any client resources with you before this form is signed. He also hinted that if you don't discuss this with him in person, he might enforce the strictest non-compete clause in your contract."

To make a clean break, I gritted my teeth and went to find him.

The address was a trendy pool hall in Brooklyn. Chloe had posted on Instagram that she wanted to learn how to play pool.

Adrian, who normally treated his work like his religion, had apparently been skipping out for days to teach her.

When I found him, he was leaning over Chloe from behind, his hands over hers, showing her how to hold the cue stick.

The second she saw me, Chloe's lips curled into a smirk.

A few of the junior associates from the firm were gathered nearby. Their leader was JenniferDthe daughter of one of Adrian's major clients, a classic nepo baby.

She saw me and said in an exaggerated, pitying voice, "Oh, Amelia, honey... you came all the way out here? We thought Adrian gave you a week off to... you know, process your feelings."

Her little posse of followers snickered. Jennifer pretended to cover her mouth. "I guess the 'three-day rule' doesn't really mean anything to you, does it? Give the man some space, sweetie."

I frowned. I'd heard jabs like this a million times before.

But never had they annoyed me as much as they did right now.

"I'm not here to make up with him."

My words made Jennifer laugh out loud. "Stop pretending, Amelia. Everyone knows you're Adrian's most loyal little puppy. He couldn't get rid of you if he tried."

I ignored them and tossed the papers on the table. "Adrian, sign it."

Just as Adrian reached for the document, Chloe whined, "Adrian, how do I hit this ball?"

He immediately dropped the papers and pulled his electronic signature device from his pocket, tossing it to me carelessly.

"Do it yourself. And don't come here again unless it's important. You're interrupting my lesson with Chloe."

Adrian was always obsessively private. He never let me near his safe.

He'd shield his phone from me even when just typing in a payment password.

An e-signature device was something he guarded with his life.

But now, he just threw it at me without a second thought, blowing off official company business for a date with Chloe.

I clutched the signed resignation form in my hand, a cold wind blowing through the hole that had just been ripped open in my chest.

I turned to leave, but Adrian called out to me.

"Chloe's busy for the next few days. Take care of her caseload for her."

He threw a thick stack of files at me, each with nothing but a title on the cover.

I couldn't even remember how many times he had made me do Chloe's work for her.

I just knew that as soon as I finished, Chloe would take all the credit.

But if I ever made a single mistake under the heavy workload, I would be the one to take all the blame.

Sometimes, I'd get fed up and refuse.

Then Adrian would say I was disappointing him, that I didn't care about him or the firm.

He'd say if I didn't do it, he'd have to do it himself.

I felt bad seeing him so stressed from managing the firm, so I always ended up giving in.

But all my sacrifices only earned me his entitlement, his scorn, and his expectation that I would always be at his beck and call.

But now, I had resigned. The firm's business was no longer my problem.

"No, I've already quiD"

Before I could finish, Chloe's pitiful voice cut me off.

"Adrian, if Amelia doesn't want to, it's okay. I can do it myself."

Adrian's tone immediately softened with concern for her. "You just got divorced, you're not in the right state of mind to work. Come on, go have fun. Stop this."

He turned back to me, his voice turning to ice. "Do you have any idea how much you upset Chloe with that Instagram stunt? I'm giving you a chance to make up for it, and you're refusing? You keep this up, and I swear, in three days, you could be on your knees begging and I wouldn't take you back."

I laughed bitterly. My own mother had passed away unexpectedly, and I had cried myself unconscious several times.

All Adrian had said was, "When you're done crying, remember to be at work on time. There's a lot to do."

But for Chloe, who had been divorced for two years, "not being in the right state of mind" was a perfectly valid reason to skip work.

"Fine, don't take me back. I don't care."

I turned and walked away. The shock on Adrian's face was impossible to hide.

My colleagues were stunned. "Is she really leaving?"

But Chloe just chuckled. "Amelia, if you don't want to do the work, just say so. You don't have to play hard to get."

Hearing this, Adrian's tense expression immediately relaxed, replaced by his usual confident smirk. His tone softened.

"Alright, Amelia, I know I've been neglecting you lately. Just help Chloe finish her work, and in three days, I promise I'll go with you to City Hall and we'll set a date. Okay?"

I scoffed. Adrian was dangling another one of his empty promises in front of me.

But this time, I had no appetite for it.

I didn't answer. I just walked away.

The snide comments from my colleagues followed me out.

"Ugh, why is she acting so tough? Just watch, you guys. By tomorrow at the latest, she'll be back, begging for forgiveness."

A wicked thought crossed my mind. I wanted to see the looks on their faces when they realized how wrong they were.

I let out a short, sharp laugh and looked back at them.

"Alright then. You just wait and see."

3.

With my resignation finalized, I went straight to my best friend Olivia's firm.

In the legal world, clients follow the lawyer, not the law firm.

Olivia was so thrilled to have a Star Litigator like me join her team that she practically bowed down to me.

She offered me ten times the salary Adrian paid me and gave me a beautiful brownstone in Brooklyn Heights as a signing bonus.

I could finally move out of that rundown walk-up in the East Village.

To be honest, many clients were shocked when they found out where I lived.

A well-known lawyer in the city, living in a dilapidated fifth-floor apartment with no elevator.

I used to say I was a low-maintenance person who didn't care about material things.

The truth was, I willingly accepted a junior-level salary for the sake of Adrian's firm's growth.

At first, Adrian was grateful. But eventually, he started to take it for granted.

Once, when the heat broke in the middle of winter, I asked him for money to replace it.

He called me extravagant, said I had changed, that I was only after his money.

But when it came to Chloe, he bought her a mansion of several thousand square feet without a second thought.

Even Chloe's doghouse had heated floors.

On the day I was moving, I unexpectedly ran into Adrian and Chloe.

They were with his parents, the Vances. The four of them were having a cozy dinner at a high-end steakhouse.

I froze for a second, a memory flashing through my mind of the first time I'd visited Adrian's family.

I had brought carefully selected gifts, but the Vances only ordered me cheap takeout.

I had awkwardly suggested we all go out to eat instead.

They accused me of being a gold digger, of leeching off Adrian and developing expensive habits.

In the end, I was the one who had to cook for the entire family. After I had finally managed to put a full meal on the table...

Adrian's mother threw down her fork and complained that my food was too salty.

She said only uneducated people ate such heavily seasoned food, and that it was clear I was from some small town in the Midwest.

As for the gifts I brought them, they gave them all away to the doorman right after I left.

Comparing that to this, I felt like a complete clown.

Mrs. Vance was affectionately placing food on Chloe's plate.

"Chloe and our Adrian are just a match made in heaven. If Chloe hadn't been tricked by that other man all those years ago, you two would have never been apart. I think the timing is perfect now. You two should just get together," Mrs. Vance urged.

Mr. Vance chimed in, "Exactly. Chloe just joined the firm and has already landed several huge accounts for Adrian. She has a bright future. Not like that useless Amelia, who's only good for cooking and cleaning. Completely worthless."

My whole body started to tremble with rage.

I was the one who landed those accounts. Adrian just put Chloe's name on them.

The money I earned single-handedly supported the entire firm.

But Adrian never once praised me for it. Instead, he put me down every day.

He said the firm gave me the platform, that I wouldn't have any cases without him.

And now, listening to his parents' slander, he didn't even try to correct them.

He just sighed and said, "I just tolerate her. It's been so many years, after all."

My heart plummeted. All these years, to him, I was just something to be "tolerated."

Mrs. Vance was not satisfied with Adrian's answer. "Adrian, I'm telling you, that Amelia girl has a bad background, nothing to show for herself. Look at how her parents passed away so early, leaving her all alone. If you marry her, what will that do to our family's reputation?"

Adrian didn't respond, but I was already fighting back tears.

My parents lost everything because of the Vance family.

Years ago, when the Vance's startup was on the brink of bankruptcy, my parents, as their earliest angel investors, poured their entire retirement fund and a Home Equity Line of Credit from their only property into the company.

But just as the company was about to turn a profit, Adrian's father used a legal loophole to perform a malicious stock dilution and restructuring. He made my parents' shares worthless and kicked them out of the company completely.

My parents went bankrupt. The immense shock and stress took their toll, and within a few years, they passed away from a heart attack and depression, respectively.

The Vances showed some remorse afterward, promising they would make it up to me.

But in the end, there was no compensation. Instead, I became a worthless burden in their eyes, someone not good enough for their family.

I couldn't stand to listen to their nonsense anymore and turned to leave.

4.

But Chloe spotted me.

"Well, look who it is. Amelia."

The three Vances turned to look at me.

The moment he saw me, Adrian instinctively pulled his hand away from Chloe's.

"Amelia, what are you doing here?"

Chloe said, feigning innocence, "Adrian, Amelia is so devoted to you. She seems to pop up wherever you are. I hope she doesn't have a tracker on you or something."

Then she turned to me. "Oh, Amelia, please don't get the wrong idea. Adrian and I grew up together. Mr. and Mrs. Vance are like my own parents. We get together like this all the time. If it bothers you, I can leave right now."

"Why would you leave?" Adrian grabbed her arm and shot me a nasty glare.

"Amelia, there's a mountain of work waiting for you at the firm, and you're here stalking me? Have you lost your mind?"

"What's the point of being so paranoid all the time? Get your ass back to the office right now. And while you're at it, go to HR and accept your punishment. You can forget about your pay for today and your bonus for this quarter."

The Vances chimed in, "Adrian, why are you keeping a parasite like her around? Just fire her. You're too soft. How do you think excellent employees like Chloe feel when you let this slide?"

Chloe pretended to be kind. "Oh, it's really no problem. I can just clean up Amelia's messes for her. But Amelia, you're not getting any younger. If you lose your job at the firm, how will you survive? You should just apologize to Adrian. Stop being so stubborn."

The Vances praised Chloe for being so kind and mature, while Adrian's glare at me grew even more contemptuous.

"What are you still standing there for? Get back to work! And let me tell you, if I don't see you at the office by the end of the day, don't bother coming to me when the countdown ends. We're done for good!"

With that, he and his family paid the bill and left.

Later that day, just before closing time, Adrian made a point to stop by the office.

When he saw that I really hadn't come back, he was furious and went straight to a high-end bar.

He even had a colleague "casually" drop the address to me.

I ignored it all.

It was already 11 PM.

The day was almost over.

Adrian had downed a stomach full of whiskey, but he couldn't shake the growing anxiety.

He kept glancing at the door of the private room, tensing up every time someone pushed it open.

Many people came and went, but none of them were me.

His phone was so quiet it felt broken.

He even had his assistant check if his phone was working.

After confirming it was fine, his mood sank to a new low.

He was so used to me giving in to him.

This feeling was completely alien.

He looked at the photo of us on his lock screen.

It was from our first kiss, a candid shot he had taken in his excitement. A small smile played on his lips without him realizing it.

Finally, he couldn't resist and sent me a message.

"Amelia, don't say I didn't warn you. The seventy-two hours are almost up."

The message was met with complete silence.

Adrian's brow furrowed.

The once-lively room grew quiet under the cold aura he was emitting.

The air felt frozen, and everyone breathed a little lighter.

Just then, the door to the room was pushed open.

The sudden noise made everyone look up.

The person who entered was out of breath but beaming. "She's here, she's here! Adrian, she's downstairs!"

"And she got all dressed up, she looks amazing! You have to go see!"

Adrian's expression instantly relaxed, and he leaned back against the sofa with an arrogant air.

A smile spread across his face. "Go tell her she's too late. It's 12:01 AM now. If she wants to get back together, it won't be that easy."