Guilty

Juliette

I'm sitting in my office spinning myself around in circles at my desk when Layla walks in, she's one of our paralegals and I happen to be her favourite lawyer at the firm.

"Glad to know you're paid to be working so hard," She says, walking over with some files tucked under her arm.

I make a face in return, "I will gladly slave away at whatever case you're about to give me but I am also happy to do nothing and I don't think that's a crime."

She smiles even brighter and hands me a file, "No criminal case today, just a nasty divorce," She tells me and I sigh.

I wasn't a corporate lawyer, I mostly took criminal trials but our firm handled all kinds of cases and fairly often I had to branch out of criminal law and take on the family court.

"You want to give me the low down," I ask, sweetly. Layla rolls her eyes but takes back the file as she skims over it.

"Signed an agreement at the beginning of their marriage that if anyone in the relationship were disloyal then instead of assets being split the one who committed infidelity would only inherit thirty per cent of the assets and money. The husband cheated." She explains to me.

"Smart prenup, husband's screwed with that," I say, shrugging. One thing being a lawyer had taught me was that if I were ever to get married I'd be having a strong-ass prenup unless I married stupidly rich.

"Sorry Juliette, you're his lawyer."

My mouth drops open, "You're kidding me? Why are you giving me such an awful case," I whine.

"He asked specifically for you, or well he asked for one of the best lawyers at the firm and Sandra told me you had to take it."

I suppose I should be flattered my boss gave this to me. Instead, I want to scream.

I rack my brains for any loopholes as I read over the agreement they've both signed. But this is one of the best prenups I've ever seen, it's all borderline airtight.

"Only loophole here is if she cheated as well, do we have any information on that?" I ask, eventually looking up at Layla.

Layla smiles at me, "Only because you are nice to me did I do my snooping for you and yes she had a lot of unchecked hours at work and unregistered over time. She could be a hard worker or she could be screwing her boss, it's worth checking out."

"I love you so very dearly Layla," I call out to her as she shuts the door behind her on her way out of my office.

I spend most of my day hunting down this stupid boss, pulling phone records, receipts and schedules and though I don't have any actual proof of an affair I have a lot of circumstantial evidence that could make her jumpy. I plan to present it to her and throw around some big accusatory words at her and hopefully scare a confession out of her.

If there's nothing to confess, well then she can get what she's owed and my client will have to learn to keep it in his pants from now on. His fault, not mine.

My phone starts buzzing on the desk next to me and I glance at the door to make sure no one's around before picking it up.

"Juliette Castalia speaking," I say.

"Hi, it's Clara from Madison Boutiques calling, just confirming your final wedding dress fitting at five pm today?"

I pause, blinking slowly, "No sorry, I'm the Maid of honour, not the bride,"

"Yes the bride is Emery Fields, she called ahead and said she wouldn't be able to make it in but you'd fill in for her."

Honest to god.