Client Confidentiality

(57) Carlie

The district judge lords over the room as I take my seat on one side of the Courtroom. The chair grinds against the wooden floor, frying my nerves more than I thought they could be. My hands threaten to shake as I unload my briefcase, sorting through the files I brought. 

Charles gives me a wicked grin from the other side of the room, his eyes burning into me with nothing but malicious greed. His designer suit tries its best to hide his beer belly underneath, but the strain of the buttons on his shirt ruins the pretence that he's not an alcoholic with severe consent issues. 

The judge clears her throat and we sit down, waiting for her to begin proceedings. After she walks us through the process and her expectations of us within her courtroom, we move onto opening statements. 

Charles steps up first, and I don't miss the flinch of the young, female lawyer sitting next to him as he brushes against her shoulder when he walks past. 

Poor girl. 

I wonder if he has assaulted her, too. 

Hannah catches the movement, too. She scribbles something on her notebook and pushes it along the desk to me. 

Hire her when we win. 

I smirk at the definitive 'when' in her note before turning my attention to Charles. He stops in front of the judge's bench and nods his head in an ostentatious sigh of respect. 

"Thank you, Judge Darnley. This case is simple. It rests on the breach of a contract. A contract between my firm and the defendant, who was an employee of ours until six months ago. When she handed in her letter of resignation, I took it and let her leave gracefully, therefore bypassing the months she was meant to work as a notice period. Unfortunately, the defendant was not as respectful in her actions and stole away five of our employees. Not only this but she went explicitly against her contract and opened a rival firm in the same city." 

I open my mouth to argue but Judge Darnley's icy blue eyes stops me before she turns her head to Charles. 

"Thank you, Mr Lanarkshire. I would advise that you do not use language that could be classed as defamation without cause in my courtroom," she scolds him, leaving him to look like a lost puppy. He slides back into his seat and I stand up, brushing off my black suit jacket. 

My outfit is one of my most powerful today. A simple, black, knee-length skirt and white blouse, tied together with a black blazer. My hair is up in a slicked back ponytail and my face is painted in determination. 

As my shiny louboutins clack against the wooden floor, I take a deep breath before beginning my speech. 

"Thank you, Judge Darnley for giving me the opportunity to speak. My case is not as simple. Whilst there is no dispute that the notice period was waived on both sides, the reason for leaving is something that cannot be ignored here. Mr Lanarkshire is suing me for breach of contract, but I was not the one who broke the contract first." I take a deep breath and spin on my heels to face my assaulter. "As submitted into evidence, Mr Lanarkshire sexually assaulted me in the elevator within the walls of his law firm. This was during my employment and therefore breached clause 26(a) of the contract that states all employees will be exempt from any sexual harassment by partners and employers of the firm. As such, I handed in my resignation and left, knowing full well the contract had no standing since it had been made void in the first place by the claimant."

Charles looks murderous by the time I finish my speech. His fists are clenched, his expensive mount blanc pen nearly snapping in half as he holds it. His dark eyes promise a whole world of hurt but I don't back down. Instead, I straighten my spine and smile at him before sitting down next to Hannah. She reaches for my hand and squeezes it, hiding the shakiness that I've finally given into. 

"Thank you both for your opening statements." The Judge pauses as she flicks through her notes before continuing, "I see we have a lot to get through over the next week. Let us break for today and return on Monday when we are all fresh-faced. Are there any changes or conflicts I need to be aware of before I dismiss?"

"No, your Honour," I shake my head and smile at her. Charles doesn't say anything, and when I turn to look at him, he has a devilish glint in his eye. 

"Actually, your Honour. We have recently discovered new evidence which could prove vital to the Claimant's case. As such, we politely request that three new witnesses are commanded to give statements to the Court," he speaks with such strong confidence that I'm immediately on edge. 

What the fuck is he planning? 

"Very well, Mr Lanarkshire. Who are these three witnesses?" 

"Elijah Ashford, Callum Ashford and Zachary Ashford, your Honour," Charles smirks at me as he reels off their names. The names of the three most important men in my life. I stare at him in shock, trying to decipher his game plan until Judge Darnley interrupts. 

"Any objections, Miss Knight?"

"I don't quite see how they are relevant to this case, your Honour," I answer quickly, snapping my neck to look at her with confusion. 

"I'm sure we will find out on Monday. I will allow the three new witnesses," the Judge announces, "And Mr Lanarkshire, if I find out there are irrelevant to these proceedings, you will be fined."

"Understood. Thank you, Your Honour," Charles nods his head. 

When Judge Darnley finally releases us, Hannah and I high-tail out of the Court building. We rush into my car and I turn my phone back on to see at least forty texts and missed calls from the guys. 

I click on a random one and wait until they pick up. 

"Carlie, Charles has called us into the Court on Monday," Elijah says immediately, his voice exasperated. 

"I know," I sigh and rest the side of my head against the car window, "And I think I know why."

Happy Update Friday <33