Chapter 136 Divorce Case
The next morning, when I got to Stellar Legal Advisors, I spotted Lawrence and Lila in the conference room from a distance. I felt a wave of relief; finally, I could meet with Lawrence and sort out the case details. But I was also a bit miffed since he totally bailed on me yesterday, leaving me hanging. Still, I picked up the pace, plastering on a warm smile as I greeted him, "Mr. Parker, I sent you an email last night to remind you to reschedule. Why are you here so early?"
He gave me a somewhat shifty look and an awkward smile. Just then, another lawyer from the firm, Rolf Tackett, walked in with a stack of documents. He moved confidently and naturally took a seat opposite Lawrence.
For a moment, I was thrown off and couldn't help but wonder: What the heck was going on? Lila and I exchanged a glance; she frowned slightly, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
She quickly stood up, forcing a smile to lighten the mood. "Diana, there have been some changes with Mr. Parker. He won't need you to represent him in the lawsuit anymore. I've reassigned him to Mr. Tackett. I'll find another suitable case for you soon." As she spoke, Lila gently patted my shoulder, trying to comfort me.
I was puzzled and anxious. I had put in so much work for this case; how could they just switch lawyers like that? I wanted to fight for myself. I instinctively hugged my laptop tightly, as if it could give me some strength, and pointed to it, saying to Lawrence, "Mr. Parker, I've already organized all the materials for you. I just need to confirm a few details with you. Changing lawyers now will waste a lot of time!" With a sincere and hopeful look in my eyes, I wished he would reconsider.
Lawrence scratched his head awkwardly, a look of apology crossing his face as he avoided my gaze. He said, "My wife still doesn't agree to the divorce, so I think this lawsuit might not be that urgent. However, if you could hand over the materials you've organized to Mr. Tackett, I think it won't delay too much." Hearing his words, I felt a bit disappointed and angry.
Even those unfamiliar with legal work should know that the materials organized by a lawyer were confidential and generally not easily accessible to others.
Before I could retort, Rolf said, "Then I must thank Ms. Cooper in advance."
As soon as he said that, Lila and I gave him a cold stare. I couldn't believe that there were still people so shamelessly trying to steal others' hard work.
Lila and I exchanged a glance, and she smiled as she said, "Mr. Tackett is also an excellent lawyer at our firm. I'm sure he can handle it independently." With that, she crushed Rolf's hopes of getting a free ride.
As the sole head of Stellar Legal Advisors, Lila's words carried absolute authority. Hearing this, Lawrence and Rolf couldn't ask me for the materials I had painstakingly organized.
Rolf awkwardly said, "Then, Mr. Parker, shall we discuss this in detail in the meeting room next door?"
Lawrence nodded and followed Rolf out of the conference room.
As soon as they left the room, Lila rolled her eyes hard towards the door and snorted. She crossed her legs, her face full of disdain. She said, "That bastard, daring to snatch resources from you?" Her tone carried a hint of anger and dissatisfaction.
I pulled out a chair and casually sat next to her, my face filled with confusion and frustration. "Lila, what's going on? I waited for Mr. Parker until very late yesterday, but he neither showed up nor contacted me. Why did he come today just to change lawyers?" I frowned, my eyes showing both confusion and hurt.
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Lila's face, quickly replaced by disdain. "Don't worry about him. If he wants to switch, let him. No matter which lawyer he picks at this firm, none are as good as you."
She lifted her chin, trying to comfort me with a confident tone, but I sensed she was deliberately avoiding something. Since Lila was the firm's head, I couldn't push her further. I sighed, feeling a bit disappointed.
Lila pouted, her face full of disdain. "Forget about him. He's not worth your time. As for his case, it doesn't matter who handles it. By the way, our firm has taken on a few more cases. You need to get ready."
I smiled. "I know. But I still find it strange. Why did Mr. Parker stand me up without a word yesterday? Do you know something but aren't telling me?"
Lila's eyes flickered, then she smiled and brushed it off. "You're overthinking. What could I know? Maybe he just had a sudden change of heart. There are plenty of clients like that. Don't take it too seriously."
"By the way, Diana, are you interested in taking this case?" Lila sat up straight, her face showing an expectant expression as she pulled out a file from the stack on the table and handed it to me.
"Another divorce case?" I muttered softly as I flipped through the file, a hint of reluctance and a bitter smile appearing on my face. My brows furrowed unconsciously.
Lila laughed. "You're good at handling divorce cases. Ever since you handled Alice's case, many people have chosen Stellar Legal Advisors just to have you represent them!" She teased me, her eyes sparkling, trying to lift my spirits.
I sighed inwardly. Someone like me, who couldn't even handle my own marriage, was chosen by others to handle their divorce cases. I shook my head helplessly, a self-deprecating smile appearing on my face. My lips curled up slightly but with a hint of bitterness.
Lila said seriously, "It might not be entirely a bad thing, right? Maybe you can find a way to solve your problems from other people's cases?" Her expression became serious, her tone carrying a hint of encouragement.
I nodded. "I hope so."
Feeling a bit down, I left and returned to my desk to study the materials.
The client, in this case, was a woman who chose to divorce because she couldn't endure her husband's long-term domestic violence. Looking at the bloody photos in the file, I couldn't help but shiver, my brows furrowing tightly.
Even though I hadn't met the client yet, just seeing these pictures made me start to sympathize with her. How could there be such a despicable man in this world, who would beat his wife so viciously? Edward, who had always been cold but never violent—except when he pressed me down during sex. I sighed softly, feeling both pity for the client and reflecting on my own marriage.
Compared to the previous case, this one seemed simpler. The evidence already included photos of the client's injuries, photos of the fight scene taken by the police, witness statements from neighbors, and even the client's medical examination report from the hospital.
With this evidence, as long as the client filed a lawsuit, I was confident of securing a divorce in one go. Any lawyer could win this case. Thinking of this, I breathed a slight sigh of relief, but I still felt heavy. I couldn't help but reflect that behind every divorce case was a broken relationship and family. Perhaps it was true that all happy families were alike, but each unhappy family was unhappy in its own way.
The case came to Stellar Legal Advisors as a pro bono matter after I posted a statement online. Not much money was involved, but it was for a good cause. I was at my desk, frowning at the case files, my mind racing through all the details and strategies. It felt like the whole world had shrunk down to just me and this case.
The first meeting with my client, Tessa Hawthorne, went pretty well. She had bruises around her eyes and looked at me with this helpless, bloodshot gaze, like she was begging me to tell her story of misery.
"Ms. Cooper, I can't live with him another day. Please, you have to help me," she said, her voice shaking with desperation. It made me tense up.
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