Luxury for Her Mother, Lectures for Mine

My heart skipped a beat, but my face stayed calm.

I pointed at the computer. "I suddenly remembered a case I have in court tomorrow. There was a detail in the evidence I wanted to double-check."

Lucy watched me for a few seconds, then gave a quiet laugh. "You workaholic. Do you even know what time it is? The electricity bill is going to blow past the limit again this quarter."

She turned and walked away after saying that

I stayed where I was, chilled to the bone.

If she wanted to use the law as a weapon, then I would use what I knew best and settle this myself.

…

"Ms. Sweeney, I wanted to hire you to investigate my wife, Lucy Glaser."

Teresa Sweeney leaned back in her chair and flicked her eyes up at me. "Investigate what?"

"Everything—her financial transactions, her social circle, her call records. And her friend Jean Zeller, the founder of a renewable-energy company."

Ms. Sweeney raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Hatcher, that kind of work doesn't come cheap."

I slid a card across the table. "The PIN is six eights. If it's not enough, say the word."

She didn't take it. She just smiled. "I don't take cases for money. I take them based on mood. Give me a reason to say yes."

I met her gaze. "She used the money I earned to set a legal trap for me. She wants to use the weapon I know best to end my career and leave me with nothing. I want you to help me switch the roles. Make the hunter the hunted."

The smile disappeared from Ms. Sweeney's face. "That's interesting."

She picked up the card on the table and rolled it once between her fingers. "Three days. I'll give you a report you'll be satisfied with."

I went back to the firm and called my legal assistant, Alex Ballard.

"Alex, draft a complaint for me. The cause of action is rescission of the 'Family Asset Management Agreement.' The defendant is Lucy Glaser."

Alex froze on the other end of the line. "Mr. Hatcher, are you sure?"

"Do exactly as I said. And set up an appointment with the firm's chief notary. I need to have my will notarized, and I want to notarize an advance designation of guardian."

In the will, I would specify that if anything happened to me, all of my personal assets would be donated to the nursing home on Mom's street. Of course, this was after setting aside a support trust for her.

In the advance guardianship designation, I would specify that if I ever lost legal capacity, my guardian would be my best friend, Evan.

Lucy wanted me to lose everything? I wasn't about to let her have her way.

That afternoon, her call came through. The anger in her voice was barely contained.

"Caleb, what the hell are you doing? You actually sued me?"

I replied calmly, "As a lawyer, when my rights are violated, I trust the law to give me a fair judgment."

"You've lost your mind! Do you have any idea that this will freeze all our assets? What about my renewable-energy project?"

"That's your project. Not ours."

Lucy screamed into the phone. "Caleb Hatcher! You'll regret this! I have a hundred ways to make you withdraw the suit before we ever get to court!"

I hung up and stared out at the traffic streaming past the window.

She wanted me out with nothing, huh? Then I'd watch her get burned by her own scheme.

We could take our time.

…

Lucy's retaliation came faster than I expected.

The next day, an anonymous post was pinned to the top of the firm's internal network.

"Breaking: Senior Partner at Elite Law Firm Suspected of Severe Bipolar Disorder, Repeatedly Threatened Suicide!"

The post detailed a string of my supposed emotional breakdowns, complete with several blurred photos that were still clearly recognizable as me.

They were the same ones I'd seen on Lucy's computer.

At the end, the poster asked with feigned concern, "How can a lawyer in such an unstable mental state be trusted with clients' massive assets?"

The post set off an uproar.

The firm's managing partner, Dustin Lambert, called me into his office right away. His expression was grim.