A year ago, Molly had broken up with her boyfriend, and he handed her a bill demanding repayment. The bill showed that throughout their two-year rtionship, he had transferred more than 50 thousand dors to her.
Molly refused to pay, and her ex-boyfriend sued her. She hade to thew firm for help, but the otherwyers were all out in court. Tessa was the only one avable.
"It wasn''t like that at all." Molly sobbed with heaving breaths. "We lived together for two years. We agreed from the start to split the rent, utilities, and living expenses evenly. He said he would transfer me 2000 dors each month to cover the expenses, and I would contribute the same amount."
"I didn''t think too much of it at the time and just did what he said," she said, continuing her story. "Who knew that he would demand I pay him back after we broke up? He imed those transfers were mary gifts meant for marriage. Now that we are no longer together, he said I should return the money.
"But that money was for everyday expenses! How can it be considered a gift? The actual gifts he gave me over the past two years didn''t even add up to 500 dors, so how dare he sue me?"
Molly''s sobbing intensified the more she spoke. "That 2000 dors a month were living expenses from my parents, too. I''m just a university student, so where am I supposed toe up with 50 thousand dors to pay him back?
"I don''t dare to tell my parents, either. If they found out I was living with a guy off-campus, my dad would kill me. Tessa, please help me. I''m really at my wit''s end..."
It was ironic, really. Molly was aw student, and she actually fell for the scumbag''s tricks. It truly was a textbook case of a love-blinded woman falling for a jerk, getting swindled, and losing everything in the
process.
Tessa sighed helplessly and greatly pitied the young woman in front of her.
Normally,wyers wouldn''t take on cases from clients who cannot even afford their fees, but Tessa was different. Not only did she take on the case, but she even lent Molly the money to pay the legal fees. Tessa had thought at the time that Molly''s situation was already difficult enough. If no one helped her, she feared Molly might act recklessly out of despair.
Lawyer fees weren''t paid directly to the representing attorney. The payment was instead transferred by the client to thew firm, after which it would be paid to thewyer as a sry.
At that time, Tessa had just started her legal career and was earning only 5000 dors a month as an associatewyer at the firm. She added Molly on WhatsApp without any hesitation and lent her the money to cover the legal fees.
Tessa worked hard to gather crucial evidence after taking on the case. She won thewsuit in the end, and Molly was both impressed and grateful. Upon graduating from university, Molly came to the firm to work as Tessa''s assistant.
...
At present, Molly asked with red-rimmed eyes, "Tessa, I''ve just registered for my license and can''t leave yet. Can Ie to look for you once my internship is over?"
Tessa was stunned for a moment, not expecting Molly''s request.
She smiled warmly and gently replied, "Of course, you can. My home is in Rivertown. If you want to join me there, just contact me when the timees."
"That''s great!" Mollyughed through her tears. "I''ll follow you for life, Tessa! Wherever you go, I''ll go. You''ll have to put up with me as your shadow!"
"Of course!" Tessa replied.
...
In the director''s office at thew firm, the director-a bespectacled middle-aged man-looked at Tessa''s resignation letter in confusion. He asked, "Tessa, why are you suddenly resigning? Are you facing any difficulties at work?"
Tessa shook her head. "No, sir. There are some matters at home that I have to go back to. I know I should have given a month''s notice, but this came up unexpectedly. I''m very sorry."
She added, "I''ve already handed over most of my work, but I still have a case in ten days for an appete hearing. Once that is done, I''ll be heading home. I just wanted to let you know in advance."
The director was silent for a moment before he replied, "Well, since that''s how it is, okay then. I wish you all the best in your future."
Tessa left thew firm and walked aimlessly down the street.
Night fell, and the city lights flickered on. The evening breeze rustled through the treetops.
A sudden feeling of loneliness swelled in Tessa''s chest. She was about to leave the city she had lived in for the past three years.
She remembered when she first arrived in Haverford. All her banking cards had been frozen by Samuel, and she only had a few thousand dors of cash on her. She stayed in a hotel for three days.
During those three days, she found a job and rented a low-cost apartment near thew firm.
The rent and deposit were paid in advance for three months, leaving her almost penniless. She could only
rely on her best friend living in Rivertown for financial support to afford food.
The low-cost apartmentplex had a mix of all kinds of people, and the security was poor. Not long after Tessa moved in, she was confronted by a drunk knocking on her door.
Every night, she would be so terrified that she would hide under the covers, shivering. She had been too scared to open the door.
When she reported it to thendlord, he simply said there was nothing he could do about it. Tessa helplessly had no choice but to move out, only to have her deposit maliciously withheld by her heartlessndlord.
At first, she politely asked for her deposit back, but the unscrupulousndlord refused to refund it. Not only that, but he insulted her using every foul word imaginable.
In a fit of anger, Tessa reported thendlord for failing to provide an invoice and for tax evasion. She also reported him for safety vitions. As if that wasn''t enough, she immediately went to court to filewsuits for breach of contract and verbal abuse.
Thendlord was left in a real bind. Before the case was even officially filed in court, the unscrupulousndlord refunded her deposit.
Tessa withdrew thewsuit for breach of contract but insisted on pursuing the case for verbal abuse. In the end, thendlord lost thewsuit and had topensate her.
She suddenly chuckled at the memory. That must have been the most humiliating time of her life. Later, she heard from the girl who lived next door that the drunk had been beaten up shortly after Tessa moved out. He had probably provoked someone he shouldn''t have. The unscrupulousndlord also disappeared after that.
Tessa only felt it was a case of what goes aroundes around.
The first time she met Zachary, she was still aw clerk. She had been apanying awyer from the firm to discuss the signing of the legal advisory contract with a smallpany under the Gomez Group. Zachary happened to be inspecting thepany that day. ording to him, he fell in love with Tessa at first sight.
He pursued her aggressively after that. He was attentive to every little thing and was also great at providing emotional support. During that time, he always seemed to appear whenever she needed him the most.
Once they had gotten together, Zachary treated her very well. They did have some sweet moments together.
The turning point happened on the night of their first anniversary.
They both had a bit to drink. Zachary wanted to take their rtionship to the next level, and he
approached Tessa to embrace her. When he leaned in to kiss her lips, she pushed him away forcefully in a panic.
Zachary looked hurt, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Why?"
She was so nervous she stuttered, "I... I''m not ready yet. Give... Give me some time."
After that incident, Zachary wasn''t as kind to her as before. Later on, she still wasn''t ready to take their rtionship to the next level and was even unwilling to kiss him.
Tessa couldn''t really exin why she was so hesitant. It could be because it was her first rtionship, and she didn''t want to rush it. Perhaps it was also because she knew Zachary had kissed many women and slept with a number of them as well.
She had subconsciously felt he was dirty, and physically, she couldn''t ept it.
Whatever the reason, she only felt grateful for her choices now that she looked back.
Zachary wasn''t home when Tessa returned to the vi. She took a shower and fell into a deep sleep.
In ten days, she would be able to leave this ce.
That was great.