“You remember these cases?”
They stay silent.
“Guess you thought everything from it was destroyed, right? Maybe you shouldn't have put little old me in charge of it.”
“Honey, the information in those files—”
“Could what? Ruin the firm?” She scrunches her nose. “Yeah, that's what I thought. That's why I didn't want to completely destroy them.” Her voice goes a little higher. She's mocking them. “Thought I should keep a record in paper format and also on several different hard drives, but come to think of it, I can't really remember which hard drives I put the files on. Who knows, they might end up somewhere they don't belong. Might end up reported to the bar, if we're not careful.”
Wow. I'm staring at the girl I grew up with, only to realize the strong and confident woman she's become. No longer does she need me to hold her hand under the table. She's fucking flipped the table and is threatening our fathers.
Here I was ready to sacrifice myself, and then my merciless ex swoops in and blackmails them.
Where the hell did this badass come from?
My father’s jaw is tight, and he glares at Honey’s father before looking back at me. “If you don’t do this, Jamie… I’ll have issues with your grandfather. Not only that, you’ll ruin the legacy that we’ve been trying to build.”
“Wehaven’t been trying to build anything. You just want the money Grandfather promised you. It has nothing to do with me, or my happiness. It never has. The only reason you bought me in the first place was because of your selfish need to prove yourselfto a father who only cares about what you can do for him. I’m not playing that game anymore. I’m fucking breaking the cycle.”
Honey takes in a sharp breath. The room goes quiet. Guess Honey isn’t the only badass in the room.
“Drop any current and future legal proceedings against Tiffany Bright and I’ll make sure to find those pesky USB files that went missing,” Honey says, almost casually. “If you don’t by the end of the week, well, I guess we’ll find out on Monday what happens.”
Our fathers don’t say anything, but shit, whatever Honey has in those files must be worth keeping a secret if they’re conceding.
We start to back out of the room, but just before we leave, Honey turns. “Oh, and by the way, if you haven’t figured it out yet, consider this conversation my resignation. Find some other chumps to fulfill your half-assed legacies. We’re not in the fucking dark ages anymore.”
“Jamie.” My father's voice stops me.
I look back.
“If you walk out that door—if you choose them over us—I won’t be able to protect you.” I stop for a beat, turning. “You’ll lose all your privileges of being a Nicks.”
“And what privileges are those?”
“Money, access, a career. You’ll have everything you ever dreamed of if you stay. I’ll make sure of it.”
Everything I’ve ever dreamed of…
For a moment, I almost let myself picture it—the money back in my bank account, the protection, the ease of a life in privilege where nothing is ever denied to me.
But I see the trick.
He isn’t offering meeverything—I already know the cost, and I won’t pay for it with my daughter’s future.
“Funny,” I say, watching my father coldly. “I already had all that, and I’d rather walk away than let my daughter grow up thinking this is all her father is.”
He scoffs. “You really think this is about money?”
“No,” I say. “It’s about you needing me to stay useful long enough for Grandfather to sign the check.”
I give him nothing else. Not another glance, or another word.
I just take Honey’s hand, and we leave.
When the door closes behind us, we know it’s the last time.
My entire body is shaking from adrenaline and fear as we walk through the hallway to the elevator. It’s only when the doors to the elevator shut that we dare to look at each other.