Arthur’s face, usually a mask of professional calm, twisted into something ugly. His siblings, Uncle Robert and Aunt Eleanor, stood like sentinels behind him, their expressions a blend of concern and accusation.
“This is not a negotiation, Maya,” Arthur said, his voice dropping to a low growl. “You will surrender your digital key. Now.”
The air in my small office felt thick, heavy with expectation. My late mother’s faded photograph, tucked into the corner of my monitor, seemed to watch me.
“I can’t,” I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. “The integrity of the evaluation depends on it. My integrity.”
A tight, humorless laugh escaped Arthur.
“Integrity? You speak of integrity while you betray your own family, your own firm?” Aunt Eleanor chimed in, her hands clasped tightly at her chest.
“We are trying to protect you, dear,” Uncle Robert added, a faux-kindness in his tone. “Protect *us* from your recklessness.”
“There is nothing to protect me from,” I countered, pushing back from my desk. “I have followed every protocol. If the firm is at risk, it’s not because of my diligence.”
Arthur stepped closer, his shadow engulfing my workspace. The scent of his expensive cologne, usually comforting, now felt suffocating.
“Then tomorrow,” he hissed, his eyes narrowed to slits, “I will personally dismantle your legal career. Piece by piece. You will see what happens when you defy me.”
He slammed his palm on my desk, making my monitor wobble. The photo of my mother slid precariously close to the edge.
“You will wish you had never set foot in this office.”
He turned abruptly, motioning for his siblings to follow. They cast me one last disapproving look before the door swung shut, leaving me in the chilling silence of my small office. The clock on the wall ticked loudly, counting down the hours until the mock trial.
+ There are no comments
Add yours