Chapter 3

"They left?!"

I was stunned.

Did this guy really abandon his home just to dodge twenty thousand dollars?

"Do you know where they went? Did they say when they'd be back?" I pressed urgently.

She shook her head. "No idea. I just saw him hauling bags and suitcases into a car. Said something about staying with relatives out of state, but nothing specific."

The old lady eyed me with curiosity. "So, honey, who are you to him? Are you married? You're such a pretty girl..."

I gave an awkward smile, made a quick excuse, and hurried down the stairs.

I spent the next hour asking shop owners along the street. The answers were all the same: either they hadn't seen him, or they heard he went to visit out-of-town relatives.

A wave of frustration washed over me.

With my heavy workload, I couldn't camp out here indefinitely. What if he planned to hide out for months?

When dealing with a parasite like this, legal action was the only real option.

The catch was, because the contract was between Tyler and the firm, the law firm had to be the plaintiff. I couldn't sue him in my own name.

On the drive back, I sent him a few blunt messages:

"If you don't pay up, the firm will file a lawsuit against you."

"Once a court summons hits your door, playing dead won't save you."

After two more days of complete silence, I marched into my managing partner's office on Monday morning.

To my shock, Richard Vance shot me down immediately.

"A law firm suing its own client? Do you have any idea how that sounds to the public?"

"It's only twenty grand, Chloe! Filing a lawsuit is a PR disaster. If word gets out, it will destroy the firm's reputation. What prospective client would ever trust us again?"

"My advice? Work on your communication skills. Go talk to him nicely, and maybe he'll pay you!"

I had only been with this firm for two years.

I had never run into a deadbeat client here before. But at my previous firm, whenever this happened, the partners backed their associates one hundred percent and filed suit without hesitation.

I was sickened by Richard's spineless, corporate gaslighting.

"He's deliberately dodging a debt! How am I supposed to 'communicate' when he has blocked all my numbers?"

"If every firm thinks like you, who protects the attorneys who actually do the work?"

Richard slammed his palm against the mahogany desk.

"Watch your tone, Chloe Evans!"

"Our firm's policy has always been full payment upfront! You were the one who went rogue, felt sorry for him, and waived the retainer. You created this mess, not the firm!"

"Clean up your own mistake!"

"And another thing—we got a formal complaint against you two days ago! The client claims you've been harassing him and even showed up uninvited at his doorstep. You better check your behavior before you get this firm into serious trouble!"

Of course. It was Tyler.

Furious and disheartened, I walked out of the office, only to check my phone and see that Tyler had actually texted me back!

"Go ahead and sue me, Counselor Evans."

"I did my research online. My contract is with your firm, which means only the firm can sue me."

"And everyone knows big firms won't sue over a tiny amount like twenty grand. Even if they do, I still won't pay. It's just twenty thousand bucks. What are you gonna do about it?"

My vision blurred with rage. The bastard had actually calculated the firm's cowardice!

Right after sending that smug message, Tyler went back to playing dead.

For two solid weeks, not a peep.

I gritted my teeth. Waiting for the firm to sue was a pipe dream. If I wanted justice, I had to take off the gloves and use some unconventional methods.

Even if I couldn't get the cash immediately, I was going to make his life a living hell.