Chapter Three: Beneath the Perfect SmilePart Two
1563 Words
By seven that evening, the Stonnes residence was glowing.
The dining room had been transformed for the small celebration. Crystal glasses caught the light from the chandelier, candles flickered between arrangements of white roses, and a long table had been prepared for the firm's senior partners and a handful of the family's closest friends.
Hailey stood in front of her bedroom mirror, staring at herself.
Her dress was simple.
Black, as Margaret had chosen.
Elegant enough for the occasion, but restrained enough that it didn't draw attention away from Emma.
Hailey had never minded.
She had spent years learning how to fit into rooms without demanding them.
Her phone buzzed.
Emma: Are you coming downstairs?
Hailey glanced at the thick deposition file sitting open on her desk.
She had spent nearly four hours working through it.
The contradictions were marked.
The witnesses were organised.
The questions Emma needed to ask tomorrow were arranged in order.
She typed back.
Give me five minutes.
Another message appeared almost immediately.
Please don't tell me you're still working.
Hailey smiled.
I'm coming.
She closed the file.
For tonight, she could pretend she wasn't exhausted.
The moment Hailey entered the dining room, Emma waved.
"Finally!"
"You've been waiting five minutes."
"An eternity."
Hailey took the empty seat beside her.
Margaret's gaze travelled over her from head to toe.
"Beautiful."
"Thank you."
Then Margaret turned toward Emma.
"And you look lovely."
Emma smiled.
Hailey noticed the difference.
She always did.
But she had become so accustomed to noticing little things that she rarely questioned them.
Richard stood to raise his glass.
"To Emma."
Everyone lifted their glasses.
"To Emma."
Emma's cheeks reddened.
"Father, it's a small case."
"A victory is a victory."
Richard smiled.
"And tomorrow's deposition will be another."
Emma glanced at Hailey.
Something passed between them.
Hailey gave her a reassuring smile.
Emma immediately relaxed.
Margaret noticed.
She always noticed.
"Emma has been working extremely hard," Margaret said.
"She's becoming quite the lawyer."
One of the firm's partners laughed.
"She certainly has the Stonnes instincts."
Hailey lifted her glass.
"She does."
Emma looked at her.
"You're making this worse."
Hailey laughed.
"You won."
"I survived."
"That's practically the same thing."
The table erupted in laughter.
For a while, Hailey forgot about the deposition.
She forgot about the long hours.
She forgot about how tired she was.
This was what she loved about these evenings.
The noise.
The warmth.
The feeling that she belonged somewhere.
She looked around the table.
Richard was speaking with one of the firm's senior partners.
Margaret was listening to another guest.
Emma was laughing beside her.
For a fleeting moment, Hailey thought:
I have everything.
Maybe she didn't need anything more.
At eight-thirty, Hailey's phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen.
An email from Emma's client.
Additional witness statement attached.
Hailey's smile disappeared.
She opened the document.
Three pages.
Then five.
Then twelve.
Her stomach sank.
The new statement contradicted one of the witnesses she'd already prepared.
Emma noticed her expression.
"What happened?"
Hailey turned the phone toward her.
Emma read the email.
"Oh."
"That's not good."
"No."
Emma looked toward the clock.
"We can deal with it tomorrow."
Hailey shook her head.
"Your deposition starts at nine."
"I know."
"Then we need to fix it tonight."
Emma stared at her.
"Hailey..."
"I'll handle the comparison."
"You've already done enough."
Hailey gave her a small smile.
"Go enjoy your evening."
Emma looked uncomfortable.
"You don't have to leave because of me."
"I'm not leaving because of you."
Hailey picked up her handbag.
"I'm leaving because you have a deposition tomorrow."
Emma's expression softened.
"Thank you."
Hailey squeezed her shoulder.
"Win first. Thank me later."
Richard noticed her coat as she passed him.
"You're leaving?"
Hailey turned.
"Just for the night."
"It's barely eight-thirty."
"I know."
He glanced toward the documents in her hand.
"Emma's deposition?"
Hailey nodded.
Richard's expression changed.
"You've already prepared the file."
"There's a new witness statement."
"Then Emma should deal with it."
Hailey smiled.
"She has enough on her plate."
Richard looked at her carefully.
For a moment, he seemed ready to argue.
Instead, he sighed.
"Don't work until morning."
"I won't."
"Hailey."
She smiled.
"I promise."
His eyes softened.
"All right."
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
"Goodnight, Dad."
"Goodnight."
She walked away.
Richard watched her until she disappeared through the doorway.
Margaret had seen everything.
She approached Richard with a glass of wine in her hand.
"You let her leave."
Richard looked at her.
"She has work."
"Emma's work."
"Emma has a deposition."
Margaret's expression remained calm.
"Hailey is always willing to help."
Richard frowned.
"That's not necessarily a good thing."
Margaret gave a faint smile.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
He didn't answer.
She looked toward the doorway.
"Emma needs support."
"She's your daughter."
Richard's jaw tightened slightly.
"Hailey is my daughter too."
For the first time that evening, Margaret's smile disappeared.
Only for a second.
Then it returned.
"Of course she is."
Richard looked away.
Neither of them noticed Emma standing several feet behind them.
She had heard only the last part.
Her expression changed.
Then she quietly walked away.
Hailey's apartment was silent when she returned.
The city outside her windows was alive with lights, traffic and distant voices.
She placed her handbag on the kitchen counter and removed her heels.
For several seconds, she simply stood there.
Then she looked at the file.
"Back to work."
She tied her hair up and sat down.
One hour became two.
The witness statement was worse than she'd initially thought.
The plaintiff's counsel had found a weakness.
Hailey read the statement again.
Then again.
She pulled another file from the shelf.
Cross-referenced dates.
Compared signatures.
Checked inspection reports.
By midnight, she had found it.
A discrepancy.
Small.
Almost invisible.
But enough.
She smiled.
"There you are."
Hailey leaned back.
The exhaustion in her body suddenly felt lighter.
She typed the final notes Emma would need.
Then she sent the document.
To Emma: I've attached the revised questions. Pay attention to questions 14, 19 and 27. Don't let the witness lead you away from those points. You've got this.
Three dots appeared.
Emma was typing.
Emma: I don't know what I'd do without you.
Hailey stared at the message.
A strange warmth spread through her chest.
She typed:
Hailey: Probably prepare your own deposition.
Emma responded with a laughing emoji.
Hailey smiled.
Then she placed the phone facedown.
She didn't need thanks.
She had never needed them.
At least, that was what she told herself.
The following morning, Emma walked into the office with a triumphant expression.
Hailey looked up from her desk.
"Well?"
Emma dropped her handbag.
"I won."
Hailey's face lit up.
"You did?"
"The witness completely contradicted himself."
"Question fourteen?"
Emma pointed at her.
"Exactly."
Hailey laughed.
"I told you."
Emma hurried around the desk and hugged her.
"You're incredible."
Hailey hugged her back.
"I'm proud of you."
"No."
Emma pulled away.
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
Emma stared at her for a moment.
Then her voice softened.
"Sometimes I think I'd be completely lost without you."
Hailey smiled.
"Don't say that."
"Why?"
"Because you're a good lawyer."
Emma's smile faltered.
Hailey continued.
"You just need to trust yourself."
For a moment, Emma looked as though she wanted to say something.
Instead, she hugged Hailey again.
"Thank you."
That afternoon, Margaret called everyone together.
"The Brooke family has finalised the guest list for their thirtieth anniversary celebration."
Emma immediately looked interested.
Hailey barely glanced up from her documents.
Margaret continued.
"Every major name in the city will be there."
"Law firms, investors, politicians, old families..."
Emma's eyes brightened.
"And the Ashfords?"
Margaret paused.
Hailey finally looked up.
"The Ashfords?"
Margaret nodded.
"Damien Ashford has accepted the invitation."
Emma's eyebrows rose.
Richard lowered his newspaper.
"Are you certain?"
"His office confirmed it this morning."
Emma leaned closer.
"I thought he never attended these events."
"He doesn't."
Margaret's smile was faint.
"Which is precisely why everyone will be talking about it."
Hailey returned her attention to her documents.
"Who's Damien Ashford?"
Three people looked at her.
Emma stared.
"You're joking."
Hailey frowned.
"What?"
Emma laughed.
"Only you could ask that."
Margaret's expression became amused.
"Apparently our brilliant lawyer has been too busy working to notice the city's most eligible bachelor."
Hailey rolled her eyes.
"I don't read society magazines."
"You don't have to."
Emma grinned.
"Everyone knows Damien Ashford."
Hailey shrugged.
"Then everyone can continue knowing him."
Richard chuckled.
"That's probably for the best."
Margaret glanced at Hailey.
"Still, you'll be attending."
Hailey looked up.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you're a Stonnes."
The words were casual.
Simple.
Yet something about them made Hailey pause.
Margaret smiled.
"And because your father expects you to represent the firm."
Hailey looked toward Richard.
He nodded.
"I do."
She sighed.
"Fine."
Emma smiled.
"Good."
Hailey narrowed her eyes.
"Why do you look so pleased?"
Emma's smile widened.
"Nothing."
"Emma."
"Absolutely nothing."
Hailey shook her head.
She returned to her work.
She had no interest in Damien Ashford.
No interest in society's most eligible bachelor.
And certainly no interest in whatever gossip would follow his appearance at the Brooke family's celebration.
She had a career to build.
A family to make proud.
A place to earn.
And that had always been enough.
At least...
she thought it was.
- Writer
