PopularNovelTessa smiled. "It's my treat. Con, there's no need to be so formal with me."
After everything they'd been through with Lucas and Anne, Tessa and Jasmine had grown closer. By now, they
were more than just colleagues-they were
friends.
Jasmine still looked a little uneasy. "But... | don't know if this is right."
"You're feeling down. As your friend, what's wrong with treating you to a nice meal to cheer you up?"
Jasmine pressed her lips together and was touched by Tessa's kindness. "Then... thank you, Ms. Yates."
"We're off the clock. Don't callMs. Yates-it sounds so distant. Just callTess or Tessa."
Jasmine smiled. "Alright, Tessa."
Tessa found a table by the window. "The view here's great. You can see the city lights."
Jasmine hummed in acknowledgment and sat across from her, still a little reserved.
"Order whatever you'd like." Tessa handed her the menu.
Jasmine waved her hands quickly. "You go ahead and order, Tessa. I'm fine with anything."
Noticing her shyness, Tessa nodded, took the menu back, and ordered a few signature barbecue dishes along
with svegetables.
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The raw meat was soon brought out, and the waitstaff handled all the grilling.
Once the server had finished cooking and placed the meat onto their plates, Tessa politely thanked them before
they left.
"Alright, tellwhat happened," she prompted.
Now that they were alone and the mood was right, Jasmine opened up. "It's nothing too serious... | just got yelled
at by Ms. Jennings today."
"Felicia?"
"Yeah."
Felicia Jennings was Jasmine's supervising lawyer. Though Tessa hadn't interacted with her much, she'd heard
colleagues mention that Felicia had a notoriously unpredictable temperament. On good days, she could be
gentle and kind, but when her mood soured, she had a habit of taking her frustration out on her assistants.
There had been a young man who started at the firm the sday as Jasmine. After being scolded twice by
Felicia, he quit without a second thought. He simply packed up and walked away. Since he hadn't passed the bar
exam yet, he was working as an assistant without needing to register as a trainee. Without the obligation to
fulfill a year of internship, leaving had been easy.
Jasmine, however, was in a different position. Having passed the bar exam this past April, she needed to
complete a full year of internship before she could leave.
In other words, she had to stay until next April.
"What did she yell at you for?" Tessa asked.
"There's this really difficult client in a divorce case. She's incredibly hard to communicate with."
Jasmine let out a weary sigh, her face troubled. "When | asked her for evidence, she ignored me. | tried calling
her, but she wouldn't cooperate. Ms. Jennings blamedfor not being able to communicate properly.
"Then, when | drafted the complaint, the client wasn't satisfied. She kept insisting
we add a claim for emotional distress and demanded 300,000 dollars right off the
bat."
"The thing is, her case doesn't
qualify for emotional distress
damages at all. She's also asking for
such a high amount that would
increase her litigation fees. |
explained everything to her, but she
wouldn't listen. She just kept
insisting | include it.
"I hadn't encountered a situation like this before, so | asked Ms. Jennings for advice. But she just snapped at me,
saying | had no common sense, that | was long-winded and couldn't communicate properly."
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"Later, she called the client herself and explained things the exact sway | had. But the client still wasn't
satisfied. She kept making all kinds of unreasonable demands."
"I'd already warned Ms. Jennings that the client was difficult to deal with, but she wouldn't believe me. When she
got frustrated, she took it out oninstead. She calledinto her office and scoldedfor ages. | tried to
explain myself, but she said | was talking back to her and yelled ateven more."
As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears again.
"Hey now, no more crying." Tessa handed her a few tissues. "Why don't you work
as my assistant instead? I'll talk to the supervisor and see if we can make it happen."
Jasmine's head shot up in surprise. "Really? Is that allowed?"
"Of course. You're registered as a trainee with the firm, not specifically under Ms. Jennings. It doesn't matter
which supervising lawyer you work with-it's all the same."
Hearing this, Jasmine's smile blossomed. "Thank you so much, Tessa."
"Alright, no more tears. Cheer up, okay?"
"Okay!"
After finishing their meal, Tessa stood up to pay the bill. She had only taken a few steps when a man and woman
approached from the opposite direction.
"Tessa?" The man's eyes crinkled slightly with a smile as he called out to her. His eyes gleamed with warmth.
Tessa looked over, and her gaze flickered with confusion. "And you are?"
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