The scandal surrounding Abby was far bigger than mine had ever been.
She was a legal celebrity, the “undefeated goddess.” The story prompted a flood of people to come forward with their own stories of her misconduct. Her career was over.
She and Anna went to find Ethan, but he refused to see them. Anna, disgusted by her mother’s fall from grace, ran away from ho- me. Abby couldn’t handle hitting rock bottom. Her mental state completely collapsed.
I showed the news to my former client’s daughter, who was still recovering in the hospital. Tears welled in her eyes. “Thank you, Ms. Hayes.”
I wiped away a tear of my own and left a sum of money for her before I slipped out of the room.
Ethan was waiting outside the hospital. The moment I stepped out, he rushed to me.
The scandal had hit his company hard, too. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, with huge, dark circles under his eyes. All his former elegance was gone.
“Charlotte, have you thought about it? Can you give me a chance to win you back?”
“Impossible.”
My voice rang out at the same time as another man’s.
Gary strode up, placing himself between us. “Mr. Bonerz, Charlotte is currently considering my advances. I’m afraid you’ll have to get in line.”
Ethan stared at Gary and me, standing side–by–side. His eyes turned red.
“I’m sorry… Charlotte… I’m so sorry…” he mumbled, his head bowed, tears streaming down his face.
That day, in the bustling hospital entrance, everyone saw a broken man kneeling on the ground, repeating over and over again:
“I lost my Counselor Hayes… I lost her…”
I’ve almost forgotten Ethan Bonerz’s name.
He showed up at my wedding to Gary. His company had been struggling for years, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. He looked like a beggar, utterly destitute.
He stood in the distance, silently watching me find my happiness.
I had someone send him a glass of wine. It was the same vintage he used to love–bitter on the first sip, but with a beautiful, sweet aftertaste.
But when he tasted it this time, all he could feel was the bitterness.
Chapter 2
The wine in my glass, and in Gary’s, however, was endlessly sweet.
I looked at the man before me, at Gary, who was gazing at me with such love, and I nodded firmly.
“Gary Vance, with the law as my witness, I do.”
