Chapter Text
"Next applicant, please." Celestine announced, barely keeping her exhaustion out from her voice.
It was interview day, meaning there were a wave of applicants who were waiting outside her office since morning to tell her why she should hire them.
Celestine briefly glanced at her phone for the time.
It was already past noon.
And they were only halfway through.
Celestine groaned internally as she offered the next person a polite smile and gestured to the seat in front of her.
If it wasn't necessary for Themis Law Firm, she would've just tell all the applicants to just go home just so she won't deal with them.
Don't get her wrong, she doesn't hate meeting new people, but this was what? 24th? applicant to come in her office and boasting on about their degrees and achievements from some top-tier university.
However, her law firm was growing and attracted more clients which means she needs more lawyers to represent the firm, so she had to just deal with it.
Oh great, another person who deemed themselves too 'qualified' to be just a junior attorney and should just be given the title of senior attorney without needing to go through the bar exam.
Another downside of being what considered still newly established firm is the attraction of lazy people with inflated egos looking for easy high paying salaries without putting in the work required.
She loathes these types of people.
She did not just spend years of all-nighters in university to get her law degree, clawing her way through mountains of paperwork and examinations to get her firm registered and established, dealing with jabs of her being too 'young' to open up her own firm, just for someone to just come strolling into her office practically demanding her to just give her the job and senior title.
She didn't even take the senior exam yet let alone have the power to give them the title.
It's not even her job to give them out anyway!!!!
So for what feels like the millionth time, she told them exactly that with a strained voice.
And every time she does, they would turn their noses upturned and stand up from the chair, scrapping the legs to the floor, and declared with self-proclaimed superiority that
they're going to another firm that knows potential when they see it, before leaving her office.
And every time they do, she could feel her sanity and patience slipping away like their IQ.
"When this is over, I want my sanity back." Celestine sighed tiredly when the applicant finally left her office after giving her the whole 'You-don't-know-what-you're-missing-out' spiel.
At least the day wasn't a total waste. There was someone she took in as the firm's legal intern, Kiki Bennet. She was quite impressed that she passed the advancement exam once when many graduates fail many times. It's no senior exam, but the advancement exam is no joke!
Not to mention her personality is quite easy going, so she won't have any trouble trying to carry out conversations with potential clients.
Her musings were interrupted by the sound of her growling stomach.
Maybe it was time for a lunch break.
Standing up, she stretched her back out, wincing when she felt a satisfying cracked on her neck.
Yup, definitely time for a break.
She walked out from her office with practiced grace, heels clacking on the tiled floor, and opened the glass door of her office.
What greeted her sight was not a line of applicants as long as the mountain of applications in her office like she expected, but a young woman nervously checking her file, a young man playing a game on his phone, probably to pass the time, and a middle age man dozing off in his seat.
Oh no they didn't
"Where are the other applicants?" Celestine asked the brunette woman, her tone suggests that her patience was being pushed to the limits.
"They went out for lunch." she evenly answered despite her prior nervous action.
They did.
Sigh
WELL THEN
THAT narrows down the list of applicants she has to go through, considering they don't have the decency to at least ask, let alone wait, her if it's okay to go out for a lunch break.
"Just," she tiredly began, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Everyone can just go to a lunch break for an hour, we can continue the interview after this."
The young man stood up and began to leave before she even finished her sentence. The middle age man immediately woke up from his nap at the word 'break', and speed walked out the exit as if he didn't just fell asleep in the waiting room. The young woman gave her a small bow and apologetic smile, as if she's apologizing for them, before finally leaving for lunch.
Alone in the room, Celestine slumped her shoulders as she let her strained smile down.
What a day
----
"- and then he had the AUDACITY to say how since he's the only 'man' in the building, I should just give him the job right then and there! You have no idea how close I was to just kick him out of my office." Celestine ranted to her fiance, Jeremy Ramirez, who nodded empathically.
They were sitting at the table in Penny's Comfort Food, waiting for their food. Jeremy came across the cafe while he was on his way to pick up Celestine for lunch.
Finally finished her rant, Celestine took the cup of water that Jeremy offered to her. She felt the stress and exhaustion of the day slowly dissipating from her shoulders when she gave him a grateful smile.
"I'm sorry for the day you had," Jeremy said empathically as he reached to hold her hand from across the table. "I know how much work you put in to keep your firm running, you definitely don't deserve to deal with those kind of people."
It was times like this she was truly thankful for the chance of meeting Jeremy. Although he doesn't truly understand what was needed to run a firm or even understand the law jargon she often throws around whenever she talks about her work, he made the effort to at least saw what she does is important to her and how hard she works to keep the firm up and running. He was very supportive of her ambition to open up her own firm despite being too 'young' since day one.
He was her rock.
"There will be people like Artem and, Miss Bennet was it?, who will join your firm to help you. You just have to be patient, love." Jeremy said reassuringly as he rubbed tiny circles on her hand.
"I don't think that possible." she sighed out but not taking away her hand from his.
As much as she wanted to believe his reassuring words, it was true. Artem Wing is currently the youngest senior attorney in Stellis City. Although he came from a family of law where both of his parents are renowned figures in the field, no one would attribute his success to his parents due to his own extraordinary capabilities and achievements.
According to the statistics from Big Data Lab, having a court winning rate of 99.0%, Artem has long surpassed his parents in fame and reputation. Artem Wing is undoubtedly a bright rising star in the legal field. He has been the firm's ace attorney who can handle all types of cases and was regarded as a generalist rarely seen in the field. Making him as her co-founder was the best decision she ever made for the firm.
Truly a one in a million.
He was one of the main contributors that gave the firm the reputation, that is still rising, that made it stands out from the other firms in the city.
However, Celestine knew she couldn't just keep on depending on his extraordinary capabilities to handle every single case the firm takes. It wasn't fair for him and the firm.
Not if she wants to drive him into an early grave due overworking, or at least until he got someone to look out for him other than her and his mother.
That was one of the main reasons she has to hire more lawyers in her firm.
Before she could opened her mouth to voice out her worries, a commotion was happening at the restaurant's cash register attracted both of their attention.
"I can't believe this! I come here with my son just so we can enjoy a nice lunch together, and you're telling me that there are no tables for us left when there's CLEARLY an empty table over there!", a middle age woman, a mother based off from what she said, was yelling at the poor cashier who looks to be in teens.
"Ma'am, I'm very sorry but that table is reserved for another customer. The customer have called ahead of time for a reservation. You may, however, either wait until a customer finished their meal or come back at another time." the cashier tried to placate the woman.
"Mom, we can just go to another place to eat." a young boy pleaded, her son most likely, tried to convince her as he pull her arm gently. "People are looking at us. You're being ridiculous right now."
"Don't worry, Jamie." the mother said in a doting tone, ignoring what he said. "Mommy is going to make sure we're eating here just like you asked for."
"Now," she began, turning back to the poor cashier who was getting more and more uncomfortable with the situation. "Give us that table or I'll be speaking to your manager about your rude behavior towards me."
"But ma'am-"
"But NOTHING! I would like to speak to the manager then!"
"Ma'am, the manager is currently unavailable as he is unwell and is resting at home. He can't be here to talk to you."
"YOU'RE LYING. I want to speak the manager right this INSTANT. I don't care if he's 'unwell'!"
Damn, poor cashier. He look like he's in pain.
Is today just a day for douchebags to come out?!?! Because this was just getting ridiculous.
Feeling sorry for him, Celestine started to get up from her seat, trying to intervene before the situation can get any worse than it's already is.
Before she could even say a word, someone else already beaten her to it.
"Ma'am, you're being unreasonable."
It was a brunette young woman that she recognized from one of the few who stayed for the job.
Interested in how's this is going to turn out, Celestine decided to stay silent and watch the situation unfolded before her eyes.
"I'M being unreasonable!?" the mother said incredulously.
You know what? Her name's Helen now. It'd be an insult to mothers everywhere if she keeps calling her 'the mother'.
"That table is empty! I deserved that table!"
"Ma'am, the table is clearly reserved by another customer. They have the right to keep the table."
"Right!? What right!? Don't you know the customer is always right?!"
"Well in this case, the customer isn't always right."
"How dare you!? This is discrimination! Businesses have no right to refuse to give service!"
Is this woman for real?
"Actually," the young woman smirked. Oh this is going to be good. "Businesses have the right to refuse service, as long as the reasons does not violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Reasons such as rowdy or disruptive behavior that can create an unsafe or hostile environment. Which is what you're doing right now."
Celestine eyebrow rise at her words, an impressed smile on her face.
Looks like she knows her commercial laws.
"Well-well," 'Helen' sputtered out, eyes darting back and forth between the young woman and the cashier. Clearly she did not expected that argument.
"Nobody is going to believe you anyway!"
"Well, what about everyone in this restaurant then?" she retorted.
As if she finally notice how many eyes were on her, she sputtered some insults back to the young woman and the cashier, grabbing her son's arm as she made a hasty retreat. The son casted a final apologetic look and mouthed sorry towards them before disappearing off with his mother.
As if on cue, everyone in the restaurant gave a small claps, impressed by her tenacity in defending the unfortunate cashier.
The young woman lightly blushed at this and gave a small bow of her head before turning to the cashier. "I am so sorry for what just happened. You were just doing your job. That woman have no right to treat you like that."
"Oh! Please, don't apologize!" the teen placated, waving his hands around a bit. "Thank you soo much for standing up for me!"
"Hehe, it's no problem." the young woman gave a bashful smile. "I just couldn't stand people like her! I'm just doing what is right after all."
During this exchange between them, Celestine had already got back to her seat and took out her tablet.
She opened up her files to find what's she's looking for.
Recognizing a familiar picture of a brunette, she tapped on her file and read out to finally put a name on the young woman.
'Rosa Qiangwei'
Satisfied what she found, she put away her tablet and gazed at her boyfriend, who was watching her with a knowing look.
"You know what, you're right," she began as she sipped her drink, the last dregs of stress from earlier finally gone. "I think I finally find people like them."
Throwing a last glance towards the young woman, Rosa, she finally can fully enjoy her meal with her fiance without any worries.