Power of Attorney: A Novel (A Greenburg Family Book 1) (12 page)

Sarah did not come to the office the next day as Patrick expected
, but instead called in sick. Patrick wasn’t sure of the welcome he would receive by the staff, what he received wasn’t at all expected. The entire floor was in an uproar, upset over what had transpired.

Patrick hated walking into his
office, detested how empty it felt without Sarah there. He couldn’t fathom being here day in and day out, minus the warm glow of her presence.

Everyone in the office
walked on tiptoes around him, just as they did before his personal transformation. Rumor had spread that Sarah’s leaving was his fault. He had to agree even; he was only a part of the problem

Only
Adewale and Nick asked him what had happened. They were the only two people who didn’t give him the cold shoulder and Patrick was so glad that at least someone aside from Henry gave him a chance.

“I was stupid,” he
explained and told them about the letter. They then discussed the billable hour dilemma and how unfair he felt it was.

“I’ve worked my ass off for this company,” he raged. “I’ve billed more than anyone else since the day I first walked in this building. And because of a slight, and I mean slight, decrease in hours, they want to rip my life apart?

“I’ll fix this,” he told them… or actually himself.

“We know you will. Go
do what needs doing.” Both of them gave him a quick pat on the back and sent him back to his office. Patrick felt something inside him warm up. Even if the whole building saw him as a backstabber or a cold, emotionless person, at least these two new friends would stand by him. This was another thing Sarah taught him.

Patrick looked at the empty desk again.
The room was so quiet without her. His life was quiet without her. Sarah was that bird that flew into his life and breathed fresh air into it. She changed his life for the better. But he changed her life for the worse. He wished that he could say sorry to her again, but he knew that this wasn’t the time to try and apologize. He must get things done first.

The 24h floor was like
the mini-trial court of the building. A lot of things happened on that floor. He visited it quite a few times himself. The first time was to talk with Susanna about his problem with partners. If there was anyone Patrick Greenburg was more cautious of than Jane Hunt, it would be Susanna.

He didn’t call
Susanne or message her for an appointment. He was in no mood of protocol and, in fact, Patrick’s head screamed, “Screw protocol” loudly as he was walking towards her office.

His life was more than just his fame and his job now. He had
Sarah, and if he could keep that part with him, he would rather not have the other two at all. Sarah had become the core puzzle piece in his life, and he would not part with it.

He knocked on her door and
entered before she even could say ‘come in.' Susanna’s face reflected her surprise as he walked through the door.

“I didn’t receive any message about your appointment,”
she said and Patrick took a deep breath. There was no way out of this now that he was in the room, not that he planned to back out in the first place.

“That was because I didn’t send any. It’s more of an urgent matter.”

Patrick glanced around her office, noting the piles of papers neatly arranged. It was an organized mess, much like his life felt at this moment. He always thought that he had a control over his life as long as he kept his head clear and made the right decisions. What an overestimation.

“Be quick with it then
.” She pointedly looked at her watch.

There
wasn’t a way to sugar coat things with this; Patrick realized. He couldn’t lie or make excuse in front of Susanna because, just like Jane, she could read him perfectly. He needed to plead his case and move on.

“I want you to withdraw the transfer of Sarah Blake.
I want her to stay,” he said it plainly. Susanna’s face was still, offering no reaction to his request. He waited to see what would happen next.

“The transfer is already in
process. You asked for me to move her, and I did. I don’t appreciate you barging in here. What is going on, Greenburg?” There was a firm sternness in her voice. He heard it before when she once came down to his floor to speak to one of the lawyers. The poor bastard was later fired. Now he could face the same thing too.

“The letter was written
before I gave our partnership a chance. I was too hasty in my decision. My poor judgment should not cost the firm a high potential lawyer.”

“We are not losing her. I moved
her, but she will still be a part of the firm. What point are you trying to make Greenburg?” Susanna’s eyes narrowed like a hawk’s gaze leering on its prey. Patrick never felt so small in the presence of another human being.

“
I’m saying that I don’t want her to be moved. I stated in that letter that Sarah and I couldn’t make any good progress together which is a totally false accusation. You saw the report of our cases. You know how well we work together. Anyone can see that. He knew that he was letting on more than he intended to, but with Susanna; it would take more than a little logic to win her favor. However, from the look on her face, he knew that his words were still ineffective.

“Say, if what you said is true and I did what you asked, why should
Sarah receive this special treatment? What about the others I moved because of you? For all I know, they could also be
high potential lawyer
just like you said. They could end up being highly compatible with you and yet, I moved them. Because of your request.” Patrick felt something tugging at his sleeves. Everything he did always came back to haunt him and bit him in the ass. There wasn’t a single excuse he could think of to counter that argument.

“Sarah is different.”

“Everyone is different, Greenburg. Are you done?” The door to his redemption was about to close. He knew the moment she said that. Patrick told himself to think fast and think hard. Time was something he couldn’t have. Even with years of experience in the court and almost perfect record, Patrick Greenburg was struggling to hold on to his promise.

“Wait,” he breathed out and said with a very uncertain voice, “I
’m not done yet.”

Susanna knew he
was finished. In her mind there wasn’t a single thing he could say to change her mind. But Patrick knew better. Sarah had told him often enough that he wasn’t always right. No one was. Patrick was certain that Suzanna wasn’t always correct either. He would take that leap of faith and gamble himself just like Sarah did.

“
What about the Terres case?” Patrick asked. “Are you going to jeopardize that high profile case in such a way? Both Sarah and I have made frequent appearances in the media. It’s important we stand solid as a team.”

Suzanna’s jaw clenched. A good sign, he
thought, so he continued.

“
Think about this, the moment you replace Sarah for someone else, the press will notice. And then rumors will start flying, and unneeded attention will be turned your way. Is that what you want?”

“And I
was also serious when I said I made the wrong decision. Sarah doesn’t deserve to be moved because of my mistake. And if you are worried that I’m being insolent and disrespectful, I will gladly resign if you see fit.”

Patrick knew that even if Susanna hated him, she wouldn’t want her best lawyer to resign. With his fame, he was the main attraction for the clients of this firm. Susanna wouldn’t let this opportunity slip
by.

She waved her hands for him to leave and said nothing. Patrick bowed his head in respect before leaving the
room, but not before he heard Susanna speak to him for the last time.

“I hope you are doing the right thing
, Greenburg. I could see that the firm’s best interest isn’t your real intention. But for the sake of the case, I will do this. Never step a foot in here again. I am done with you and your partner complex.”

Not that he wanted to step a foot
in there again anyway. Later, he sent a text message to Henry: Who do you think will win if we threw them into a debate club - Susanna Smith or Jane Hunt?

She opened Turquoise’s cage in the middle of the par
k and set him free. She couldn’t take him back with her to Richmond. The plane wasn’t the best transportation for animals. She knew that she would miss him, but it was because she loved him that she decided to let him go. The little bird hesitated at first but then flew away into the opening with glee as it was able to fly higher, faster than the small space in her apartment. After all, birds were not meant to be in a cage. They were meant to roam free across the sky.

She looked at the
bird cage that once symbolized her beginning with Patrick. It was empty now. The happiness inside it was gone. Everything felt so impossible. She just needed to move on.

The first day
had been the worse. Sarah couldn’t find the energy to move from her bed. She couldn’t look around the room or go outside. Every time she thought about what happened to her, Sarah felt so sick that she just need to sit down and cry.

Her rooms were now just like the first day she arrived here
not long ago, with towers of cardboard boxes and wrappers. Everything was so spacious and messy at the same time. There was still one more box to be filled. Sarah looked at the picture frames in her room. They were the last thing she needed to pack.

The first one that she would take with her was the picture of her and Henry. He would always be her best friend, the little brother she never
had. She would miss all of the times she and Henry hung out, even the times they were dating. The next one was the picture of their celebration in the bar with Diana, Henry and Patrick. It was one of those moments where Sarah felt  she belong here, in this town with her friends, even when she was so far away from her family.

She put in a gift she received from a receptionist she befriend
ed, a coffee mug with “Lawyer at work” printed on the side. The memories of her happy times working in that building flooded into her mind like a silent picture. She would miss everyone.

The picture of Patrick and her hugging each other on their first date together was still sitting on the table. She looked at it and wondered if she needed it. Sarah was angry at
Patrick, but she didn’t hate him. She could still recall how broken he was when he heard that she was about to be moved, how he tried to tell her that he would fix everything. Was she too hard on him? He was clearly sorry for what he did. And he was a victim in this too.

Her phone rang before she could decide what to do with the picture.
She was being asked to attend a conference with the director again. She signed, loathed to go but unable to say no. She agreed to the afternoon time slot and continued packing her things.

When Sarah arrived at the firm, she looked up at the tall building and felt her heart twinge. She hadn’t planned on coming back, was hoping she could avoid it. This part of her life was
over, and she’d prefer to just be on her way.

She was surprised at the welcome she received, the questions of concern, the gentle hugs of condolence from the people she had known so briefly. It saddened her yet also warmed her heart to know
her feelings hadn’t been one sided.

She tried to not make Patrick out to be
a villain. Yes, he had requested the transfer but no, his current wishes weren’t being addressed either. Sarah didn’t mention the part about them sleeping together; it was simply too personal for her.

She rode the elevator to the 24th floor alone. The floor was as eerie as she remembered. The last time she was there
became one of the worst days of her life. Every step she took was a reluctant one. The atmosphere was as stiff as she could remember. She walked past another employee who was clutching his head in total stress.

Sarah knocked on the doors of Susanna’s
office and went in as she was instructed. Susanna was sitting down on her seat with a big file in her hands. She didn’t look at Sarah when she came in, simply told her to sit down.

“
Thank you for meeting me on such short notice,” Suzanna began, after she finally looked up at Sarah.

“Of course, although I’m not sure what else we have to discuss.”

“What we need to discuss is this… I don’t appreciate having my orders questioned. I’ve spent the past twenty years of my life making decisions that I felt were best for this company and because of those decisions, we have thrived.”

“What…” Sarah
began but paused when Suzanna’s hand lifted to quieten her.

“Ever since I approved your transfer, I’ve been interrupted
at every turn by people disagreeing with my decision. I’ve received letters from your associates, a visit from Mr. Greenburg and have even been harassed at reception.”

Suzanna glared at her. “I don’t like it,” she said.

“I had nothing to do…” Sarah started again and was once again interrupted by the irate woman.

“It’s Patrick that surprised me.
He burst into my office and insisted I overturn my own decision. His own decision, I should say. If you remember, it was his recommendation that you be moved.”

“I have to
admit; it’s not difficult to revoke the transfer. Patrick did make a very sound argument against your transfer after all. But, my instincts say you will be better off in your original office. I always follow my instincts.

Finally, Sarah saw an opportunity to speak. “And, how could my
staying possibly be a problem? It appears that I have tremendous support and am working well with the team. Patrick and I are on the verge of winning a very public case. What could possibly be a problem?”

Suzanna set down the file, leaned back in her chair and took a very deep breath. “Between you and me, it’s your personal relationship that has me concerned.”

“But…”

“Hear me out,” Suzanna interrupted again. “
It’s not company policy to attempt to micro-manage the relationships of our attorneys or staff members. However, Patrick is a senior attorney while you are still of junior status. As you know, that could be construed as nepotism and should your relationship deteriorate, be fatal to your existence with our firm.”

“But…”

“Ms. Blake, surely you understand what I’m trying to say. You are a smart woman, an intelligent attorney. Your relationship with Patrick leaves you vulnerable to not only the gossip of others, but of creating issues for this firm should he ever be seen using favoritism.”

Was Suzanna seriously trying to protect her? Or was this simply a game to scare her into submitting to her wishes?

“I thought your highest concern was Patrick’s decrease in billable hours? Now you’re saying your concern is about my emotional health?” Sarah couldn’t keep the disbelief from being written all over her face. Susanna seemed always to be in her way no matter which route she took.

“Are you aware that Patrick turned down two cases in the past few weeks, Ms. Blake?”

Sarah’s mouth dropped open. “No,” she whispered. And she didn’t. She had wondered about his caseload and remembered thinking he should be much busier than he was, but she hadn’t considered he was turning work away.

“Yes, Ms. Blake. Patrick has been… very distracted of late.”

In a burst of understanding, the full picture blossomed in her mind. So this was the trump card that Susanna decided to pull out at the last minute, using Patrick’s career and not hers as the bargaining chip. This wasn’t about the letter, or even the nepotism concerns. She was distracting THE Patrick Greenburg and putting his own career in jeopardy.

Her entire body grew
cold, and she realized her own culpability in this situation. She had been so enamored by Patrick, had worshipped him from afar for so long, that she couldn’t see how her very presence was sidetracking him in such a significant way.

She had thought it cute to sign him up for coffee duty, more concerned with helping him be more social than truly understanding how the hour long run was interrupting his day.

She had encouraged him to step out into the hall, to socialize with others. She had thought it wonderful to see him be included with the others.

And it was. To
the point. But the line had been crossed, and she hadn’t even noticed how it had affected his work. THE Patrick Greenburg was losing his edge, the discipline that had made him such a great attorney. It was all her fault.

Broken, Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose, to keep herself from crying. She had to go, she realized it now. She couldn’t be the one to interfere with such greatness.

She always thought she had total control over her life. She just never expected how much one person could mess up her crisp decision making, or how much she could mess up theirs. She wanted to stay. Desperately. But, she wouldn’t be responsible for hurting him in this way.

Susanna said nothing. She waited patiently for Sarah’s answer. The only sound that was in the room was the soft ticking of the clock hanging on the wall. Sarah’s heart beat to the sound of each gear that turned. The blood in her veins moved with that soft tick-tock that intensified in her brain.

“I’ll go.”

People would question Sarah’s decision
. They would continue to blame Patrick for her leaving. It couldn’t be helped. For Patrick’s sake… and hers, she had to go.

The memories of her time with Patrick, the words they shared, the love they felt, became the ammunition for the battleground in her heart. And yet, why did her love for Patrick not win over this?
It did. She realized it was her love for Patrick that gave her the strength to set him free.

She stood and turned to leave, but stopped. “I’d like the transfer to be immediate. Tomorrow.”

When Suzanna nodded, Sarah walked to the door, pulled it open and left without another word.