Sue, Mr. Harrison wants to see you right away.
I looked up, confused. "Wait, isn't Frank supposed to be at that community outreach thing all day?"
My assistant lowered her voice. "Tommy and Dave called him back. And... he doesn't look happy."
Mr. Harrison—Frank to me—is the firm's founder. A total legend in the legal world. He took me under his wing when I first started, and honestly, I owe him a lot. Even now, as a senior partner, I still look up to the guy.
I walked into the conference room with a head full of questions. Amber, Tommy, and Dave were already there, shooting daggers at me like I'd personally insulted their families.
"Sue, come on in," Frank said, all warmth and smiles. Not a hint of anger. Then he got right to it.
"Look, it was Amber's first time in court. So she cried—big deal. If you hadn't jumped in, she might've pulled it together. We might not have lost the case." He paused, still smiling. "Sue, you're impulsive. Not that I'm blaming you. But a suspension? A public apology? That was completely unnecessary."
Just like that—all smiles, and still, he neatly handed me the blame.
I dropped the polite tone. "So you're saying I mishandled the situation?"
Dave didn't wait a second. "Frank's right! Amber did all the prep work. She just froze up—it happens! You stepping in made all her effort worthless."
Then Tommy jumped in. "Yeah, she's green—not everyone starts as a superstar, Sue. But taking credit for her work? And then forcing an apology? That's just cold."
They weren't even defending her anymore—they were trying to guilt-trip me.
My voice turned icy. "I didn't cry for Tommy in court—stop comparing people to me. Amber is on my team. Back off. I will handle her discipline."
"Enough." Frank's face hardened, his voice cutting through the room. "Sue, you may be a senior partner, but this is still my firm. I'm telling you—Amber did nothing wrong." He stood up. "You need to cool off. The two-hundred-million-dollar case you're leading? Tommy and Dave will take it from here."
My case. The one my team had been breaking their backs over. The one that would make or break my reputation.
Without another word, he turned and walked out.