The man accused in the high-profile divorce murder case was looking for a defense lawyer at our firm.

My boyfriend Mark’s junior colleague, Chloe, wanted to take the case. She saw it as her big break, a chance to make a name for herself right out of law school.

Considering she was fresh out of school with zero real trial experience, I shut her down immediately.

Chloe took it as an insult to her abilities. Furious, she quit on the spot and vanished off the grid.

Meanwhile, I successfully got our client’s death sentence commuted to life with parole, solidifying my reputation in the legal community.

The day the client, Frank Miller, was released on parole, Mark drugged me and delivered me right into Frank’s hands.

“If she had just let Chloe handle your case back then, maybe you wouldn’t have done any time at all!” Mark spat.

He killed someone. How could he possibly walk free?

But Frank bought Mark’s story. He brutally cut my eight-month-old baby from my womb.

After smashing the infant’s life out, he mercilessly hacked off my arms and legs.

As I lay dying, I desperately asked Mark why he would do this to me.

He just glared and spat in my face:

“If you hadn’t been so stubborn about keeping the case from Chloe, she never would have stormed off overseas and gotten killed in that bombing!”

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Chloe asked to take the case.

1

“Ava, can I take over that spousal murder case you’re working on?”

“If I can win this for the client, get him acquitted, not only will I get confirmed early from my probationary period, but I could really make a name for myself in the industry.”

Hearing that familiar voice sent a jolt through me. I glanced at the calendar on the wall and instantly knew—I was back. I’d been reborn.

In my past life, I knew this case was far too complex for a fresh graduate, an intern, basically. Plus, we were defending a killer.

If handled poorly, it could easily tarnish the entire firm’s reputation. So, I turned her down, citing her lack of experience.

I patiently explained that I’d give her the next suitable case, but for this one, she should just observe.

But she took it as me questioning her competence. She quit in a huff and went abroad alone.

Later, in the courtroom, I masterfully argued the case, successfully getting the client’s original death sentence reduced to ten years. My reputation soared.

Three years later, I married my boyfriend, Mark.

But on the very day the client, Frank Miller, was released, Mark tied me up—eight months pregnant—and handed me over to him, spewing venomous lies:

“Frank! If she had just let my girl Chloe take your case back then, maybe you wouldn’t have spent all those years locked up!”

I tried desperately to explain that Frank had killed someone; an acquittal was impossible.

But Frank believed Mark. He didn’t just rip my baby out and feed it to dogs; he hacked off my arms and legs.

As I bled out, I stared at Mark, demanding to know why.

He just glared, eyes filled with hate, and cut out my tongue:

“If you’d just given the damn case to Chloe, she wouldn’t have run off overseas and died in that terrorist attack! You owe her this!”

Only then did I realize Mark had been in love with Chloe all along.

Marrying me was just a twisted plot for revenge.

Seeing my silence now, Mark frowned, annoyed, and nudged me.

“Ava, did you hear me? It’s not like you’re short on cases. Just give this one to Chloe.”

Mark’s impatient tone snapped me back to the present. I looked at Chloe, standing there radiating confidence, and sneered,

“And how exactly do you plan on getting a murderer acquitted? Are you planning on committing perjury?”

The words barely left my mouth before Chloe’s eyes welled up.

“Ava, how could you say that! How could you insult me like that? I might not be as experienced as you, but I have professional ethics!”

“If you don’t trust me, fine! I’ll just leave!”

She made a move to turn, but Mark grabbed her hand.

“Chloe, don’t go. This isn’t your fault! If anyone should leave, it’s Ava!”

2

Our argument quickly drew a crowd of coworkers.

Chloe squeezed out a couple of tears, playing the victim perfectly.

“Ava, I don’t have to take the case, but how could you accuse me of planning perjury? If word of this gets out, how am I supposed to build a career in law?”

“Or… maybe that was your intention all along?”

The onlookers immediately turned on me.

“Ava, you know how crucial reputation is for a lawyer, right? Even if you don’t like Chloe, you can’t just slander her like that!”

“And you call yourself the firm’s star attorney? Committing defamation yourself!”

“If you don’t apologize to Chloe, she has grounds to sue you!”

Apologize? Not a chance in hell.

Just as I was about to retort, Mark stepped between us, adopting a peacemaking tone.

“Ava, I know you didn’t mean it. Just let Chloe have this case, and I’ll forgive your little outburst on her behalf. It’s just one small case, really. Letting her have it won’t affect your status as our top lawyer. Why are you being so petty about it?”

Me, petty?

He had no idea how complicated this case truly was.

When Frank Miller first came to us, everyone knew he was a killer. They wouldn’t touch the case with a ten-foot pole, terrified it would stain their precious reputations.

I was the one who finally took it, under immense pressure.

I poured countless sleepless nights into this case, digging up evidence, scouring legal precedents and case histories.

Finally, at the first hearing, I managed to secure a chance for a reduced sentence for the client.

Now, with the finish line in sight, Chloe wants to swoop in and claim the glory, and they call it a “simple little case”?

I actually laughed out loud, my voice cold.

“Every piece of evidence, every document for this case, I gathered and organized myself. Why the hell should I hand it over to Chloe?”

“If you all want to help her so badly, give her one of your cases!”

Mark waved dismissively.

“You said it yourself, the best you can do is get him a reduced sentence. But Chloe has reviewed the files and thinks she can get the verdict overturned, maybe even get him acquitted!”

“If Chloe pulls this off, it’ll shake up the entire legal world! Think of the business it’ll bring to our firm!”

Hearing this, Chloe seemed emboldened.

“I’m confident I can do it!”

Other colleagues chimed in, chanting, “Let Chloe handle it! Let Chloe handle it!”

Seeing their deluded fervor, I stopped arguing and nodded with a tight smile.

“Alright. Since you all have so much faith in Chloe, I agree. I’ll withdraw from the case.”

As I started gathering my files from the desk, Chloe rushed over, grabbing my arm with a saccharine smile. “Ava, even though I’m taking over, could you maybe leave the files you’ve already prepared for me?”

I feigned confusion.

“My materials only support a reduced sentence. They won’t get anyone acquitted. I doubt they’d be much use to you.”

Chloe’s smile twitched; she seemed unsure how to respond.

Mark stepped in again.

“Ava, don’t be so stingy. I know you’re attached to this case. Look, I’ll make a decision for you. You can be Chloe’s assistant, help her gather materials. That way, you still get to be involved!”

That was hilariously pathetic.

“No thanks,” I said flatly. “I’m not interested.”

With that, I dumped all the files into the shredder.

Mark exploded. “Ava, are you crazy! Don’t you forget who owns this firm! I can fire you, you know!”

3

He thought his threat would make me back down. I couldn’t care less.

“Fine by me! Make it today!”

My response seemed to stun Mark. His voice softened slightly.

“Ava, stop acting like a child. Your reputation only carries weight here. If you leave this firm, you’ll definitely regret it!”

Regret it? Have I lost my mind?

“Don’t worry,” I assured him firmly. “I absolutely will not regret this! Whatever happens with this case, win or lose, it has nothing to do with Ava Riley!”

With that, I grabbed my belongings and turned to leave, chin held high.

Chloe, fuming, yelled after me, “Ava Riley, when I win this case and become a legal superstar, don’t you come crawling back, begging us to take you back!”

Winning a case for a murderer to become famous?

What kind of fantasy world was she living in?

Even the killer himself had confessed. When he begged me to take the case, all he asked was for me to do my best to get him off death row, secure the maximum sentence reduction possible.

Where did Chloe get the insane confidence she could overturn the conviction?

But honestly, even without Chloe’s little drama, I wouldn’t help this killer again.

The agony of having my baby ripped out, my limbs hacked off in my past life, still made my whole body tremble.

A man who flouts the law and commits such evil doesn't deserve a reduced sentence!

That evening, I posted an update on social media announcing I was no longer representing the defendant in the "spousal murder case."

The news spread like wildfire. Offers from other law firms started pouring in, including some heavy hitters in the legal world.

But a message from an old classmate caught my eye.

“Ava, since you’re not defending him anymore, could you maybe help the victim in this case?”

Through the information my classmate shared, I learned that the killer, Frank Miller, had hidden a lot from me.

The victim, Elena Ramirez, had been trafficked and sold to Frank as a wife.

When Elena’s father came looking for her, Frank had thugs cut out the old man’s tongue, preventing him from ever telling the truth.

Elena eventually had a child and resigned herself to her fate.

But Frank not only sold their child, he subjected Elena to daily brutal beatings, ultimately killing her.

If all this was true…

Frank Miller wasn’t just guilty of murder. He was involved in human trafficking, child abandonment, and aggravated assault. Combined, these crimes absolutely warranted the death penalty.

But Elena’s father had no money for a lawyer. During the initial proceedings, he was constantly threatened by Frank’s family.

Hearing about the plight of this father and daughter filled me with righteous anger. I clenched my fists. “I’ll represent Mr. Ramirez! Pro bono!”

I had to make sure Frank Miller faced the full force of the law – not just for Elena and her father, but for the me and the child who died so horribly in my past life.

Two weeks later, armed with all the evidence I’d gathered, I arrived at the courthouse.

Just as I got out of my car, I ran smack into Mark and Chloe.

Mark flashed a smug, self-satisfied grin.

“See, Ava? I told you you’d regret it! And you denied it! Now you’re here with your materials, ready to kiss and make up, right?”

Mark reached for the files in my arms, but I sidestepped him.

“You’ve got it wrong, Mark. These materials aren’t for you!”

Chloe clung to Mark’s arm, sneering, “Stop pretending. You obviously found out we discovered evidence to get Frank acquitted, so now you’re here trying to grab a piece of the pie.”

“If you get on your knees right now, kowtow three times, and loudly admit ‘I was wrong,’ maybe, just maybe, I can forgive your earlier rudeness.”

I rolled my eyes. “Chloe, if you’re having mental issues, I know a good vet I can refer you to. If he can’t fix you, maybe he can break your legs!”

Ignoring the angry shouts erupting from Chloe and Mark behind me, I strode confidently into the courthouse.

As I headed towards the counsel tables, Chloe pointed accusingly at me.

“Your Honor, Ava Riley has been fired from our firm! I request that this individual, who has no connection to this case, be removed from the court!”

The judge ignored her.

It was only when I firmly took my seat at the plaintiff’s counsel table that Chloe’s eyes widened in shock.

“Ava Riley, what are you doing sitting at the plaintiff’s table?”