His Darkest Secrets Exposed

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It had been about two weeks since Philip had lunch with Lina, and his hunt for a job in any legal field continued. He had a couple of immediate interviews but hadn’t heard anything back in the time frame he had been given. He did his due diligence and called himself, but he was just told to wait for a response or a call-back. Unfortunately, waiting wasn’t an option for Philip. He was in desperate need of a job and money. He couldn’t keep sleeping on his best friend’s couch, who was expecting a baby.

While Philip was desperately looking for a job, Lina continued to use her resources to stop him from landing a role anywhere else. Was this a cruel way to garner his attention? Of course, it was. And she knew it. But she was Lina Yoo— she did whatever she wanted to get whatever she wanted and whomever she wanted. And for some reason or another, Lina wanted Philip.

“Ma’am, three other law firms confirmed that Philip McAdams applied for a paralegal position, and one firm stated that he even begged for a secretarial position,” Shelly reported.

“Really?” Lina lifted her head from her desk when Shelly gave her a situation report.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“He begged?”

“More liked pleaded.”

“Did he get on his knees?” Lina questioned as she imagined him on his knees, tied up, with a bone gag in his mouth. That imagery made Lina’s core leak almost instantly.

“He didn’t go that far. But according to my counterpart at that firm, he did indicate that he was desperate for anything at this point,” Shelly answered.

“Good, that’s what I was hoping for,” Lina responded.

“Ma’am, why this whole charade?” Shelly asked.

“Do you want the truth?” Lina asked as she interlocked her fingers and sat up straight. Shelly nodded, curious to see what Lina saw in Philip that would make her go out of her way for him. “There is something innocent about him, and I want to break that innocence.”

“Do you mean to say he’s naïve?” Shelly questioned.

“Maybe a little. But more so, it’s the inexperience in life. When graduates first come out of law school, they believe that landing a job is easy. They have good grades, they pass The State Bar Exam, and then, their ego gets the best of them. They think that they’re entitled to a job. But being a lawyer is just like any other career choice. You have to earn it. You have to be prepared to fail again and again and again.”

“Like the other applicants whom you didn’t bother to see that day?” Shelly asked.

“Exactly. They were egotistical and arrogant. I watched them on the lobby camera. They judged Philip based on what he wore. He’s humble, that I know for sure. But humility is often paired with innocence, inexperience, and naivety. Those are characteristics that can be molded and shaped. And I want to be his Potter. I want to mold and shape him.”

“But why not just tell him all of that instead of making him seem like he’s not worthy of working for you? Why put out all of the stops to practically blacklist him?”

“Because he failed my test. He couldn’t answer why he wanted to work here. I know why he wanted to work here. He knew why, as well. But he couldn’t answer me when I asked. He was too distracted by whatever it was he saw when he walked into this office. I need him to be confident in himself, and I need him to exude that confidence. I need that from everyone who’s going to step foot into this building: Employees and clients alike. Just like I expected of you when you first came to work for me.”

“What you did to me was quite cruel. You do know that, right?” Shelly interrogated.

“I do. But I won’t apologize for it. Your resume was outstanding, Shelly. But you were meek, quiet, and shy. I can’t have that in my office. I’m one of the top Defense attorneys in this city, and I get a slew of phone calls, emails, and letters from people asking me to represent them. Some even demand it. I needed a secretary who could take those calls, letters, and emails and tell them to shove it where the sun doesn’t shine if it’s nothing I want to accept. I need you to be able to speak for yourself and speak up for yourself. And you did. You told me off to my face. What did you say to me?”

“I honestly don’t remember word for word, but I think something along the lines of “you’re a grade-A sociopathic b***h with the EQ of a zombie.”.”

“And how did I respond?”

“You smiled and hired me on the spot,” Shelly answered with a smile of her own.

“Exactly. I’m doing the same thing to Philip. I’m showing him that to be a successful lawyer, you have to be confident and know your self-worth. If he can’t do that, he chose the wrong major in college.” Lina explained. Shelly nodded in understanding. Though Lina’s methods were cruel, unusual, and unconventional, Shelly couldn’t deny that Lina knew what she was doing. Everyone who worked under Lina had been with her since she opened her firm or at least a few years by that point, Shelly included. Erika Nai’s team had an alarmingly high turnover rate, and she was constantly having to hire new people regardless of the position. For Lina, however, this was the first opening on her team in almost three years.

“Would you like me to keep tabs on Philip, ma’am?”

“No. I think the other firms have gotten the memo. Let’s wait and see.”

“Yes, ma’am.”