Candice The Lawyer

Everyone has their way of coping with hard times. Some spend piles of money shopping. Some scroll their life away. Some drink to find relief, or sacrifice everything to find their next high. Some get lost in books or movies. Some try to sleep their pain away. Some find Jesus. While others just exist during hard times. They’re on auto pilot: kids, dishes, laundry, bath time, bed time, groceries, marriage, work… the list goes on. They’re holding their breath, white knuckling it until it ends. If it even does.

If I’m honest, I’ve done a lot of these. I’ve slept. I’ve shopped. I’ve gotten lost in fiction. I’ve scrolled. I’ve found Jesus (actually He rescued me, thank goodness). I’ve been on auto pilot. I’ve even dreamt of what my life would be like if I had made different choices. Or what it would be like if money wasn’t ever an issue.

I wonder.

As I lay in bed in my robe that I just spilled coffee on; another stressful day done, a day that I don’t even want to replay in my mind because I just want it to go away. So instead, I let my mind wander to my own little castle on a cloud. Tonight I cope with my reality by being whoever I want to be and going wherever I want to go in my mind, and then writing about my adventures along the way.

Where do you want to go to today, you may ask.

Anywhere but here, is my reply.

A beach, perhaps? Hmm, not this time. Today I want to be powerful and successful. Ohh, a beautiful and ruthless lawyer in Manhattan. And also, 5’10”.

………..

Candice sat opposite yet another wanna be defense attorney who was trying to force her client to accept a settlement. But of course, she would not have any of it. She knew how they played their game; more specifically, when to call their bluff. She was ruthless, brilliant and beautiful. Every man wanted her and every woman wanted to be her.

She leaned forward in her chair, not leaving his gaze, or backing down. “I believe you’re missing the point, Mr. Edwards.”

“Edmunds,” he corrected.

“Sure,” she brushed him off. Purposely saying someone’s name wrong was a very subtle way of belittling them, without them realizing it. She had many little tools like this in her back pocket that she liked to use often. Especially men. It often threw them off whatever game they thought they had.

Candice continued, “the point is, my client does not deserve to be treated this way by her ex-spouse, or you, for that matter. And we will be seeking full compensation for everything your client has not only stolen from her, but also put her through psychologically. I will not rest until he’s paid back everything in full, and then some.”

Candice’s client, Mrs. Jacobs, who had been sitting sheepishly in her chair, suddenly found the courage to sit up straight. She knew she had picked the right lawyer and was grateful for Candice’s boldness.

“Alright,” said Mr. Edmunds as he stood up from the table, “we’ll see you in court, then.”

Candice smirked and sat back in her chair, “can’t wait,” she replied.

Candice lived in the ritzy part of Manhattan. In the same building as Seth Meyers, and a few other big names. Her two storey apartment was on the 34th floor, and had an amazing view of everything. Central Park, the water on either side of Manhattan, Jersey on one side, Brooklyn on the other. She could even see Times Square and would watch the ball drop from the comfort of her couch, every New Year’s Eve. It was her tradition.

That’s not to say Candice didn’t have a thriving social life. She certainly did. She was invited to the most prominent parties, and attended most of them. She found mingling and small talk boring, especially with the men who were always trying to get her attention, but it was a great way to bring in rich clients. And of course, a great reason to buy a new dress, and maybe another pair of pumps.

She had an entire room in her apartment, made specifically into a dress and shoe closet. Everything was colour coordinated. Work dresses on one side, party dresses on the other. She loved wearing dresses on the shorter side, and had the legs to do it.

Her third room in her apartment was a gym. She was up every morning at 5:00 am, working out. She had a very rigid work out schedule that she stuck to like glue.

She also had a strict diet that she very rarely deviated from. In fact, her personal chef, Winston, came to her place three days a week to pre-make her lunches and suppers. He also did all her grocery shopping. She did enjoy cooking and would sometimes help him with meals, but being a highly sought after lawyer didn’t allow much time for things like that.

Candice was an extremely talented lawyer, graduating at the top of her class just seven years earlier. Two years ago she became partner. She worked harder than anyone in her office, and had everyone’s respect because of it. Hardly any opposing lawyer could beat her. Many tried, extremely few succeeded. So much so, that it became like a challenge to all the other lawyers in the city. If they could beat Candice Bradford, they could beat anyone.

Each new case was exciting to Candice. Every other part of her life was happily predictable, but her cases were by far the opposite. She represented some emotionally abused ex-wives, she represented some Fortune 500 companies, and many things in between. She enjoyed taking on new challenges that she’d never done before. Things were going great for Candice. Every part of her life was amazing and she didn’t think she could be happier.

That is of course, until one day…