"Dax, that hack you showed me, has yielded fruit."
Lou has been hacking on her own? Jesus. I will check her work for errors and cover as needed; she probably left footprints all over the place. My damned wife. I swear.
Dax smiled with no small amount of pride though as he was more than a little impressed at how quickly she picked up what he did.
"I couldn't get Dave on misfeasance, he's a slippery little fucker, and smarter than I thought. Just not smart enough. I laid a trap and that arrogant ass walked right into it.
I've called a meeting for this afternoon, all senior staff and select junior staff. This includes you, so dress accordingly and call the grands and or great great grands. We are going into the office."
-----------
Milton and Lou and partners sit on one side of the table and David on the other. Matt, June and myself and several others sit in chairs against the wall behind Milton & Lou.
Lou slides a document across the table.
"This is a termination letter.
Dave, you are not a good fit. Much time has been spent managing and worrying about you and your performance, the entire firm has suffered as a result. It's been a time drain
Your behavior has bordered on and consistently
been
disrespectful; you have undermined us on several occasions. Most recently and notably the Mauritius deal. You have complained within and without and openly challenged authority. Our only real regret about today's action: is that we didn't pull the trigger sooner.
There have been client complaints about you. If any one of our clients feel they aren't being taken care of by an associate attorney of ours, they will look for a new law firm.
SO, when a client takes the time to complain, we take it seriously. It was difficult for them to talk about their dissatisfaction. The English can be reticent. Luckily, after a bit of prodding, they decided to do us the courtesy of talking about their doubts, instead of just firing our firm and moving to new representation.
"So for all those reasons and so very many more, you are fired. Effective immediately."
Said my gorgeous wife, with malicious and undisguised glee. A brilliant smile on her sweet face.
Dave swallows painfully, shifting in his chair.
"At the onset of your employment here, you signed agreements, non-disclosure, non-competes. A confirmation email with scanned signatures was sent to you."
"You know where I'm going with this right?" She looks at him coolly.
You contacted clients of Milton, Skewell and Associates and began the process of soliciting our clients to follow you to your new place of employment."
Agitated, Dave interrupts.
"Where's your proof? There's no way you could possibly know that . . ."
Lou puts up a single finger for silence, and continues as before.
"You then sent letters notifying Milton, Skewell & Associates clients that you were changing firms and solicited them to switch their business - all without the knowledge of Milton, Skewell & Associates and in violation of Bar rules.
The Virginia Bar rules - for lawyers switching firms - state, "Absent a specific agreement otherwise, a lawyer who is leaving a law firm shall not unilaterally contact those clients of the law firm for purposes of notifying them about the anticipated departure or to solicit representation of the clients unless the lawyer has approached an authorized representative of the law firm and attempted to negotiate a joint communication to the clients concerning the lawyer leaving the firm and bona fide negotiations have been successful."
"You did not draft a joint letter with Milton, Skewell & Associates.
Furthermore, Milton, Skewell & Associates was not aware that you were contacting clients in hopes of luring their business away.
Additionally, the solicitation continued after your recently accepted offer at Kamien & Spaulding.
With malicious intent you went after Milton's best clients in an attempt to have them transfer their cases.
Your
illegal
and
unethical
actions confused our clients and left them with the impression that we either did not wish to continue representing them or did not have the expertise to continue said representation.
Solicitation letters - sent by you - on your new 'would be' firm's letterhead, caused our clients undue confusion, anxiety and frustration as well as the fear that their cases were being abandoned, that Milton, Skewell & Associates had closed its offices and that it would cost the clients more money to have their cases prosecuted.
Kamien & Spalding had no prior business dealings with the clients of Milton, Skewell & Associates prior to your mailing those solicitation letters.
"We are in the process" of determining if those letters got any clients to switch their business to Kamien & Spaulding. The client list and their addresses are proprietary information of Milton, Skewell & Associates.
For these reasons and so very many more, you are fired as of right now, your office has been packed and security will escort you from the premises.
"You don't have the authority." He sneered.
"In fact, I do. I'm a partner. A silent partner. But a partner nonetheless. The day to day operations are all Milton. Contrary to the malicious rumors - which you, a 7 year associate, tried to spread - I have in fact earned my place. I didn't earn it on my back. Mommy and Daddy didn't give me a hookup.
I came with clients. Big ones. The same clients who pay your fucking salary. You have put my professional reputation as well as that of my business at risk for the last time."
David is sweating. He turns quickly to Milton. Who shakes his head.
"Don't look to me to save you. You have had seven years and every opportunity, given who your parents are in this town, to shine, if only you had put in the work. Smear campaigns often backfire, especially, poorly conceived ones."
"I'm sure your primary motivation was for financial profit and gain; which is surely a shame as we plan to bring suit against you and you can forget severance." Says my Lulu.
"You do this to deliberately and publicly humiliate me in front of senior and junior staff?" He accuses.
"These are witnesses, just in case anything untoward should happen in this room. The record needs to accurately reflect what was said. Your admitted humiliation is a nice little bonus though. Thanks for that."
"You BITCH! I will sue this place for wrongful termination!" He's snarling at my wife.
Lou gives a slow devious smile.
"I would dearly
love
for you to try filing a wrongful termination suit. In fact, I would relish it. However, as egregious as your offences are, I am certain you won't find representation. And anyway . . ."
She makes a show of checking her watch.
"It's 4:58pm on a Friday and a holiday weekend to boot."
She spreads her hands.
"Who the hell are you going to call? You can't even file for unemployment until like next Tuesday at best, which you will surely need as we are not paying you a dime of severance.
Oh and until we have determined the full extent of damages, your accounts have been frozen and your final pay will be held in escrow."
She leans towards him across the table and smiles.
"I have it on good authority that you were curious to know what it'd be like to be with me." She gives Matt a sly side-eye glance
"Well, now you know - you are indeed fucked."
"Good luck with that job search"
Dave is apoplectic with rage and goes to lurch across the table at my baby. Snarling curses, name calling, spittle flying.
Matt handles it before I can even stand. Shoving him against the wall and holding him quite easily.
June's already called security and they immediately come and haul him off screaming, cursing and vowing revenge all the way.
Lulu gives a little shimmy in her seat. Milton breaks out the cigars and passes her one, which she smells with wistful delight, before passing it to me with a wink.
"Ah, Milt - now that's what I call a wedding present!"
They have a hearty laugh and Dave is quickly forgotten as everyone talks of the upcoming July 4th holiday.
------------
So. This is marriage. Home alone with two newborns and my husband missing in action for days at a time.
I did it to myself, buying into all the promises. We started out so strong. I really did not expect Dax to go typical man on me.
I love my husband and my sweet little babies.
I made babies! Two at one time. I still can't believe it. It's the most amazing thing I have ever done or ever will do.
So I will roll with this, for now and then I will make a plan. This will
not
be my life.
At least I was smart enough to keep working. Shortened hours and no travel. It pays to have a vested interest in the firm. Milton is pretty understanding, he bugs me as much as he dares to as Dax had the nerve to tell him to lay off. That fucking husband of mine man I swear.
Shit if it weren't for Milton dropping by twice a week, I'd lose my fucking mind. I have a brain and don't want it going to pot.
In the meantime, my beloved husband is all tease and no please; lots of hugs and kisses but nothing else.
Granted, I had a hemorrhage episode after the babies that freaked him out pretty bad, both of us truth be told. He's been tentative and super careful with me ever since.
And though I am deeply moved by his compassionate restraint, I am growing more frustrated by the minute.
****************************************************
I can't believe we're hosting a wedding here. Our backyard is a beautiful spot in this unseasonably cool weather, 82 degrees, with no humidity, in August in Richmond, VA - astonishing.
Uncle Junius and Annelle at last. Goes to show it's never too late I guess. Funnily enough this time it was him wanting to marry and her wanting not to.
On the 4th of July, he bought her around and finally and fittingly convinced her over a plate of fried catfish and ripe red tomatoes he grew himself.
He looked at me and shook his grizzled head in mock exhaustion.
"Don't know how you wrestled that one into submission." He nods towards my Lulu. Those two have taken quite a shine to one another.
"It was easy, you just have to keep going til they give out." Lulu rolled her eyes and walked over to Uncle Jack at the grill.
Those two say they don't have a moment to lose, so now it's August and here we are. It's been a long year. This summer has been super busy with the babies and my being on the road so much. She's had plenty of help though between Annelle, my mom and Arlene. My babies are with their grand and great grand-parents being spoiled.
My wife seems to be missing in action. I wander through looking for her, she's not in the bathroom or bedroom. I'm about to wander out again when I catch a glimpse of her in the walk-in closet.
I smile, a glimpse of her naked is pretty much how all this started in the first place. At least she's not bent over this time. She's looking at herself critically in the mirror.
