“I don’t need to ‘clear my head’. My head is perfectly clear.” I move toward the door, then pause with my hand on the handle. “But I will take the time to consider my options.”
“The partnership isn’t completely off the table,” he says, though we both know it is. “There will be other opportunities.”
“Will there?” I turn back to face him. “Or will there always be anotherWilliamwaiting to swoop in at the perfect moment?”
I don’t wait for his answer. I open the door and step into the hallway, closing it firmly behind me. I walk by Jasmyn’s office, and she’s already flagging me down to come inside. Of course, she wants to know about everything.
“Get in here,” Jasmyn mouths urgently, waving her hand in a frantic come-hither motion.
With a sigh, I step into her office. She closes the door behind me with a soft click.
“Are you okay?” she asks immediately. “And don’t give me that ‘I’m fine’ bullshit.”
I sink into the chair across from her desk, suddenly feeling the full weight of the past forty-eight hours. “I honestly don’t know.”
Jasmyn studies me for a moment, then pulls open her desk drawer and produces a silver flask. “Bourbon?”
“It’s ten in the morning,” I point out. “We shouldn’t be drinking on the job; that’s the quickest way to get fired.”
“You’re right, but you just walked out of the conference room looking like you either quit or got fired,” she counters, pouring a finger of amber liquid into a coffee mug. “So, which is it?”
I accept the mug, swirling the bourbon but not drinking. “Neither. Yet.”
“Cryptic. I like it.” Jasmyn leans forward. “So, what’s going on?”
“Besides it being Aaron who cost me the partnership, nothing is going on.”
“How the hell did he cost you your partnership?”
I inhale the scent of the bourbon as much as I want to drink it, but I would never do something like this on the job. “He met the Wangs at the gym while he was shadowing me and apparently played relationship counselor. Convinced them to work on their marriage.”
“Holy shit,” she whispers as her eyes widen. “So, he’s the reason they reconciled?”
“Yes, he told me.”
“I never like to come to a man’s defense, but are you sure he cost you the partnership, or is the system rigged against anyone without a penis and a golf membership?”
I stare at her.
“What? You think I don’t see it, too?” She gestures toward the door. “I’ve been here four years longer than you, and I’m still waiting for them to notice my billables. All that talk at the partners’ dinner was justtalk. They say the same thing every three years. They tell us that if we go the extra mile, it will look good and fast-track us. We all know that’s bullshit. They justwant us to do the extra work for the same fucking pay. Yes, we get paid great, but it’s not enough, especially in New York City.”
I sit back in the chair, letting Jasmyn’s words sink in. She’s right, and I’ve known it all along. I’ve just been too afraid to admit it to myself.
“So, what are you saying? That I should just forgive Aaron because the firm was going to screw me over anyway?”
Jasmyn shakes her head. “I’m not saying anything about Aaron. This is about you, Minji. What do you want? Not what your family wants, not what society expects, not what looks good on paper. What does Minji Lee actually want?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well,” Jasmyn begins, “maybe that’s what you need to figure out.”
I stand up, suddenly needing to move, to breathe. “I should get back to work.”
“Sure.” Jasmyn doesn’t push. “But Minji? Whatever you decide about the firm, about Aaron, I’ve got your back.”
I nod, grateful for her loyalty. “Thank you for the pep talk. You need to hide this liquor before you get in trouble.” I place the mug she gave me on the desk.
Jasmyn rolls her eyes. “Who’s gonna look in here? Nobody. When my door is closed, everyone knows not to bother me.”
