Something tightens in my throat. “They shouldn’t be. I just quit my job.”
“You didn’t just quit a job,” Aaron corrects me gently. “You chose yourself. Do you know how rare that is? Most people spend their whole lives following the path of least resistance.”
I look out the window as we navigate through the city streets, taking in the familiar skyline with new eyes. “Is it stupid that I feel both terrified and exhilarated at the same time?” I ask.
Aaron catches my hand again and squeezes it. “That’s how you know you’re doing something right. The best decisions usually feel that way.”
“When did you get so wise?” I tease, but there’s truth behind my question.
“I write about people making life-altering choices for a living, remember? I’m basically a professional at watching characters jump into the unknown.” His eyes remain on the road, but his smile is just for me. “Though I have to say, you’re handling this better than my protagonist inMidnight Memories. She had a full breakdown in chapter twelve.”
“The day is still young,” I warn him, though I don’t actually feel like I’m on the verge of a breakdown. Instead, there’s this strange lightness in my chest, as if I’ve set down a burden I didn’t realize I was carrying.
We pull up outside Riley’s Bar, and I immediately recognize Demi’s car parked haphazardly near the entrance.
“Riley’s? Really?” I raise an eyebrow at Aaron. “This is your idea of a celebration venue?”
“What better place to toast new beginnings than where we had our very first date back in college?” He winks, looking absurdly pleased with himself. “Plus, they make those loaded potato skins you pretend not to love.”
“I don’t pretend—” I start to protest, but he’s already out of the car and coming around to my door.
When we step inside, the familiar amber glow of the bar washes over me. The scent of wood polish and comfort food wraps around us like a welcome. But instead of the usual quiet afternoon atmosphere, there’s a burst of cheers from the back corner.
“SURPRISE!”
Demi rushes forward first, nearly tackling me in a hug that smells like greenhouse herbs and expensive perfume. Behind her, I spot Eliza, Cindy, Aaron’s brothers, and, unexpectedly, Jasmyn, who must have taken a different elevator down and somehow beaten us here.
“You sneaky bastard,” I whisper to Aaron, who just shrugs innocently.
“Don’t blame him,” Demi says, linking her arm through mine. “I threatened to reveal embarrassing college stories if he didn’t help plan this.”
The corner of the bar has been transformed by a small banner reading “LEE & ASSOCIATES” in bold letters. Beneath it, a cake shaped like a briefcase sits surrounded by champagne flutes.
“We’re so proud of you,” Eliza says, pulling me into a gentler hug. “The office will be unbearable without you.”
“It was unbearable with me,” I counter, but I’m smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.
Cindy raises her glass. “To Minji Lee, lawyer extraordinaire,” Cindy declares, “who had the guts to escape while the rest of us are still plotting our exit strategies.”
Glasses lift all around me, and my cheeks grow warm. I’ve always felt awkward with public praise, but this feels different, real, and deserved. I’m not used to celebrations that aren’t about billable hours or courtroom wins.
“I didn’t exactly plan this,” I admit, accepting the champagne flute Aaron hands me. “Sometimes the universe just gives you a hard shove.”
I glance at Aaron, who’s watching me with a soft expression that makes my stomach flip. He raises his glass slightly, a private toast between us, and mouths “proud of you.” Those three simple words hit me harder than the champagne.
Demi clears her throat dramatically. “Alright. I’ve known this woman since she was wild and free as a freshman, who loved wearing matching pajamas for sleepovers, who color-coded her class notes, and judged everyone who thought drinking before sunset was a crime.”
“Still do,” I interject, which earns another round of laughter.
“Minji Lee has always been the smartest person in any room,” Demi continues, her voice taking on an uncharacteristically serious tone. “But today, she’s also the bravest. To my best friend, my Mimi, who's finally realized that the only thing those corporate lawyers are better at than her is being assholes. As I always say, never let a dick hold you back unless it’s giving you multiple orgasms. May your new firm make them cry like the time we watchedThe Vowwith three bottles of wine.”
“Hear, hear!” Axel calls out, raising his glass higher.
As everyone drinks, Aaron’s hand finds mine under the table, his thumb tracing gentle circles against my palm. The simpletouch grounds me, a reminder that I’m not jumping into this new chapter alone.
“Now,” Demi announces, “cake time. And no, Minji, you can’t save your piece for later or take notes on the frosting consistency.”
“I would never,” I protest weakly, though we both know that’s exactly something I’d do.
