Chicks, Man

I slumped into the couch, using my mom as a comfort blanket to coddle my wounded heart and feeling defeated. I already knew the answer. And it was a big, fat no. And that’s what made this whole situation even worse. I finally got what I’ve always dreamed of, but it was at the hands of a lie.

I was playing so far out of my league. I had to stick with what I knew. And that was someone like Braydon Connor.

Braydon’s voice brings me back to the present. “I know, but I still feel horrible. I got you this.” I shake off my thoughts and focus my attention on Braydon as he bends to the side of his desk, surprising me with a single red rose.

“Oh, Braydon! You didn’t have to do that.” I accept the flower, bringing it to my nose.

“It’s the least I could do. And hopefully you’ll allow me to take you to lunch today. Help cure my guilt with food and great company.”

I offer him an easy smile, faltering slightly in my enthusiasm. My mind wants to go back to him. Wish it was him working for my attention. But he’s all wrong.

This is right.

It’s for the best.

“Absolutely.”

“Great! I have just the place. If you want, you can stay down here for a bit, keep me updated on your current workload. Learn any new juicy details on the Miller case while in the woods?”

“The Miller case? No, why?”

There’s a pregnant pause between my questions and his response. “Just curious. That’s a huge case to be on, especially one to start on board with. Kind of want to live vicariously through you.”

“Me? I don’t think I’ve done anything too exciting. I’m just a paralegal. Entering all the testimonies and babysitting all the confidential files.”

“Now you’re just showing off.” He laughs.

“What do you mean?”

“Tons of people died. Huge conspiracy. Who are the bad guys and good guys? I’m curious what information they have to win. I’d cut my left arm off to get on that case.”

This is the case everyone is talking about. And lucky me, I guess I did come on board at the right time. The firm has been working diligently on this the past year. But it wasn’t until a few months ago a witness came forward to testify, offering them new evidence that would land them a win.

Miller Industries, a pretentious construction company, was originally founded in New York, but has since expanded all over the states. A heavy-hitter in the building industry, they have their name on half the construction in the Midwest. They pushed their way into town after town, the latest being the off-the-map town of Crete, and convinced—more like coerced—the quiet town to allow them to expand and build a new state of the art business center. They broke ground a year ago, doing everything possible to push through all the ordinances to get the project under way. An eleven-month timeframe was going to be done in under six. This was going to be the first and only business center in the small town of Crete, creating an abundance of new jobs. The only problem was the blueprints were approved under what seemed to be the duress of the city council. The owner of Miller Industries, Benjamin Miller, was what you called a man who didn’t play by the rules. From all the testimonies I read, he had so many people in his back pocket, I couldn’t grasp how he kept his pants from falling off.

The project began as scheduled, and the development was underway. Everything was running smoothly—until it wasn’t. Per the reports, they started having issues with the foundation, a matter that was addressed by the city planning commission but shoved under the rug. It seems, when they discovered thermogenic methane, natural gas that forms deep underneath the Earth’s surface, it deemed the land unhabitable. Mr. Benjamin Miller felt otherwise.

Our case proves the company hid the findings and demanded they continue with construction. Even after the crew went on a small strike, they were paid hush money and told to get back to work. Four days later, a steel beam slid off one of the terrain cranes, smashing into the bottom of the foundation. It hit just right, causing friction to the soil and disrupting the buried organic material. One tiny spark. That’s all it needed. Within five minutes, the entire structure exploded. Thirty-five people died, and twelve endured injuries and will never work again.

Benjamin Miller claimed zero fault. He quickly turned around and tried to sue the city, pointing the blame on the man who signed off on the land. Problem was, two weeks after the accident, that man committed suicide.

His wife, Clara Hill, claims murder. There was no way her husband would have taken his own life. He was ready to fight Miller Industries, no matter the consequences. Problem with that? No one can prove that theory.