Page 2 of Unlocking my Boss's Heart

“Apologize for what?” I frowned.

Then, I remembered my interaction with John two weeks ago. We’d disagreed at a staff meeting on a motion to be filed before the court, and I’d reminded him of his mistakes. He’d defended himself, saying I ran a tight ship and not everything had to be done my way. Although I owned the firm, I wasn’t a dictator. I wasn’t going to apologize for running the company the way that fit within law firm guidelines.

“I don’t owe John an apology,” I said with conviction.

Leticia cleared her throat. “I just meant that you shouldn’t have been so hard on him. Everyone knows John is sensitive.”

“You meanerratic. If John can’t handle being called out, he’s in the wrong profession.”

She remained silent.

“John started as a brilliant lawyer, but as time went by, he veered away from what we stood for in the firm,” I reminded her.

I suppose I should have seen this coming before now. John had grown increasingly hard to deal with. Well, if he wanted a different vision for practicing law, he should start his own law firm.

“Yes, but maybe you could have smoothed things over. Looking back, it would have been the appropriate action,” Leticia persisted. “What are we going to do? Everyone’s up to their necks in cases already. Now, we have to deal withhisworkload.”

I inhaled deeply, trying to order my thoughts. Of all the unprofessional things I’d witnessed in my lifetime, this was the most egregious. John had left the firm for a petty reason while still having active cases.

I felt heat rise up my neck and my heart beats increasing, but I needed to contain my frustrations.

“We need to hire a new lawyer fast,” Leticia said. “You have that Eucalyptia Pharmaceuticals case, and I’m swamped, too.” She cast a worried look at the stack of files on my desk.

“I’ll handle it,” I said flatly. It irked me that she felt the need to remind me. I knew better than anyone how busy everyone was.

“But—”

“It’s okay, Leticia. I said I'll handle this. Don’t worry about it.” I mainly said it to get her out of my office so I could think.

Leticia frowned but didn’t say anything more as she left.

My tension had bloomed into a full-blown headache. Not the way I’d planned to start my day. I hadn’t even finished my cup of coffee.

I took another sip and grimaced at the lukewarm taste.

I neededtwothings now: another cup of coffee and an excellent lawyer to fill in John’s spot.

Olivia hurried back a few minutes later, holding a small sticky note. “It’s John’s number.”

“I don't need that anymore,” I sighed. “I’m going to hire another attorney instead.”

Calling John to resume work immediately was a waste of time. He’d shown me just how loyal he really was. I didn’t want him back.

Once I had that sorted out, I would go through John Robinson’s contract with a fine-tooth comb and see if I could find any loopholes. Then, I would hit him with a hefty lawsuit. But for now, I needed to solve the mess he’d left behind.

The rest of the day didn’t improve. I had an out-of-office meeting that didn’t go as I planned. After lunch, Olivia set up an emergency meeting with the attorneys to troubleshoot the problems caused by John’s resignation. That didn’t end positively, either. By four o’clock, I’d had enough. I grabbed my briefcase and walked out of my office.

Olivia was typing at her desk. She looked up when the door shut behind me. “Yes, Mr. Waltons? Do you need anything?”

“No, just heading out.”

She noticed my briefcase then. “Oh, you’re leaving early?” Her tone was a mix of curiosity and mild astonishment.

“Is that really so shocking?”

“Yes, actually.” We both knew I was a workaholic. I was usually in my office until well after eight. She smiled. “I think it’ll be good for you to take some time for yourself. Have a great evening.”

“Yeah, you, too,” I replied, already heading for the elevator. I paused and looked back at her. “You can leave, too, if you want. It’s been a long day.”

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