Page 39 of The Monster and the Masochist

“Hot and single, it would seem,” he snickered, and again, I had a very strong impulse to slit his throat.

Vivian pursed her lips. “Is it fair? No. But you know as well as I do, Cassandra, that we’re playing in a male-dominated field. Fair doesn’t come into the equation. This is the reality, and the firm needs to come first. The firm always comes first, even before our own personal desire for gender equality in the workplace. A true partner would understand that.” Vivian’s tone remained flat and final. I glanced down at her left hand, where her massive engagement ring, complete with a yellow-gold wedding band, glinted in the sunlight.

Vivian was almost sixty, but she was a formidable woman. She definitely would have turned some heads of her own back in the day. I knew that when she was my age, she would have experienced this same kind of sexism in her career as well. Likely even worse, considering how far we had come in even just the last five years.

But, here she was–partner of the firm–clearly willing to do anything and everything necessary to claw her way to the top.

I needed to play the game.

Before I could stop myself, the stupidest words that I had ever uttered in my life exploded from my mouth.

“I’m engaged,” I blurted, and the entire office went dead silent.

There was a long, awkward pause where all three attorneys just stared at me.

“What?” Nolan finally managed to choke out.

My cheeks heated, and my mind started racing.

Why the fuck had I just said that?!

Edmund looked like I’d slapped him. Vivian was smirking.

So much for that high IQ, Cassandra–turns out you’re actually a fucking moron… Fuck!

Instead of succumbing to the panic that was threatening to ruin my entire career, I leaned into my impulsive lie.

I smoothed out my skirt with the hand that wasn’t clutching my triple long like it was my only life raft in the sea of bullshit that was currently my morning.

“Mhmm. Yep. Happened a while ago. I didn’t announce it because of everything that’s been going on with the Steele case. But yeah, we’re due to get married next week.”

Jesus. I needed to stop talking.

Nolan was gaping at me, and I pinned him with a look.

Based on the recent hookup we’d had, he knew that couldn’t be true, but I dared him with my expression to say anything.

“Where’s your ring?” he gritted out, and I shrugged, tossing my long dark hair over my shoulder.

“Getting sized.”

“Well…” Edmund said gruffly, awkwardly straightening his cuffs. “That’s quite the development. Congratulations, Cassandra.”

I smiled at him.

“Thank you, Edmund.”

Vivian looked like it was taking everything she had not to laugh. She was watching me carefully, and her eyes were shining.

She knew I was lying, and she was clearly excited to see how I was going to pull this stupid shit off.

Ugh. How was I going to pull this stupid shit off!?

“Well, we’ll be sure to let the reverend know about this development. However, we’ve already promised him a team of two first-class attorneys with perfect track records. He’s paying an exorbitant hourly rate just to be in the same room as the two of you. We can’t in good faith turn down that level of incoming billables.”

My heart sank.

Fuck. Me.