Chapter <b>49 </b>
Charlotte figured that <b>if </b><b>the </b>job at S&<b>G </b>worked <b>out</b><b>, </b>she would move into that apartment. It would makemuting easier, and living alone would give her <b>peace </b>and <b>quiet</b>.
There would be no more awkward run–ins <b>with </b>her dad and Xena. She <b>could </b>finally <b>enjoy </b>some independence.
At S&G Law Firm, Charlotte <b>was </b>interviewed by HR and Yvonne, the head of the litigation department.
With <b>a </b>top–tier degree and three years of experience under her belt, Charlotte answered every one of Yvonne’s technical questions with ease.
It was clear Yvonne was impressed. The firm offered her exactly what she had hoped for: a base sry of fifteen thousand, plus a cut of her case
fees.
As <b>the </b>interview wrapped up, Yvonne smiled. “Miss Riley, we’ll see you tomorrow.”
Charlotte returned the smile. “Looking forward to it.”
The whole process went smoother than she expected. She thought they might try to lowball her on the sry<b>, </b>but the offer came without resistance<b>. </b>
After she left, Yvonne stood by the window with a small sigh.
“What a shame,” she murmured. “I actually liked her.”
On her first day, Charlotte was shown around by the HR assistant, Lucy rk, who helped her get acquainted with the team.
S&G’s main office was massive. The departments included Business Development, Litigation<b>, </b>Non–litigation, Finance, and Human Resources.
The Business Development team focused on bringing in clients.
The Litigation department handled court cases.
Non–litigation took care of things like contract review<b>, </b>collections, and legal consulting.
Finance and HR worked just like they would in any otherpany.
Each department had a supervisor. Charlotte’s interviewer, Yvonne<b>, </b>was the litigation department head. She was also a practicing attorney, probably <b>in </b>her mid–thirties, with a sharp bob and an unmistakable <b>“</b>boss woman<b>” </b>vibe.
There were <b>over </b>twenty practicing attorneys at <b>the main </b><b>office</b>. Aside from <b>the </b>department heads<b>, </b>every two attorneys shared an office.
Charlotte was paired with a male attorney in his early <b>forties</b>.
<b>Just </b>as she finished organizing her workspace<b>, </b>Yvonne walked in with a slightly apologetic look.
“Charlotte<b>, </b>normally each attorney has a paralegal or intern assigned to them,” she exined. “But two <b>interns </b>just finished their programs, and we haven’t hired recements <b>yet</b><b>. </b><b>So </b>for now<b>, </b><b>you’ll </b><b>be </b>flying solo. Hope <b>that’s </b>alright<b>.</b><b>‘ </b>
Charlotte nodded with a calm smile<b>. </b>“No problem. <b>I </b>can handle <b>my </b>own cases<b>.</b><b>” </b>
“Great<b>,</b><b>” </b>Yvonne said before <b>heading </b>out.
The man at the other desk finally looked up from hisputer. <b>“</b>Hey there. I’m Max Zimmer. Looks <b>like </b><b>we’ll </b><b>be </b>office buddies.”
“Nice to meet <b>you</b><b>,</b><b>” </b>Charlotte <b>replied </b>politely.
At lunchtime, one of the male associates<b>, </b>clearly prompted by the supervisor, stirred up chatter <b>in </b>the group chat. <b>He </b>suggested that the new hires should treat everyone to dinner.
There were two new hires.
One was Charlotte<b>. </b>
<b>The </b><b>other </b>was Jenny <b>Young</b>, a new intern who <b>had </b><b>joined </b>a few days earlier.
Charlotte wasn’t sure if this was actually <b>a </b>workce tradition or <b>just </b>someone messing with her<b>. </b>
She quietly <b>asked </b><b>Max</b><b>, </b>her office–mate, if <b>this </b>
was something <b>the </b>firm usually did.
Max shook <b>his </b>head. <b>“</b>Nope. This <b>isn’t </b><b>a </b>thing here.”
Charlotte stared at the message on her screen<b>, </b><b>deep </b>in thought.
<b>+25 </b>Bonus
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