Mr. Fake-Mute's Love Game Ended When I Stopped Playing the Fool novel Chapter 23

My boyfriend Jasper dropped one line that changed my life:

My family will never accept a daughter–in–law who isn’t from a V10 law firm.”

So I spent fifteen years attending 721 interviews.

Every. Single. One.

And every single time, I came in second place.

thought I was unlucky. Or not good enough.

Intil this year, when I finally ranked first and got accepted into one of them.

But before I could even pop the champagne, they told me there’d been a “calculation error.”

The real first place? Sienna Hartley–Jasper’s childhood sweetheart.

went back to Hale & Morrison to get answers.

hat’s when I heard the hiring partner talking to my boyfriend.

Mr. Reid, the new HR coordinator didn’t know about the situation with Ms. Caldwell. They posted the real scores by accident. We’re o sorry–we’ll let them go immediately.”

Forget it. Job market’s brutal right now. Just make sure Sienna’s offer goes through–partner–track compensation. And she just raduated, so go easy on her. I’ve spoiled her, and she’s got a temper. If she’s unhappy, I’m taking her side.”

felt like someone had shoved me underwater.

ienna was the one he’d protect.

o what the hell was I?

e cared about some stranger’s job prospects, but he could stand there and watch me waste fifteen years.

What about Ms. Caldwell, then? She’s been at this for fifteen years. I heard yesterday, when she found out she didn’t make it again, he sat outside the building and cried for hours.”

ilence.

hen Jasper Reid’s voice came back, clipped and cold.

she’ll get over it. Wren’s easy–throw her any excuse and she’ll buy it. Besides, this is what every lawyer goes through. It builds

haracter.”

Honestly, Mr. Reid, we’ve all seen how good Wren is. If you hadn’t kept blocking her–saying you needed to avoid conflicts of iterest–she’d have made it into a V10 firm years ago. She’d probably be a senior partner by now. You’re not… doing this because you

Chapter 1

don’t actually want to marry her, are you?”

Dead silence.

The hiring partner clearly knew he’d said too much.

I stood there, smiling bitterly, then turned and walked out.

That same day, I called my dad–the judge–and told him I’d apply to the DA’s office.

I’d do what he’d always wanted.

When Jasper got home, I was packing up fifteen years‘ worth of bar prep books and practice exams.

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Didn’t make it again?”

When I didn’t answer, he tried to comfort me.

“V10 firms are brutal. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. I can wait.”

Wait? He’d only ever been waiting for Sienna.

And me? I was just a placeholder–something to shut his parents up until Sienna came back.

I’d been too stupid to see it until now.

“Jasper, you know I’m good at this. Can you just talk to them? We’re not getting any younger. I want to build a life with you.”

I looked at him, holding onto one last thread of hope.

Jasper’s jaw tightened.

He looked away.

“The firm already decided on Sienna. They think she’s younger, has more upside. There’s nothing I can do.”

“Was it really the firm’s decision? Or yours?”

“Wren.” His voice went sharp.

“I’m a lawyer. I don’t pull strings for personal reasons. You’ve studied law long enough–don’t you get how important integrity is?”

Integrity. Right.

I laughed.

The last bit of light in my chest went out.

This was the first time I’d asked him for anything in fifteen years.

14:58

Mr. Fake Mute’s Love Game Ended When I Stonned Plaving the Frol

Chapter 1

Clearly, I didn’t matter enough.

I stood up and started throwing those thick binders into the trash, one by one.

Jasper grabbed my wrist. “What are you doing?”

‘I can’t pass. So I’m done. Maybe I was never meant for your world anyway.”

Hearing this, his voice softened.

‘I get it–you’re upset. Just keep trying. Maybe next year. Next year you’ll make it, and then we can finally get married. Right?”

He sounded so sure, like he really wanted to marry me.

opened my mouth, but my phone rang.

asper’s mother.

Come over tonight. We need to talk about you and Jasper.”

My stomach dropped.

asper’s mom had always blamed me for why her son wasn’t married yet–because I could never break into a top–tier firm.

She loved reminding me of that.

She’d tear me apart in front of the whole family, calling me useless, saying I was dead weight holding her son back.

And every time, Jasper would act like he was head over heels for me, swearing he’d never marry anyone else.

So all the pressure landed on me.

used to think he really loved me.

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