Chapter 5 Lily Smith, Esq.

In the quiet of a crisp Chicago morning, an alarm went off in one beautifully decorated apartment overlooking the lake. Lily groaned softly, blinking her eyes open as the soft sunlight streamed through her white curtains. She said a prayer as she lay on her bed; something her late mother always made her do which had stuck with her.

It was her first day at work at Barton & Myers LLP, one of Illinois' largest and most respected law firms. Her first day as a junior associate three simple words that meant the world to her.

She sat up, stretched lazily, and her gaze fell on the small plaque on her bedside table.

"Lily Smith, Esq."

A smile curved her lips as she whispered under her breath, "You did this, Lily."

After all those sleepless nights and all the tears that had soaked her pillow, she'd done it.

She got dressed; a fitted cream blouse tucked neatly into a high-waisted pencil skirt that hugged her curves with effortless grace. Her dark hair, straightened to a glossy sheen, fell over her shoulders, and her nude heels clicked confidently as she walked through her apartment.

There was something about Lily an understated elegance that made people look twice. It wasn't just her beauty; it was her quiet poise, the kind that came from surviving heartbreak and loss yet choosing to rise anyway.

After a quick stop at her favorite coffee shop on the corner, she was off to work, humming softly to the rhythm of the city.

"Lilss! Lilss!"

She turned, recognizing the familiar voice instantly. Only one person ever called her that.

"Hey, someone's early today," Lily teased, her smile stretching wide as she saw Gillian hurrying toward her, latte in hand.

"Wellll, I thought I had to make a good impression on my first day," Gillian said, brushing her curls out of her face, "and since someone got me this job, I've got to behave."

Lily chuckled. She was definitely the "someone." When the managing partner of Barton & Myers had offered her the position, she'd agreed on one condition that he hire her best friend too, which he readily did.

Well, after graduation, her inbox had been flooded with offers from several prestigious firms, but the junior associate position at Barton & Myers won her heart.

The two women walked toward the building's glass doors, chatting and laughing as though they owned the world.

They had been inseparable since law school three years of sharing an apartment, ramen dinners, late-night study sessions, and emotional breakdowns that sometimes ended in laughter, sometimes in tears. Gillian had been there when Lily twisted her arm and had to wear a cast, and when her ex-boyfriend broke up with her two weeks before graduation.

Through all of it Gillian never left.

She was the first friend Lily made when she moved to Chicago the one who stood by her through every breakdown, every lonely night, and the long silence that still lingered after her mother's death a year before she moved. Her father had changed after that too much, too fast.

But that chapter of her life was one she still wasn't ready to reopen.

For now, it was better left behind like a book she'd promised herself she'd finish one day, but not today.

As they reached the firm's lobby, they were greeted by the receptionist. "Ms. Smith? Ms. Lee? Welcome. You'll be shown around shortly."

They were ushered through the offices past rows of glass doors, sleek furniture, and walls lined with awards and framed newspaper clippings. Barton & Myers LLP: Champions of Justice, one headline read.

By the time they returned to the reception area, Lily's excitement had doubled. One of the senior partners handed her a slim file.

"These are your first few cases," he said with a professional smile. "We'll see what you can do."

She accepted it, her heart thrumming with a mix of thrill and disbelief. Her first cases.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her bag. She sighed and fished it out "Unknown."

That same number.

Her finger hovered over the screen. For a moment, she wanted to answer.

Maybe just maybe it was him.

She wanted to tell him everything that she'd made it, that she was starting a new life, that his little girl had become a lawyer.

But no.

No, he'd made his choice four years ago and she'd learned to live without his approval.

She silenced the call and slipped the phone back into her bag.

For now, she would stick to Gillian; her best friend, her sister, her only family now.

"Who was that?" Gillian asked, noticing her expression.

"Probably no one," Lily said quickly, forcing a smile. "Come on, let's get to work. There's not much time to waste."

A few hours later, a secretary appeared at Lily's door as she and Gillian were about to step out for their lunch break.

"Ms. Smith,Ms Brooks, Mr. Barton would like to see you in his office."

She exchanged a quick glance with Gillian before they walked down the hall. The managing partner's office was sleek and tastefully modern. Glass walls, shelves of legal books, and a faint smell of fresh coffee.

"Ms. Smith,Ms Brooks " Mr. Barton greeted warmly. "I just wanted to personally welcome you again. We're thrilled to have you here."

"Thank you, sir," Lily replied, straightening slightly.

He smiled, studying her for a moment. "You know, I was meaning to mention this during the graduation ceremony, you have quite a striking resemblance to Mr. Ray Smith, the CEO of Quantis Global.Ever been told that?"

Lily's heart skipped. "I... no, sir. I'm not related to him."

"Ah, I see," he said, still smiling, though clearly intrigued. "Funny coincidence, then."

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Gillian waited uncomfortably. Gillian knew exactly what that name meant, and she silently prayed it wouldn't trigger Lily.

But Lily's expression didn't waver. Her voice stayed calm. "It must be," she said simply.

The conversation continued for a while before they finally stepped out of the office.

And as Lily walked back toward her new desk, she told herself she was fine, that the past would stay where it belonged.

But deep down, a part of her knew the past had a strange way of finding its way back.