Chapter 2 I'm Bryan's Girlfriend

It was a fine morning at the café.

But the moment Jillian pushed open the door to the private room, her gaze fell on the composed and distant figure seated inside. She paused briefly, caught off guard.

She quickly recovered, offering a polished smile. "Bryan, fancy seeing you here."

"I suppose you'd like to see me after taking on the bet," Bryan responded smoothly, setting his coffee cup down with a calm smile. He crossed his legs and leaned back against the sofa, exuding an effortless ease.

"Should I be thanking you for that?" Jillian asked as she made her way over and sat across from him.

Her client was a former college classmate from their group chat, once part of a prominent wealthy family in the city, now fallen to ruin due to internal family conflict.

Bryan's expression remained unchanged. He offered no response.

"Zachary, aren't you ashamed? We've been divorced for three years, and you're still demanding half of my money?"

Wrapped in a striking red dress that hugged her figure, Emely Higgins shouted furiously upon seeing Zachary.

"If I didn't support you back then, would you even be where you are right now? Where's your conscience?" Zachary Higgins snapped back, desperate for the money to rebuild his life.

"Why should I-" Emely began, but Jillian cut in smoothly.

"If arguing could fix problems, lawyers like us wouldn't be necessary, would we?"

The two fell into an abrupt silence.

With a steady expression, Jillian looked directly at the man seated across from her and spoke calmly.

"Bryan, you must be aware that simply signing a divorce agreement without following through on the legal procedures renders the agreement meaningless. According to marital law, assets are divided equally between spouses upon divorce, and any debts must also be shared."

Bryan glanced at her briefly, offering no immediate response.

Instead, he shifted his focus. "Mr. Higgins, while you're married with my client, you engaged in affairs with other women. Will you confirm this?"

Zachary crossed his legs, his foot shaking lazily as he smiled, unaffected.

Jillian turned to him, surprised. Why hadn't he disclosed this to her?

"Come on, what man hasn't..."

He trailed off when Jillian shot him a sharp glance, nudging him before smiling.

She then asked, "Bryan, do you have any proof?"

She had already warned Zachary that everything said would be recorded. Had he forgotten?

"I saw him checking into a hotel with a model!" Emely snapped angrily.

"Mrs. Higgins, didn't Bryan explain what qualifies as evidence?" Jillian asked with a cool smile. Luckily, there was no real proof.

"You accuse me of having mistresses, but don't you have a boy toy by your side now? Who knows how many men you've been with over the years!" Zachary sneered.

"I only did that after signing the divorce papers-"

She was cut off as Bryan interjected, "Please present evidence before making any claims."

They had already established that the divorce agreement was void, and now she was admitting to infidelity?

Was she trying to leave empty-handed?

How foolish!

Jillian glanced at Zachary beside her. He knew about his wife's boy toy but had no proof?

She sighed quietly, realizing the battle ahead would be tough.

"Mr. Higgins, you've been separated from my client for three years and haven't fulfilled any marital duties. What exactly have you been doing during this time?" Bryan said sternly.

"I-" Zachary opened his mouth, but Jillian quickly cut in, her voice sharp.

"He has been working tirelessly to create a better future for Mrs. Higgins. Yet, in his lowest moments, his legal wife took possession of their shared property, leading to financial strain and ultimately the collapse of his business. If this goes to court, Mrs. Higgins shouldn't expect to walk away with a single dime!"

"Are you attempting to threaten us, Jillian? Whether my client had any role in his bankruptcy can easily be investigated," Bryan countered, casting a glance at his client. She had never brought this up before.

This was his first case against Jillian, and her performance impressed him.

Jillian said, "By all means, Bryan, investigate. My client spent over a billion on properties and luxury cars for Mrs. Higgins. Before and after his company went under, she contributed nothing financially. She refused to help settle the joint debts. And if you add the boy toy into the mix..."

She leaned in slightly, her gaze cold yet her smile unwavering. "Bryan, are you willing to settle evenly, or shall we see each other in court? Think carefully."

"Before the divorce is finalized, stay far away from other women. Make sure there's nothing left for them to catch you on, and clean up every trace-hotel records, photos, texts-everything," Jillian said coolly as they drove.

"Understood."

Zachary now looked at her with newfound admiration. At first, he had felt embarrassed about trying to take Emely's money, but after hearing Jillian's reasoning, he felt entitled and self-assured!

"Is your wife living with her boy toy?" Jillian asked again, her tone sharp.

"They've been living together for three years," he responded, folding his arms with a bitter laugh.

"That simplifies things..." she muttered, pulling the car over to the side of the road and bringing it to a stop.

"Go back now and install cameras at your wife's place."

"She's not going to let me in!"

They had been apart for three years, and the villa was in her name.

"Fool, you're still legally her husband. What reason could she have to stop you from entering your own home? And for all we know, she could be with Bryan as we speak."

"Got it, I'm heading over now!" Zachary responded.

He had treated Emely well, spent so much on her, and now she was being this cruel?

Well, she had no one but herself to blame!

In the evening, Jillian had just finished her shower when Zachary called, frantic, claiming Bryan was planning to sue him-for bribing a lawyer!

He pleaded with her to find a way to save him.

"Did you actually bribe Bryan?" she asked, half-amused, half-exasperated.

"Bryan called me last night, and said he tracked down that model. I panicked and, thinking we were classmates, I went to him for mercy and handed over a million-dollar check..."

"You idiot, he was bluffing! It's like dragging some random woman and saying she slept with you. Without solid evidence, who's going to believe it? People like you would get conned out of everything without even reaching the divorce court!"

She folded her arms, shaking her head with a helpless smirk. "It's not the strong rival I should fear, but the incompetent ally beside me!"

"I know, I'm an idiot, a complete fool. Jillian, you've got to help me. Bryan, that jerk, doesn't care about our relationship at all. It's maddening!"

"Bribing a lawyer with a million dollars? That's a guaranteed five-year sentence. There's no way around it. How am I supposed to save you?"

"I don't care if I go to jail, but you-if you lose to Bryan on your first case against him, your reputation will be in tatters. The entire legal community, our classmates, friends-everyone will mock you!" Zachary tried to feign sympathy as he spoke.

Jillian paced back and forth in her bedroom before sharply reminding him, "I'll tell you one more time. Don't meet Bryan without me present. And be careful when you're talking to your wife. Don't get caught in her web. Understand?"

"This time, I swear I've got it. So, what's your plan-"

He began to ask how she would handle the bribery mess when the call suddenly cut off.

The next morning, at Bryan's law firm, Apex.

"Ms. Chapman, you-"

The receptionist began, but Jillian breezed past without slowing.

"I'm Bryan's girlfriend."

The employees froze in shock. The rumors about her and Bryan had been swirling for days.

Jillian spotted his nameplate on the office door. She knocked once, then pushed it open.

Bryan was immersed in reviewing case files. He looked up, his face impassive, his tone icy. "Jillian, what can I do for you?"

Jillian, dressed in a sleek black suit dress, her loosely curled hair draped effortlessly over her shoulders, and standing tall in three-inch black heels, carried a certain undeniable allure despite her formal attire.

She strode over, perched seductively on the edge of his desk, and teasingly ran his tie through her fingers, tugging it lightly.

"We were just together the other night, and now you're pretending to be all business?"