A Lawyer for the CEO

Cassandra

I looked at the state my friend was in, and I felt anger consuming me. That was unacceptable, and I would do whatever was in my power to ensure justice was served in that case. I would personally make sure of it.

"How did you get hold of this video, Tiffany?" I asked in a calm tone, despite everything.

"It was sent to me from an unknown number," she said between sobs. "I've tried to reach out to the person, but it's always either switched off or out of the carrier's coverage area."

I considered her words, wondering who could have an interest in that situation to the extent of recording a video of Tiffany's husband cheating and sending the content to her.

"I'm so disappointed in Noah, Cassie," she repeated for the umpteenth time, tears streaming from her eyes in a devastating proportion. "How could he betray me like this?"

"I understand your dismay, Tiff. But it won't end like this, I assure you."

Tiffany had been my friend since we were kids, attending the same school. Despite being completely different from each other, we always maintained our friendship.

At least until Tiffany married the most prominent figure in the country's fashion industry, and our lives took completely different paths. This saddened me a bit, as I always found it challenging to form new friendships. Losing my best friend felt like a genuine loss and had a significant impact on my life at that moment.

Even when I went straight from high school to university, having earned enough to study Law in Rio de Janeiro, while Tiffany chose to pursue a modeling career, deciding to take a break from further studies at that point in her life, we still managed to stay in constant contact and maintain our friendship.

But after Tiffany met Noah Abrantes, everything changed. We lost touch completely, which surprised me greatly. We only reconnected a few weeks ago when my friend called me, inviting me to dinner as she had been feeling very lonely.

I found your call quite surprising, especially your words, considering that, to the best of my knowledge about your life, she was married. Tiffany has always been surrounded by friends, unlike me, who considered her my only and best friend, as she was the only one for me. So, her feeling lonely shocked me greatly.

Due to the total absence of social life and not having many opportunities to go out with friends, as they didn't exist, I immediately accepted her invitation. It was only after our dinner meeting that I became aware of everything she had been facing with her husband. I was truly shocked when she told me about her relationship with Noah Abrantes and revealed that what everyone saw on social media and celebrity gossip websites was nothing more than mere publicity.

The reality was far different from everything portrayed, and I became increasingly astonished by her revelations. Learning that her husband had forbidden her from various things, such as working as a model or anything else, demanding that she always wait for him in the penthouse apartment they shared in Barra da Tijuca, left me appalled.

Another prohibition that outraged me even more was that he didn't allow her to have friends, while he frequently went out with friends, especially with his best friend, who was a lawyer. When I asked who it was, she told me it was Afonso Dornelles, and I recognized the name immediately. But, as far as I knew him, he was a decent guy. Nevertheless, sometimes, being an excellent professional and a terrible individual were undeniable facts.

As if everything she told me wasn't enough for her to have sought a divorce much earlier, Tiffany suspected he had been cheating on her since the beginning of their marriage. Since then, we rekindled our friendship, and this had happened about two weeks ago. To my total dismay, she came to my office in tears after discovering that he was indeed cheating on her. She had received a video confirming her suspicions, and I felt genuinely sorry for Tiffany.

I knew how deeply in love she was with her husband because she had told me so from the beginning of their relationship. I could sense her joy on that day when they started dating; she was genuinely happy to marry Noah, as she repeated numerous times in all our recent encounters.

"What do you want to do now?" I had to ask, even though I hoped she would demand an end to the marriage. I couldn't interfere with what she truly wanted, even though I had discussed how abusive the relationship was and how she didn't need to subject herself to the absurdities her husband put her through.

"I want a divorce! I won't spend another day beside a cowardly traitor."

"That's what should be done, Tiffany."

I assessed the situation, trying to maintain a professional distance, although it wasn't entirely possible. Tiffany was my friend, and I cared deeply for her. I deduced that she would ask me to be her representative in the divorce process. However, as much as I had a strong friendship with one of the parties, my job depended on appearing neutral, especially in conflict-of-interest situations, which were common in my cases. I was convinced that Tiffany's divorce process wouldn't be an exception.

"I want you to be my lawyer, Cass."

I wasn't surprised by the request and had been preparing for it. I intended for her to make certain demands to compensate for everything Noah Abrantes had put her through. Since she began talking, I understood that she wanted my professional help, and who better than her best friend to defend her interests in this situation?

I had climbed a few steps in my profession and was now considered one of the best in my field. I had worked hard for this recognition and was reaping the rewards of my dedication. Despite my commitment to my career, I was also a sensible person who thoroughly analyzed the cases I chose to defend.

Cassandra

I would never take on something I didn't believe in. My principles were above all.

"I need to know all the details before I can accept your case, Tiff. I don't want our friendship to cloud my judgment of the situation. But if I can't represent you, I'll recommend someone as good as me."

"But I want my friend by my side in this moment, Cass!" Tiffany whined, standing up and stomping her foot in a very childish manner, something only she could pull off.

"I will be, for sure. But not necessarily as your lawyer," I replied honestly. "Come on, calm down, and tell me everything about your relationship with Noah Abrantes. I'd also like to know if you have any prenuptial agreement."

As Tiffany recounted every detail of her relationship, from the beginning of her romance with the wealthy businessman Noah Abrantes to the present day, which wasn't a long time as they had met just over a year ago, I found myself lost in thought. I always could focus on what someone was saying and bring other facts to mind, aligning information at every moment. However, at that instant, all that passed through my mind were images of the handsome and despicable man my friend had married.

I had the displeasure of meeting the extremely wealthy and arrogantly rich businessman, Noah Abrantes, during a party organized by the majority partner of the law firm I worked for. The moment I laid eyes on that man, I felt something different-antipathy, I would say.

I didn't like Noah Abrantes, and I didn't hide my feelings for a minute. Every time I looked at him, my expression made it clear what I was feeling. Some colleagues even questioned what the problem was and if I was upset about something that happened at the party. I would just deny it and look in the direction of that infamous and handsome man, I couldn't deny that.

But he never noticed my presence, and a more observant person might say that this was the main reason for my gratuitous hostility. Meanwhile, he was surrounded by several beautiful women the whole time, all seemingly eager to please him at every moment. Noah distributed smiles to all of them and managed to keep them all satisfied with the attention they received from the billionaire businessman.

It disgusted me because he seemed quite pleased to be the center of attention. When I saw him leave accompanied by two of them, it turned my stomach completely. They didn't even hide their intentions as the "threesome" left, each clinging to one of his arms.

Despite that event being a business-oriented affair, entirely focused on the corporate side, Noah Abrantes seemed to be in a fifth-rate nightclub, behaving like a sort of god, smiling and drinking. His attention was entirely on those women who seemed to be shamelessly offering themselves to him, not caring that there were several vying for that man's attention.

When Tiffany told me she was dating him, I almost revealed my impressions of him. However, as she was noticeably enchanted by the CEO of Abrantes Enterprises and had even distanced herself from me since then, we weren't as close anymore. I didn't feel comfortable interfering with her happiness, and I wasn't sure how my impression would be received by my then-best friend.

I had only seen him once during the office event and decided that wasn't enough to form a complete profile of a person. Even though the sample hadn't been the best, he might have just been enjoying his bachelor status. Anyway, when a few weeks later, she told me she was marrying him, I ended up telling her about the party and how he seemed to be a womanizer. Tiffany didn't care about that; she just went ahead with her plans, and in no time, she was already marrying Noah Abrantes.

When this happened, I was doing a specialization in my field, overseas, and couldn't attend the mega event that took place. Still, everything had been widely publicized by the media, and I assumed I had been mistaken about the businessman because, as the famous saying goes, appearances can be deceiving.

Now, however, listening to everything Tiffany was telling me, I realized I was more right than I thought, and the guy was truly a massive playboy who didn't respect his wife. The fact that he was a married man hadn't changed anything in his "romantic" and active life.

"I understand that love makes people accept various things from each other. But I also believe that everything has limits, Tiff. And you've endured too much!"

"I love him, Cass. A lot. And he always promised that it would be the last time. And the last..."

"I know exactly how it is. Despite never having been married, or even having had any serious relationships, I had heard enough stories to understand what she was saying. My clients always had similar stories. My mother went through all of that, and even though I was just a child, I always told her that it didn't have to happen. That she could break free from that vicious cycle. Just because the man in question was my father didn't mean I would agree with what he did. I grew up with that mindset, and today I try to help women get out of abusive relationships and help them bounce back. If they could also gain financial benefits in the process, even better. We would squeeze every last penny out of those scumbags.

'I'll represent you in your divorce case, friend. And Noah Abrantes will regret everything he did to you, you can be sure of that.'

'I'm so happy to have you by my side, Cass. You've always been so intelligent and hardworking. I'm very proud of you, you know?'

Tiffany approached me and hugged me tightly, the tears forgotten and a beautiful smile on her face. That's what I sought in my profession. Wiping the sadness off my clients' faces and bringing hope for justice, because they deserved more than a man to deceive them with false promises of love and loyalty.

'Noah Abrantes won't even know what hit him. He'll pay for all the betrayals where it hurts the most, his wallet.'

We stepped back and looked at each other with the complicity of childhood friends, and I saw once again before me the girl I had known before, a person full of dreams and expectations for a better future.

Noah

I looked out the window of my office in the Lagoa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, and the feeling I had was that I had been a complete idiot, and the only one to blame for that was myself, which made me quite irritated. I hadn't been completely deceived by a woman, as saying that would be great hypocrisy on my part when everyone, absolutely everyone, not only my family but also friends, tried to warn me about who she was."

In addition to those closest to me, even some employees and business partners insisted that I should reconsider the idea of marriage and that we could just continue as we were, in a convenient relationship where we could exit at any time without further problems or difficulties. However, completely focused on conducting business and enjoying the always willing and ready companionship, I paid no heed to those who were only trying to be loyal to me, unlike what happened with my ex-wife.

Now, I found myself in an uncomfortable situation with a significant problem at hand, as I had no intention of accepting that Tiffany would get a penny more than strictly necessary from my money. It wasn't about the money itself but because she didn't deserve even my sympathy, let alone walking away from the marriage with a few million from me. But she was making the divorce difficult precisely for that reason, of course, as she was cynical enough to, even after all the absurdities she committed with everyone around me, still demand money as compensation for her time with me. A complete absurdity!

She was making ridiculous demands to sign the divorce agreement, and it was becoming very draining and truly stressful. Tiffany had become someone I wanted far away from me, but I had to tolerate her constant presence, not physically anymore as when we hadn't filed for divorce yet, but in family discussions and mainly with my lawyer. I had no intention of giving an inch of my position on the matter, and she seemed as willing to fight as I felt.

"I understand your anger, Noah," Afonso Dornelles, my lawyer, who was also a close friend in my personal life, spoke in his always conciliatory tone. "But I believe that if you concede on some points, the entire process will be done more quickly."

Afonso had just informed me that Tiffany had officially filed for divorce and requested urgency, along with a protective order, claiming that she felt threatened and feared for her life.

"I won't agree to any of the points in that ridiculous divorce agreement Tiffany crafted with her pompous and utterly crazy lawyer," I replied.

My friend smiled at the mention of the lawyer, and by the way, he did it, I understood that he didn't agree with my remarks about the lawyer, and that irritated me a lot. I threw the pen in my hands, aiming for the wise guy I believed was my friend, but he had good reflexes, undeniable, and moved away in time to avoid being hit by the object, making me sigh with displeasure.

"You can't refer to Tiffany's lawyer that way, Noah."

"And what's the problem? I'm stating the facts. She's crazy if she thinks I'll comply with her client's demand."

"You don't know the professional that Cassandra Alencar is. I can affirm, with absolute certainty, that she is far from being foolish or 'crazy,' as you just labeled her."

"You're mistaken to think that way. I've heard about the achievements of the esteemed Cassandra Alencar in the courts, always demanding financial compensation for the torments of her clients during marriage, and I won't be another success case for her." I spoke with disdain.

"I can see that you're well-informed, Noah. But if Cassandra has been winning every case she takes on, it's because she's truly excellent at what she does, and you shouldn't count your victory before the final judgment."

It was quite noticeable, from the way he spoke about the lawyer, that Afonso was truly enchanted with the woman, and I didn't like hearing his tone of admiration at all, considering she was now on the opposite side and, therefore, our enemy.

I didn't care that the lawyer was completely beautiful and vibrant, resembling a dazzling hurricane as she passed, leaving everyone falling for her-a fact I confirmed when I attended a business event over a year ago, hosted by a business partner who, coincidentally, was also a partner in the firm where Cassandra worked.

I found out about it while engaging in lively conversation with some friends who were also present at the event, along with my cousin Patricia and her wife Samara. Despite the conversation revolving around Cassandra Alencar's accomplishments, I wasn't swayed by her charisma and certainly wouldn't be.

I was accustomed to being surrounded by beautiful women, and it wouldn't be her eyes the color of melted honey, or her luscious and tempting mouth, with shiny red lips, that would be able to change that. It was quite evident that she hadn't taken a liking to me either, as she looked at me with visible irritation throughout the event. When my cousin asked me for a ride to her house, and I left accompanied by the two women, Patricia and Samara, I thought I would be shot just by the look Cassandra gave me.

"She thinks she's the defender of helpless women. But what she doesn't know, at least not yet, is that Tiffany is no poor victim. She's a snake and schemed against me, and anyone who has lived with us can confirm that."

Thinking about Tiffany wasn't a good idea either. I still hadn't been able to swallow the fact that I had fallen for the charm of an opportunist like a complete idiot. It was very difficult to accept, and I refused to come out losing even more in that story.

"I believe you can't criticize her either. You fell for the character that Tiffany shows to the world. How can you criticize Cassandra?"

"Don't remind me of that fact."

"As if you could forget, right?" My lawyer until then emphasized.

Afonso was right, and I didn't counter his perfectly placed comment. I ran my hand through my hair, tousling it, feeling desolate once again. The truth was that I was inconsolable, that was the best word to describe how I was feeling at the moment, and that could only change when the verdict of the divorce proceedings came out, freeing me from Tiffany once and for all.

Of course, I also needed to come out victorious because otherwise, I would have the freedom but not the satisfaction of knowing she hadn't taken anything from me, despite all her attempts to harm me.

I remember when I met Tiffany almost two years ago. She was working on an advertising campaign for Abrantes, being developed by the marketing department of my department store chain. The beautiful model Tiffany Andrade immediately caught my attention with her stunning beauty. What I didn't know yet was that all of that was just surface level, and inside she was rotten.

We started going out together, and just a few days later, she was practically living in my apartment, without me even inviting her to do so. The thing was, Tiffany always claimed she was still sleepy, and as I needed to leave for work, she reassured me that she would take a taxi later and go to her apartment. When I returned from work at night, Tiffany was still there, always enticingly welcoming me, with sex, and I simply took advantage of having her at my complete disposal.

Until there came a moment when she claimed her apartment was undergoing renovations and asked to stay with me in my penthouse in Barra for a few days. As it was very convenient for me, I agreed without paying much attention to the fact.

Without realizing what was happening, since I was in a busy period within the company due to my father's retirement and my subsequent promotion to CEO of Abrantes, Tiffany was living with me and organizing details for our wedding, even though I hadn't proposed to her. Still, that didn't sound like a warning sign