Affirmation Read Online Free PDF Page A

relationship between the two of us. There is an email
waiting for me as soon as I get in. It reads:

    Mac,
    In
an effort to help with the burgeoning increase in complex business
cases, you are being transferred into that division under the general
supervision of Bill Crown. Obviously, you will still work on the
Jackson case since the clients are attached to you, but John Casting
will act as your co-counsel and immediate supervisor. You can direct
any and all questions to him. Finally, with the addition of Kylie
Wynn to the Pearson appeal, I will not need your help on that case
further.
    I
wish you the best of luck with these new endeavors, and I’m
sure you’ll be a successful member of the complex business
litigation team.
    Sincerely,
    Matthew
Connover

    Is
he fucking kidding me?
    Is
he mother fucking kidding me?
    He
sends me a formal email telling me that I’m no longer going to
be doing injury litigation, which is what I love doing? He’s
transferring me to the hell of business law? And more than that, he
“wishes me the best of luck”?
    What
a fucking asshole coward.
    I
wait for the anger to well up further and overtake me, but it never
gets above a low simmer. In fact, I feel sort of a cool calmness. I
suppose the fact I have been telling myself over and over again that
there is no hope of a relationship with Matt has led me to believe,
deep down inside, that it would be impossible to go backward to just
an employer/employee relationship.
    There
is no second-guessing, and I don’t have even an ounce of doubt
over my next actions.
    I
pull up a blank Word document, and I start typing.
    When
I’m finished, I print it, sign it, and put it in an envelope. I
handwrite the words “Matthew Connover” and place it in my
outbox. A gopher boy comes around several times a day and takes all
the stuff from the attorneys’ outboxes and distributes it. Matt
will get my notice sometime soon, but I don’t give it another
thought.
    Instead,
I pick up the phone and call Cal. He knows Matt and I broke up, and
we’ve talked a few times. He’s been a very good friend to
me and provided me with an open ear. He’s not been judgmental,
and he’s been strangely quiet as to taking my side over Matt’s
or vice versa. I invite him for lunch the following day, and we make
plans to meet in the cafeteria that’s in our building.
    I
lose myself in the Jackson case, writing up a detailed summary memorandum of it so I can give it
to Cal. His help is going to be instrumental to me.
    The
details of the memorandum are so engrossing that I don’t even
realize there is someone standing in my office doorway until he
clears his throat.
    It’s
Matt, and he’s holding my letter of resignation in his hand.
    Without
invitation, he walks in, closes the door, and takes a seat. He throws
the envelope on my desk. “What the hell is this?”
    “Come
on, Matt. You know what it is.” My voice is gentle, without
harshness or even bitter feelings. It doesn’t mean those
feelings aren’t there, but I’m choosing not to bring them
into this. I want to keep this professional.
    “You’re
resigning?” he asks, as if he can’t believe what my
letter says.
    “Yes.
I’ll give you two weeks’ notice or, if you want me to
leave immediately, I’ll do that. I’m taking the Jackson case with me though, so please don’t think about fighting me on
that. My clients won’t stay here if I’m not involved.”
    Matt
looks at me with exasperation and waves an impatient hand at me. “I
don’t give a fuck if you take that case. I just can’t
believe you’d quit. I mean… I moved you out of my
section so you wouldn’t have to deal with me. I thought it
would give you want you wanted.”
    Cocking
my head, I try to gauge what Matt is really feeling. He looks
agitated and nervous. He looks confused… lost. I’m not
sure what it means, but none of it changes my decision to leave.
    “I’m
sorry. I appreciate you trying to make my work environment