Page 21 of Desk & Deception
I clenched my jaw hard enough that my teeth hurt as the caption on that damn post flashed through my head.
Work hubby.
I'd thought seeing it online had been the first time Kaylee had used a term like that, but now I realized there had been similar comments in passing. Small jokes I’d paid no attention to because everyone in the office seemed to treat phrases like work wife as harmless slang.
But whether Lila had heard them or not, I should've stopped it long before now.
“This isn’t about intentions. It’s about boundaries that should have been in place already.”
I should have enforced them sooner, but there was no going back and making better decisions. I could only do better from now on. Make changes to ensure nothing like this ever happened again.
Kaylee’s face tightened for a brief second, something harder flashing across her expression before it smoothed away. Then she gave a curt nod and left my office without another word.
I stared at the now-empty space where she had been sitting, filled with the realization that I hadn’t protected my relationship. I had allowed things I shouldn’t have, over and over, convincing myself they were harmless. I’d chosen the path of least resistance instead of Lila’s happiness.
But owning the decisions I’d made and the damage they had caused wasn’t enough.
Picking up the phone, I dialed Julian’s number. He picked up on the first ring. “Hayes.”
“Do you have some time to meet with me this morning?”
“Which case is this about?” he asked.
I raked my fingers through my hair as I admitted, “It’s a staffing issue.”
“I’m free now,” he offered.
“On my way.”
Walking into his office, I felt none of my usual confidence. This was usually my territory, where I negotiated deals and argued cases. Instead, discomfort settled heavy in my chest. This time, I was here to admit I had made a series of errors in judgment.
Julian leaned back in his chair, his eyebrows raised. “What’s going on, Hawthorne?”
I sat down and met his eyes. “I need Kaylee reassigned to another team, effective immediately.”
He looked surprised. “You recently gave her a glowing review. Said she was efficient, organized, and great with clients. Has she made a mistake of some kind that I need to know about?”
“Kaylee is competent.” I shook my head. “This isn’t a disciplinary issue, and I’m not here to blame her. I allowed professional boundaries to become too casual. I became too comfortable with interruptions and overfamiliarity. I should have recognized and corrected course with her much sooner.”
Julian studied me for a moment, then pushed back. “From an outside perspective, nothing catastrophic happened. Paralegals and attorneys often become friendly while working long hours together.”
“And unfortunately, lines can become blurred.” I pulled my phone from my pocket and pulled up Kaylee’s photo before turning the screen toward him. “Which sometimes ends in posts like this.”
He took the phone from me to read the caption and scroll through some of the comments. “I’m beginning to understand the problem.”
“If only it was that simple.” He handed me the phone as I added, “The issue was that my fiancée repeatedly told me she was uncomfortable, and instead of listening, I dismissed her concerns because I assumed I knew better. I spent weeks explaining away things that should have made me stop and reevaluate. It was a serious miscalculation on my part.”
Julian studied me for a moment. “You’re being hard on yourself.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Not nearly hard enough.”
“Did your fiancée leave?”
My admission was soft. “Yeah.”
“Over this?”
“I don’t think it was just about Kaylee for Lila.” I heaved a deep sigh. “More because I repeatedly made her feel like her feelings didn’t matter.”
