This Was Meant To Be

*****

“No, that can’t be true,” said Leigh, the words nearly stumbling over each other as she tried to get them out fast enough.

“I agree, Ms. Wells. It can’t be, but it is, and it was your responsibility. That’s what it says right here – you are in charge of the last stage of verification of the evidence for this case, and the original report is missing. The original, time-stamped, sensitive report with no soft copy any more, the report that had been deleted but we finally found, is missing. Do you realize, Ms. Wells, what this means? This was the cornerstone of our entire case.”

Leigh was numb. She could hardly believe her ears.

She knew the report he was talking about, of course she did.

But this was the first time she’d been told that she’d been in charge of it. Or at least, she was supposed to have been.

If she had known, of course she would have made sure that it was in Coleman’s personal safe or under her eyes, every moment. Every last moment. But she hadn’t known.

How could she not have known? It seemed to be right there, in black and white, in the report after the third meeting about the case. It said that she had been given the report for an analysis, and that she had never logged it back in after that.

Why couldn’t she remember that? She remembered the need for the analysis. But she couldn’t remember that being her responsibility.

Try as she might, it was a blur. She couldn’t bring it back. She just couldn’t.

And yet, she could’ve sworn, on anything and anybody, that it hadn’t been assigned to her. She had been resentful of that because she’d seen that as a missed opportunity.

But that had been when she and Carl had been fighting, and she had been so drained. She couldn’t remember what had happened. She couldn’t recall the precise events or the sequence of anything, and she was mortified.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, but she knew how inadequate that was.

“Well, it is a pity that your pretty little apology will not get us an adjournment, or a mistrial, or anything remotely favorable. Ms. Wells, I don’t have to tell you that this case is extremely important. It’s a class action suit, and it has generated a great deal of publicity already. We have staked a good part of our firm’s reputation on this case. Win or lose, we are obliged to do our best. Losing key pieces of evidence is not how you try your best. Unless you can find this report within ten days – and you must count yourself incredibly lucky that you have those ten days – you can kiss your career goodbye, Ms. Wells.”

Leigh felt her world spinning, as if everything she had known was now gone. This was an unfamiliar world, and she didn’t want to be a part of it. This was not her world.

Things like this did not happen in her world.

“Yes, sir,” she said, forcing the words out. She had to grip the edge of the desk to keep herself steady. Leigh focused on her knuckles, hard bone with skin drawn tight over it, as she sat there, trying to find something to anchor her.

Had she thought that her life was getting better? Had she even considered that perhaps she could be happy?

How wrong she had been!

Everything she had worked for was going down the drain, and it looked like it was all her own doing.

Had every decision she had ever made been so wrong.

“Ms. Well, I suggest you get out and make something happen, because right now, I need to come up with something else – an entire new plan for the case, in fact. Unless, of course, you could do the job for me?”

The sarcasm barely touched her. Everything was going wrong. She had no room for nuances like that.

She didn’t know what she was supposed to do.

She was barely aware of how she had stumbled outside, but she was out, taking deep gulps of chilly air as if she couldn’t get enough.

Leigh wasn’t even aware of doing it, but she had her phone in her hand, and instinct seemed to guide her fingers as she called Harrison.

Even as the phone rang, and he picked up, she wasn’t completely sure of what she was doing. She wasn’t thinking.

She had done what had seemed to be the only thing to do.

“Leigh? Hello? Did you pocket dial me?”

She heard his voice, and slowly, things started coming back into focus.

She was standing outside the office building.

Quickly, Leigh started walking away. She was relieved she had her bag with her, and she had put everything away safely before going to Coleman’s office.

Not that it mattered anymore, thought Leigh with the faintest edge of hysteria. She swallowed it harshly. There was no room for drama or hysterics.

“Harrison.”

Her voice sounded weak and tired, so unlike her usual tones.

“Leigh, what’s wrong?”

Concern, affection, worry, and a steely assurance that whatever was wrong, he would help her – she heard all of that in just those three words, and the ground seemed a bit more solid underneath her feet again.

“I… Can I see you?”

“Of course. Where are you? I’ll be there in ten.”

That assurance, without even asking her where she was, calmed her down some more. She told him where she was, and stood there, as if everything had gone blank and all she could feel was the chill in the air – when had it started getting cold?

When he drew up alongside her, she got in, and looked at him.

She looked so fragile, like the most delicate of tinted glass, that Harrison was alarmed. When he took her hands, they were cold as ice.

He was glad he’d gotten the chauffeur to bring the sedan, because Leigh needed attention.