Second Life: Lessons for the Nepotism Junior

Xenia Lewis, the nepotism junior, is eager to craft an image of herself as a prodigy. To prove her talent, she requests to take the lead in court. But when confronted by the plaintiff's attorney's sharp questioning, she falters. Our defense unravels, instantly putting us at a disadvantage.

After the verdict is announced, Xenia tearfully throws herself into the arms of my fiance, Zayne Scott. Her voice trembles with excuses. "The plaintiff's attorney was too harsh. It was my first time in court, and I was just too nervous!"

Due to her incompetence, the defendant, who could have been acquitted, ends up behind bars.

Yet, Zayne and my junior colleague, Hugo Wilkinson, indulge her with comforting words.

"Don't be upset. No one wins every case."

"With your cleverness, Xenia, you'll surely hold your own next time."

Furious, I snap, "The court is a place to seek truth and uphold justice. It's not a playground for make-believe. Because of your mistake, an innocent person has been wronged. How can you live with yourself?"

Feeling humiliated, Xenia breaks down, sobbing and threatening to harm herself.

Resentful that I've hurt her, Zayne and Hugo distort the truth, shifting all the blame onto me. I end up as the scapegoat for her mistakes.

Not only am I forced to resign in disgrace, but I also face disbarment. With nowhere to turn, my spirit shatters. While crossing the street, distraught and distracted, I'm hit by a car and killed.

Then, when I wake up, I find myself reborn on the very day Xenia and I are set to appear in court.

"I... I don't know..."

Xenia, standing as the defense counsel, suddenly broke down and burst into tears in open court.

Seizing the advantage, the plaintiff's attorney pressed on, relentlessly targeting the gaps and contradictions in her responses.

Her face grew increasingly pale, and at last she turned to seek help from Zayne, who was sitting in the gallery.

"Zayne, wh-what should I do?"

In my past life, Xenia's misspoken words had given the opposing counsel an opening. Her subsequent meltdown in court sent our case into a downward spiral.

The defendant, who should very likely have been acquitted, was instead sentenced to ten years in prison. The client's family came to our firm repeatedly, making scenes and demanding answers.

To placate them, Zayne threw me under the bus without a second thought. He used me to take the blow for Xenia. I was forced to shoulder the blame and resigned in disgrace, facing a ruinous lawsuit from the family.

Desperate, I turned to Hugo, whom I had personally mentored, only to be turned away and mocked. Shattered and broken, I was hit by a car while crossing the street.

In my final moments, a profound injustice gripped my soul. It was all Xenia's fault. Why did I have to be her scapegoat?

Consumed by this raging fury, I found myself reborn and returned to this precise instant in the court. Xenia's tears were beginning to fall. This time, I vowed to rend them all for what they had done to me in my past life.

Amidst the murmurs of the spectators, I rose to my feet and pushed Xenia back down into her seat. Then, after drawing a deep breath, I spoke. "We contest the admissibility, authenticity, and relevance of the plaintiff's evidence, and we dispute its probative value..."

Calm and methodical, I dismantled the plaintiff's attorney's arguments and exposed the flaws and contradictions within their evidence. A fierce war of words ensued until finally, due to insufficient evidence, the defendant was found not guilty and released.

When we stepped out of the court, I fixed a cold stare on Xenia.

A sharp clap split the air. I had returned every ounce of anger and hatred from my past life, right onto her cheek.

…

Xenia crumpled to the ground. Disbelief was painted across her expression.

I raised my hand and pointed toward the seal of the court looming prominently above us.

"You useless fool! It's your duty as an attorney to fight for your client with everything you have."

Xenia put on a pitiful look and pouted. "Ms. Sullivan, it was my first time in court… I was so nervous."

Ever since she'd been brought into the firm as a junior through nepotism, this had been her signature move.

She cultivated the gifted prodigy persona, earning trust and being handed important responsibilities. Yet when her abilities inevitably fell short and chaos followed, she would simply bat her eyes and hide behind excuses.

But this was different. A man's entire life was on the line.

"Samantha—" Zayne began.

"Shut up!" I snapped, shooting a glare at him.

"Don't take on a task you're unqualified for. You boasted when you took this case, but when it came time to perform, you were utterly useless. If things had gone wrong, would you have gone to prison for the client?"