Novels2Search
Lifeless
Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Damn.

This was really complicated, but it sounded like my new sugar daddy already set everything up for me.

Would I even have time to exercise, after this?

Would I even have time to breathe?

This was… Complicated. It didn’t feel right at all, and my chest twisted uncomfortably. I didn’t want this.

Did I just lie my way into being an actual lawyer? Fuck.

Fuck, this was…

“If you would excuse me, I have to return to work,” Davis said, a clear dismissal.

“Huh? Oh, right, yeah,” I grabbed the papers he’d given me, “Yeah, okay. Have a, um, a good one, sir.”

My face smacked into the door as I opened it, and I staggered back, leaving the room. Then I crawled under Shawn’s desk, setting the papers on his desk, whining from my new safe space next to his polished shoes, “I don’t wanna.”

“What… oh my God, is this…? Oh my God,” Shawn said.

“Do you know how hard it is to be a lawyer?” I continued whining.

“This is a…”

“Curse. It’s a curse. I should have lied and said I was an accountant’s intern. Why did I have to pretend to be a lawyer?”

“Oh my God, girl, you just hit the jackpot!” Shawn celebrated for me, ignoring my whining.

“You mean I just hit the never-sleep-again button?” I muttered to the floor.

“Wh…” Shawn sighed, a hand running through his hair as he kept reading, “Free college? Ooh, a 3.6 GPA. If you weren’t lying earlier that shouldn’t be too hard, though. And you still have to work here… What a wonderful opportunity, I wish I had that. Think if I lie and say I don’t have a degree he’d give this paper to me?”

“Can’t you sympathize at least a little?” I whined, my fist hitting his shin.

Shawn looked down at me, quiet. His expression was light but blank, and after a long moment he spoke, his peridot eyes returning to the paper, “Stop whining, you would just quit if you didn’t plan on doing this.”

I whimpered, one arm hiding my head, “Fine, then give me the papers. I have to make a very long, boring, stressful phone call.”

“Feel my pain,” Shawn deadpanned, smacking me with the papers as I crawled out from under his desk, “Have fun.”

“Define fun,” I said, “I like reading legal papers, not writing them.”

“Have you ever tried?”

I thought for a moment, discontent, “Yes,” I said sharply and sullenly, pulling out my phone.

Shawn made a low humming noise, “Oh, look, it’s you, mad because you enjoyed writing legalese like a weirdo.”

“Shut up Shawn. I have to be full-time with both work and college. That’s going to suck.”

“What, are you sad your times playing on your phone are over?” Shawn mocked, shooing me with his hand, “Go away and make the calls you need to, girl. I’ll be here to celebrate with you once the shock wears off and you stop being a miserable bitch.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“I’ll always be a miserable bitch. Woe is me, my cushy life based wholly on my own luck and my ability to bullshit has come to haunt me, becoming even greater luck and forcing me to be even better at bullshitting,” I returned as I walked off, huffing as I dialed the number on the paper.

A very long phone call later wherein I delivered two different hours’ worth of papers, I was set to begin my college experience. They even said they were sending my college books to me, and the person on the phone was very respectful. Like I was someone very important and not just someone luckier than them.

I suppose luck was a luxury all on its own, though.

Taking care of myself came naturally, and I cleaned my entire apartment, wondering if I’d be able to do that when I had college. Then I remembered how long it took me to do a five-thousand-word essay, and I relaxed.

Thirteen-hour work-days would suck now that I was actually doing stuff, but I mean I would probably finish all of my schoolwork while I was at work, and attend classes after. That’s what it sounded like was going to happen, a lot of my classes either online or taking place after 17:30.

Busy days beset me non-stop after the fifth, with me making several school friends and networking within the first week with an ease that spoke of experience. In spite of my complaints, Shawn and I did act like children dancing around and being excited after a few days of school.

My enthusiasm stayed with me as I was both kept busy and returned to my schedule, avidly avoiding looking at the other person who visited Kageson’s free employee gym almost religiously when I worked out.

After all, my scars were visible, and eye contact meant an invitation to speak. I wouldn’t ever look at the man. If he was a man. No, he was definitely a man, he was tall and didn’t have tits.

Either way, my days went on, and my schedule became procedural, beginning with me waking up early to free-run my way to work, exercising more there and taking long showers before going, making a pot of coffee for the lawyers, and living my life. I overtook an unused computer connected to the wifi in the office, doing college work and learning more about the law as I waited each day both for the lawyers and for my alarms to go off, telling me to deliver things to him.

I still organized the papers if I had the time, reading through them with tiny paperclips put on the first page of every contract and sorting them as I read through them.

As I focused on the wording and what each individual sentence actually meant instead of just being grateful it did, I found myself realizing why Davis refused the papers and phrases he did.

Typically they left a loophole that didn’t work in his favor or left a specific detail open to debate when it should be clear and concise enough not to need it.

As my work days ended, I typically found myself using the gyms again if I had time to before heading to class, glad I could afford food.

None of the classes were dumb and ridiculous like coding classes were in the colleges I’d attended. I found the tedium of professors and instructors being wrong and not grading off of their own rubrics wasn’t at the college I attended, and I wondered if the quality was directly correlated to the price or if it happened because the professors knew I worked for Kageson.

Either way, getting and keeping a 4.0 GPA during generalized courses was easy.

I sent to one of the more unyielding professors.

I huffed, scowling at my phone,

Hands reached out, and I glanced up to see Shawn there. Green eyes read through my emails before scoffing.

“Girl you gotta calm down.”

“I have a difficult class next semester I’ll probably get a B or C in. I need a pure 4.0 or I’ll fall beneath 3.6,” I refused, grabbing my phone and putting it away as I glanced at Scott and Steven, the only two lawyers left, both working on the same urgent document.

They didn’t seem bothered by the conversation, not looking up from their monitors.

“What’s up, Shawn?”

“I’ve been instructed to take your place so you have time to eat.”

I gave him a confused look, feet dragging against the carpet as I swung my legs from where I sat next to the bins, “Huh? What?”

“Your new sugar daddy wants to take care of you,” Shawn teased, eyes sparkling at the way my nose scrunched up. His easygoing grin faded next he spoke, “It’s understandable, though. You look like you’re about to die of starvation. Go clock out and get some food, I’ll serve these papers,” Shawn gestured at Scott and Steven, “Don’t you eat during the day?”

I hummed, shrugging as I stood up, “I’m fine. I guess I’ll eat more, though, if you’re worried.”

Going out, I decided to get some soup, spending the money and filling myself. After a long moment, I decided to order to-go, some food to eat during my college courses later today.

Looking at the time, I returned to Kageson to get my secondary workout in. My gains were notable, I was able to lift fifty pounds more than I was able to yesterday. I sat up with a heavy sigh at the realization.

If I keep forgetting to eat what’s the point of having a place? My thoughts were critical of myself as I stood up and walked to the showers, “Christ, I ate more when I was homeless and jobless.”