My Destiny by Adrianne Byrd Read Free Book Online Page A

another opportunity to go against Ms. Brockman. And if he did, he wouldn’t turn and run. “Freddie, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but either you settle out of court or get yourself a new attorney.”
    Then a funny thing happened...

Chapter 7
    Five years later...
    D estiny sat bundled in the middle of her bed with a near-empty quart of ice cream and stared dully at the television, which was all she’d been able to do for the past week. Soon after her thirtieth birthday, she’d come to the conclusion she hated everything about her life.
    The job she’d once thought to be a dream had turned out to be a nightmare. The job hadn’t changed, she had; and that fact opened a floodgate of emotions with guilt riding the high tide.
    The phone rang.
    Destiny closed her eyes and wished that everyone would leave her alone. In her heart, she knew they were just concerned, but she wanted time to sort things out.
    The answering machine picked up and her mom’s worried voice filled the room.
    “Destiny, this is your mother calling. I don’t know what’s going on or why you haven’t been at work all this week, but I’ve made arrangements to take the first flight back home tomorrow morning—”
    Destiny snatched up the phone. “That won’t be necessary.”
    “There you are. Where have you been?” Adele snapped. “I’ve been worried sick.”
    “I’m sorry.” Destiny drew in a deep breath and pressed the mute button on the remote control. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I just...” She shrugged and a thick silence hung over the line.
    “I’m coming home,” her mother declared.
    “No, Mom, no.” Destiny exhaled. “There’s nothing wrong. I’m just taking some time to reevaluate my priorities.”
    “Does this have anything to do with the Nissel case?”
    It had everything to do with Keith Nissel; a pro bono case where her young client was accused of murder, when all he was guilty of was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She’d slaved over the case, trying to win a stay of execution from the Supreme Court.
    But she had lost.
    “No, Mom. This has nothing to do with Keith Nissel.”
    “I don’t believe you.”
    Destiny responded with a note of desperation. “Mom, please. I need some time to sort things out. That’s all. I promise I’ll call you if I need you to come home.”
    Once again silence stretched between them before her mother finally acquiesced. “You promise to call?”
    Destiny nodded and fought the next tidal wave of tears. “I promise.” She ended the call and fell back across the bed exhausted. Maybe she was coming down with something. If so, then perhaps there was a pill she could pop to soothe her woes.
    The Nissel case wasn’t the first one she’d lost, but it was the first with such deadly results.
    She rolled back to the center of the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Something was definitely wrong. In her career, she’d accomplished everything she’d set out to do. Her boss had recently told her she was on the fast track to making partner. Once upon a time, such praise would’ve had her floating on cloud nine—but not now. In fact, it had the opposite effect.
    Maybe the simple truth was she no longer wanted to be a lawyer. Destiny groaned as she slammed her eyes shut. To even consider such a thing deepened her despair. She’d come from a long line of lawyers. And because of the scandal her brother had caused, it was up to her to redeem the family name.
    She allowed the last declaration to ring in her ears and waited for the words to revive conviction in her heart. But nothing happened. Nothing had happened for a while.
    The doorbell rang.
    Destiny held her breath as if doing so would convince her visitor she wasn’t home. She prayed she wouldn’t hear a key rattle in the door. If she did, it could only mean that her dear friend, Lu Jin, had taken it upon herself to come check on her.
    A key rattled.
    Destiny grabbed a pillow and covered her face to muffle a scream