"We live in a rainbow of chaos."
Life was always a surprise. Nothing was ever the same. The world was always changing. My profession taught me that lesson more than ever. One day people were happy in love and the next they wanted to take everything their spouse had ever worked for just out of spite.
Even worse was the idea of a son suing his own father. In all my years, I had never dealt with this type of situation.
"I'm suing my father." He said abruptly. The silence in the room alone could allow for Katara's breathing to be heard a mile away.
"Sounds messy." Katara's said nonchalantly. Here this guy marched into her office demanding representation, after whatever stupid thing lead her to giving him her number.
She couldn't help but notice the smirk that the man sported. Geez, he didn't even tell her his name. She certainly didn't remember it from the weekend. His face did kind of look familiar.
His black hair hang in a bang over his right eye. His eyes were piercing and golden. He had milky skin and a smile that could cause any woman to melt. He was tall with an athletic build. She could tell that through the thin material of this white t-shirt. He had a well maintained beard that outline his sideburns, his jaw, and went down to the middle of his neck. His blue jeans hung snuggly against his waist. He may have looked like a normal guy but his well maintained facial hair, sculpted body, and freshly trimmed hair told her otherwise.
"Ha you don't know the half of it." He flashed a smirk at her. "Listen will you represent me?"
"You're going to have to file a case petition form and if I choose to represent you we can meet about conditions, such as my retainer and fees." He looked disappointed but I didn't want to make exceptions for any of my clients. "I need all the facts, evidence, and circumstances of the situation before I take on the case. It's standard procedure, Sir."
"Can't you make an exception? I gave you a good time Friday night." I cringed. There was no way I could take this guy's case. It was against my professional interest. "Umm not like that but I helped you brother get you and your girls home. You owe me one."
"I'm sorry but you'll have to fill out the proper forms and send them through the proper channels like everyone else. My secretary can help you with that. Thank you for the inquiry, Sir."
"Fine. I'll see you around Katara." He got up and turned to walk to the door but stopped just shy of grabbing the door knob. "You don't remember my name do you?"
Whaaaaaaat! I felt my face get hot and I was swear I was as red as a fresh strawberry. My cover was blown. This was almost as embarrassing as the time I forgot to wear underwear under my dress to work. He pointed it out so casually like he was playing along with me the entire time. Uhhhhh, I was never going to live this down.
I stutter nervously. "Whaaaat? Of course I remember your name. How could I not know it? Hehe."
"Riiiiiiiiight. It's Zuko." He says before leaving my office.
Zuko. I could vaguely remember sharing a drink with him at the bar Friday night. I could see why I picked him out. He was attractive. I hoped I didn't awkwardly embarrass myself. If this guy wanted me to represent him maybe I didn't do anything stupid like dance on the bar topless.
Maybe he googled me? Hm, maybe I should google him? It couldn't hurt to figure out who he was and why he needed a lawyer before the paperwork came in.
Maybe later on my own time. I had a stack of files piled high and my stomach was growling.
Lunch was the time where all the lawyers in the office met and bounced cases off each other. Instead, Azula took this time to gloat about how amazing her cases are and how great being partner was. She was a bitch. Always thinking she was better than us other lawyers just because she got promoted and could kiss the bosses asses more.
In the law world partner is what every budding, young lawyer wanted to achieve. Becoming partner meant gaining a highly ranked and coveted title. Senior lawyers who held the title of partner were essentially those who generated the most buck for the firm by providing more bang. A partner did more and higher profile cases, which ultimately made the firm a lot more money. The more money they make the firm the more money goes into their pockets, because those who are partners are given a share in all profits made. The 1 percent just kept on getting richer that way.
And Azula made that inherently known. She rocked Fendi and carried Gucci bags and red bottom shoes. For every new case she won, she made it a point to get a bigger diamond ring for herself. She conveniently wore that ring on her ring finger. The definition of being married to your job. Any bigger and her finger would snap and half from the weight of it.
Though Azula was one of the few female partners out of 6 total, she wasn't exactly a feminist. She clawed her way to the top and stepped on other women from her throne. In the 7 years she worked here she got 5 female lawyers fired before making her way up the chain, except me who steered clear of her wrath.
With me being the only other female lawyer here, who wasn't an intern or secretary we were naturally at odds now.
She was out to prove that this was here firm and no one else could be better than her.
"It's just an honor to be defending someone like Ty Lee. I mean she's America's socialite. People love her. You others couldn't even imagine breathing her air."
There goes the condescending. I take a large bite of my sandwich to avoid throwing up over her narcissism.
"I mean I'm the best. How could anyone not want me to represent them? Being partner was in my destiny."
Chew aggressively and say nothing.
"You know Katara, if you ever wanted to get a nice trim I could send you to my stylist. Of course he might be above your pay grade but I can work a favor. Those split ends must really make your clients questions your reliability." Azula smirked at me and giggled. She leans over and whispers softly. "I mean if you can't commit to getting a daily trim and deal with that mop, how can you commit to your clients? Tsk tsk you're going to have to look more put together if you ever want to come near being partner. Between us girls."
Of course she whispered it so low no one would ever hear her. I wanted to grab her fake extensions and drag her face across the floor.
Before I could finish chewing and chew her prissy ass out, she started to clear her area and get up. "Well I've got to go. There's plenty of cases to work on now as partner. See you later boys and um Katara."
She flipped her hair and walked off like she was floating on a cloud.
I was tired of her and her condescending bullshit. I badly wanted to take her down a notch but at this rate, my idiot bosses loved her and I was nowhere near partner level yet.
If it was the last thing I did though, I would bring Azula down to the regular world with the rest of us. I didn't know how but something was coming for her.
~/~
After work I like to unwind, put all the files away, and focus on an emotionally stunting episode of Grey's Anatomy and a glass of wine. If it was one thing I hated, it was my me time being interrupted by anything that didn't involve me being in a bubble bath.
Today was a testing day. All I wanted was to walk around my house butt naked, drink a bottle of Merlot, and go to bed happily wine drunk.
A knock came at my door at 10:35, which was unusual considering I wasn't expecting anyone. I opened my door and was met with stacks of brown boxes, almost the full height of my door frame. I heard her before I saw her. Across my front yard I could hear something dragging against the wet grass and then an umph sound.
I make out a figure and walk slowly over to it. As I grew closer I saw the figured had been incapacitated by a box on top of their abdomen.
"Oh heeeeeeeeey." The figure said sarcastically. "Funny seeing you here. I'm just you know enjoying the moon down here."
I knew that level of snark.
"Toooooph." I roll my eyes and push the box off of her. It had to weigh at least twenty pounds. The gym paid off luckily. "What are you doing here?"
She got up and continued to drag her two boxes towards the house. "You know just enjoying the night air."
"No. What the hell is all of your shit doing at my front door?"
"You see about thaaaaat. I'm relocating." Toph said in a forced excited tone. "Surprise?!"
Sokka was right to tell me she got kicked out but I assumed she'd tell me this before she tried to move into my house. Only Toph could move in unexplained and give the details later. She was so backwards.
"You can't just show up with all of your things here with no explanation Toph."
It was out of character of me not to help someone. Toph was one of my best friends and if she needed a place to stay by all means I would offer my couch or my guest room. However, she had a nagging habit of doing things impulsively. She lived her life like she was always blind, taking a shot in the dark, with no real plans or direction.
Free-spirited Toph's jaw tightened. "Do you really want me to admit this?"
"You owe me an explanation before I even consider carrying one box into my house."
I follow her to her four door Jeep where a few trash bags full of clothes were on the backseat.
"That's fine. I can do it all myself." She grabbed two heavy trash bags and started dragging them out of her car and across the lawn. I continue to follow her and watch her struggle.
As she dragged the black plastic bags one of them bursts and her clothes spread all over the front yard. She groans and annoyance.
"Still don't want want my help?" I ask confidently. She starts to carry her clothes in a pile in her arms with pieces falling from her arms along the way. She was determined to not only carry all the clothes herself but the scatter my lawn with her underwear and unmentionables. "Toph! As much as I love you I don't want my neighbors to think I hoard women's underwear when they see all this in the yard. Let me help you."
Toph was stubborn as hell and always had to do things her way. She was like this ever since college. Her spirit helped her to be independent but forced her to be a rebellious disappointment to her parents.
"Toph!"
She attempts to pick up the fallen articles of clothes, only for another item to fall from her arms. Feed up she toss the entire pile into the air, causing clothes to fly into the air and fall all around her.
"They kicked me out okay!" She yells exploding with raging and annoyance. Her knees buckle and she kneels down in the grass. I expected her to be upset.
"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to explain it." I sit down next to her, probably sitting my ass on a pair of Toph's toddy whiteys. I pushed that to the back of my head. "They'll come around."
"Easy for you to say. You have the perfect job and the most supportive family. I'm 28 with no job, no degree, and no support. I'm a failure. God, I shouldn't have been so stupid. If I wasn't stupid I could've been a doctor."
"You and I both know you would never be happy as a doctor. You aren't a failure. Sometimes in life anything that can go wrong will go wrong. It's a cycle. You just have to ride this sucky part out until things start looking up again."
"Stop quoting Murphy's law you nerd! And anything this isn't a oops I drop the carton of eggs, I can buy a new one fuck up. It's not even an oops I crashed my car into the Shamoo sign at Sea World and the world now thinks I'm an animal hating terrorist. It's like an oops I'm stuck in a cave and have to choose between sleeping next to Justin Beiber for warmth or being mauled by hungry bears outside oops. There is NO way up from this. My parents hate me!"
"First of all, why would you ever have to do a real life 'would you rather' between bears and Justin Beiber? Bears and Justin Beiber don't inhabit the same zip code. Why would being mauled by bears ever be plausible?"
"Listen let me be dramatic and nothing is meant to to be real her but if I chose I'd take my chances fist fighting the bears with my bare hairs." She stops talking, realizing Justin Beiber and bears were a moot point. "What am I going to do Katara?"
"Well you can stay with me until things pan out and you find a job. We can take it one step at a time, okay? Look at us this way I could've said no and then you would've had to deal with Suki and my brother shagging at all hours of the night."
She shutters, "God no. I think they're into furry shit."
The idea of my brother in a bear suit doing that creeped me out. The idea of anyone in a beat suit doing that was creepy enough.
"Okay that's enough about that. Let's get your stuff in!" I rush in my discomfort to start pushing boxes into the house.
I had helped Toph drag her entire life of boxes into the house. Some I left in the living room and some she dragged into my guest room. My house had turned into a storage facility in just a few hours.
"You're lucky I like you but did you have to bring allllll of your things?" I sprawl out on the couch, tired from all the heavy lifting.
"Of course it was either bring it or my parents used it to light a bonfire."
Right now I wanted to light half this stuff into a bonfire myself. Who needed hundred of boxes in a guest bedroom? She was going to take over my house for sure.
"So how's operation get a man before I turn 30 going? Biological clock is ticking hard." Toph opened one of her boxes and dug through it.
It was true I wanted to be a mother and have a husband but that wasn't because I was turning 30. These were things I had wanted since I was a little girl. Now more than ever, but my dating life was constantly in shambles.
I was tempted to tell her about the guy from bar showing up at my job but decided not to.
"Why can't women have it all? Why can't we have successful careers and men? Why do we have to sacrifice one for the other? It's frustrating. Every guy I meet is either immature or intimidated by me or as of late married. I can't catch a break." I sigh and smother my face with a throw pillow.
"Cheer up Sugar Queen. Your knight awaits."
A knock came at the door.
I opened it. It was the person I was trying to forget about it. Speak of the devil.
"What do you want?" He had the nerve to show up at my door looking like a lost puppy.
Toph who was still unpacking her boxes in the living room, grimaced and scurried back into her room. She probably sensed the tension in my voice.
"Can I come in? Please Katara?" Jet said calmly.
"I guess." I say nonchalantly. A few days ago I didn't care if he lived or died but here I was allowing him back into my home again.
We sit on the couch. I make sure to be on the opposite end to keep my distance from him. He noticed I was upset. I could see his discomfort. His jaw was clenched, his arms were crossed, and he sat slouched down in the chair.
"I'm sorry Katara."
"Say sorry to your wife."
"Katara, we have been separated for a while. That's why I didn't tell you."
"Jet, tell me the truth."
"Anything for you."
"Were you sleeping with her while we were together?"
"No. We haven't been intimate in a while. Our marriage is as good as over."
"Do you have a family with her?"
"I don't think that ma-
"Jet! Please answer the question."
"Yes, yes. We have two kids together."
My heart breaks. I had broken up a family. I had taken their dad away from them for date nights and sex. I felt so… disgusting. He had made me into an escape.
"Let me see them." I say drily. I wanted to look his kids in the eye. I wanted to see what they looked like.
He pulled out his phone and showed me a photo. There were two boys ages 8 and 4 from the photo. They smiled innocence and eyes were glossed over with joy. They had brown hair and black eyes like him. I could almost cry looking at them. They looked so much like him.
I feel my eyes water. "They look like you." I feel a tear roll down my cheek. "Why Jet? Why would you do this to these beautiful boys?"
They didn't deserve this: Their home being torn about by, by me.
He slides over to comfort me and places his arm around my waist. I lay my head in his chest and let the tears stream out. I breathe in and remember the smell of him. It was cinnamon and musk. I remember his soft touch on my waist and his finger kisses against the nap of my neck. The nights we spent laughing over nothing and venting over life's struggles were everything to me.
I loved him. I trusted him.
But the man I loved wasn't my man. He belonged to his wife and he belonged to his two beautiful boys.
I catch his rubbing his hands across my back to aid me. Those same hands that he used to touch his wife with. I feel myself get repulsed by how easy it was for me to be vulnerable and comfortable with him all over again.
"No! No!" I scream. "Get off of me!" I get up quick and pace around the living room. "You don't get to comfort me. You don't get to make me fall for you all over again. You're a liar. You're a cheater! You would have sex with me then go home and make love to your wife after tucking your kids into bed! You have been playing both of us!"
"Katara, baby everything with you was real. It was never a game to me. I want to be with you. I can't stop thinking about you. Ever since that day we met at the gym I couldn't get you out of my mind. I'm hooked. I'm in love with you." He looks at me with piercing urgency. This was the passionate look I had fallen in love with. The look that meant he wanted to whisk me away and make love to me until I couldn't think straight.
"D-do you still love her?"
"Katara, I want to marry you. Please believe me."
"I asked you, do you still love your wife?"
"I-I well Onji and I will always have a relationship. We have kids and a history but it doesn't compare to how I feel for you. I would leave them for you and marry you if you'd let me."
He didn't give a definite answer. I knew from my time on the witness stand that most witness who diverted their answer away from the question didn't want to answer it. Because they were afraid to tell the truth.
The truth was Jet still loved his wife and maybe he loved me too, but none of that mattered anymore.
"Leave!" I yelled, too overwhelmed with emotions.
"Kat-"
"Just go Jet. Please don't come back." I say again.
He sighs. "Listen open this when you get a chance." He places a small black box on my magazine table and leaves without another word.
I am left to grovel in my pain and confusion.
Toph came back out after he leaves and comforts me. She hugs me and tells me it was going to be okay.
As I cry on her should I feel the familiar softness against my cheek.
"Are you wearing my robe?"
"Ummmmm, BYE!" Toph ran off to her room and shut the door fast.
Living with Toph was going to be interesting.
I follow her into the guest room. "Can we at least agree to ask if we borrow each other's things? I know being roommates isn't ideal buuuuut…"
"Sure sure. Hey I have an idea! We should google Jet's wife!"
"Why they hell would I do that. I caused that woman enough pain."
"Don't you want to see who Jet stepped out on for you? If she's awful then you shouldn't feel bad."
"No! Okay… yes but only for a few minutes."
It turns out his wife was a saint. This was it. She deserved to know what her husband was doing to her. She needed to know the truth. I stare at the box he left me with contempt. Whatever it was that was inside, she needed to see before I did.
Author's Note: What did Jet leave? How will Katara talking to his wife go? How will Katara scheme her way to partner and will she take Zuko's case!