Chapter 40. Not in this Table

ASHLENE

It was 5:32 pm on the clock. I was stuck deciding which earrings to use to match my jade-colored dress. I had an emerald stud earring in one hand and a simple gold loop in the other.

I wore one loop on one ear and the stud on the other, standing in front of the mirror. I kept comparing them to see which one suited the dress better. And I was stressed out.

I knew this wasn’t just about the dress. It was the anxious nerves getting the better of me, causing slight panic, and in order not to be overwhelmed, I created a distraction.

It was my first time representing Ridley Law Office. I was given this one shot to prove to my family that I could do it, a sole opportunity perhaps to redeem my place in the family. So I couldn’t mess this up. I had to be the impeccable Ashlene Ridley. Yes, my father told me to introduce myself using my maiden name.

“It’s not like the name Villazon is a marketable name anyway,” he said. I ignored what he was implying by t