On the other side Lucas finally checked his inbox after days of being trapped in hospital walls. Notifications piled up, blinking on the screen, but one name appeared again and again—Mrs. Ning.
At first, Lucas assumed it was just another new client inquiry. But as he opened the chain of emails, his memory jolted back. Mrs. Ning was the same woman who had visited his law firm not long ago, seeking a private meeting.
During his recovery, he had pushed her case aside. Now, seeing the urgency in her repeated messages, Lucas felt a tightening in his chest. Something was wrong.
He skimmed through her words. They were frantic. Desperate. Pleading. She begged him to arrange a meeting at the earliest possible time.
Lucas typed a brief reply, asking her to meet him the following morning.
When dawn broke, Lucas sat across from Mrs. Ning in his office. She looked tired—eyes swollen from crying, makeup hastily done, her hands trembling as they gripped her phone.
"Sir," she said, her voice breaking, "please… if you can, arrange my divorce as soon as possible. My husband—he comes home almost every night drunk, and he beats me."
Lucas leaned forward, his brows furrowing. Mrs. Ning's voice was raw, almost fragile. She unlocked her phone and pushed it toward him. On the screen, video evidence played—grainy footage of her husband hitting her, her cries echoing in the background.
Her sleeve slipped slightly as she gestured, revealing bruises and dark welts across her wrist and forearm. Lucas felt his jaw tighten.
"Do you see this?" she whispered, her eyes glistening with restrained tears. "These are from last night."
Lucas's expression hardened. He didn't waste a moment. He began drafting the necessary paperwork, his tone steady, professional but firm. "We'll file immediately. I'll arrange for the court date. This won't be delayed any further."
Mrs. Ning exhaled shakily, relief mixing with the fear still etched on her face.
Before she left, Lucas asked carefully, "I'll also need your husband's details. Where he lives. His contact number."
Without hesitation, she scribbled down an address and a phone number, sliding the note across the desk. Her hands shook as she did, as if even writing his name filled her with dread.
Lucas glanced at the note, then back at her. Something about the weight in her eyes unsettled him. This wasn't just another client. There was more to her story—something lurking in the shadows.
And for the first time, Lucas wondered: was he stepping into something far darker than a simple divorce case?
To be Continued....