Chapter 198: Making Connections
"An intern? Can they really handle it?" Fiona and the others returned home and shared the news with the family, still feeling unsure and skeptical.
Relying on an intern to help them fight a custody battle didn't sit right with them. Honestly, they'd rather try finding another lawyer online.
After all, the word "intern" doesn't exactly inspire confidence. It's like going to the hospital and getting a shot — you'd want an experienced nurse, not a trainee whose hands are shaking while struggling to find your vein. You'd be nervous just watching them.
Still, since it was Karen who went out of her way to help them, Fiona and the others felt they should at least talk it over with her. They couldn't just brush aside her goodwill.
Karen had taken them along to meet a top-tier attorney — her boyfriend, no less — to ask for help. For them to then turn around and look for someone else would be pretty rude. It wouldn't just slap Karen in the face, it would make her lose face in front of her high-profile boyfriend too. That's not how you treat someone who's helping you.
But they couldn't discuss it with Karen that night.
After dinner, Fiona and Lip drove Karen's car home — without her. The dinner date was only the beginning of Karen's evening. She wasn't coming home. What she was up to? Well, let's just say everyone understood — they were all adults, after all.
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The next morning, Karen's boyfriend dropped her off at home in a sports car.
"Now that you've seen my boyfriend, you can stop worrying, right?" Karen said with a grin as Mandy gave her a complicated look. "A petty little guy like Lip? Please. Never been into that."
Karen had grown up in the South Side slums. Back then, all she saw were street punks, and Lip stood out only because he was the best of a bad bunch. That's why she stayed with him for so long.
But Lip hadn't been her only fling back then. Karen had been with all kinds — she didn't discriminate. Gender, race — she'd tried them all.
After Officer Eddie died, Karen began to pull back and cut ties with her old life.
Since then, she'd focused on studying and, after becoming Sheila's manager, began mingling with people in the entertainment industry. She'd seen the world outside the South Side.
And once you've seen more of the world, there's no going back. Compared to the people she meets now, Lip doesn't even make the list.
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"That guy looked like he was in his thirties," Lip muttered.
After meeting the top lawyer last night, Lip couldn't help but compare himself. In every way that mattered — money, status, presence — he came up short. His only advantage? Age.
Lip was seventeen. Karen, a year younger, was only sixteen.
That lawyer? He looked well into his thirties — maybe even nearing forty. That would make him almost twice Karen's age. But given his achievements, it wasn't surprising. You don't become a gold-tier attorney overnight.
"So what if he's older?" Karen replied casually as she sipped coffee on the couch. "It's just for fun. We both know what this is. We might break up in a few days. What matters is making the connection. Besides, he's already married."
Karen had one foot in the entertainment industry now, and she understood exactly how it worked. Everyone knew what that world was like.
Karen was never a prude — quite the opposite. Just think back to what she openly said at the father-daughter dance with Officer Eddie.
She might not be a celebrity, but if she ever entered the industry, she'd thrive without a doubt.
That said, Karen wasn't as reckless as she once was. She'd gotten pickier — not about looks or charm, but about value. She was leveraging her advantages to build her own network.
She hadn't met that top lawyer by chance — she targeted him.
They met at a gala. Karen had deliberately approached him, playing the sweet, obedient girl role to perfection. After a few interactions, she had him wrapped around her finger. And she knew he was married, even had a five-year-old kid — but she didn't care.
She wasn't trying to wreck his home or become some drama-filled mistress. All she wanted was to "make a friend."
Their arrangement was mutually understood. When it ended, it would end cleanly. But the connection would remain.
And that connection — that network — was what mattered most.
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Why did Karen go out of her way to hook a lawyer?
Because lawyers are one of the most valuable kinds of friends you can have — right up there with doctors and teachers.
Having a lawyer friend means having someone who can help when legal trouble comes up. In a society ruled by law, everything — food, housing, work — is tied to legal systems. And nobody memorizes all those rules. But with a lawyer friend? You've got an ace up your sleeve.
Lawyers also have their own circles. That network? Priceless.
Doctors are crucial too — because no amount of money matters if you don't have your health. With a doctor friend, you avoid the hassle. No waiting in line, no stress. Just a quick check and honest advice.
Even better, if your doctor friend works at the same hospital, just dropping their name gets you better treatment.
Then there are teachers. Education is vital, especially for kids. Ever seen how parents bend over backward to please teachers? With teacher friends, you don't have to worry — your kids get taken care of.
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The truth is, life isn't simple.
Society is the real jungle. It's all about relationships, favors, and connections.
Karen knew this, especially since she planned to enter the media industry. Legal connections were absolutely essential.
She'd always been mature beyond her years. And in just the past six months, she'd experienced more than in the rest of her life combined.
She'd seen more. Learned more. Grown more.
There's a saying: Maturity doesn't come with age — it comes with experience.
If something happens to you at age eight, you remember it for life. If someone reaches eighty and still hasn't experienced it, they'll never understand.
That's why the world is full of so many old children — and why so many 18-year-olds are more mature than people four times their age.
Karen had grown a lot these past six months. At least in terms of perspective and understanding, she was far beyond Lip and the others.