AN: Thanks for sticking with the story! Your likes, reviews, comments, and collections are my fuel, so keep them coming! ~DEATH_C
John's hands trembled as he stared at the black envelope in his hands, the words "Breach of Contract" blaring in his mind like a fire alarm. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. He had just gotten the part of his dreams—how could everything be falling apart already?
Mia hovered next to him, her eyes wide with concern. "John, what does it say? What kind of contract are they talking about?"
John shook his head, his brain struggling to make sense of the situation. He quickly scanned the legal jargon, the sentences blurring together as panic set in. "I—I don't know. I don't even remember signing any contract that could lead to this."
"Okay, okay, breathe," Mia said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go inside and figure this out."
John nodded numbly, allowing Mia to guide him up to his apartment. His mind was reeling, flipping through every interaction, every signature he'd ever scribbled. What could this be about? And who would do this to him?
Once inside, Mia led him to the couch and made him sit down, while she grabbed the envelope from his hand. "Let me take a look," she said, her voice steady and calm—something John desperately needed right now.
As Mia read through the document, John leaned back, his head spinning. His dream role, his big break—was it all about to slip through his fingers? This had to be some kind of mistake, right?
"Okay, this is… weird," Mia said after a few moments of silence, her brow furrowing. "It says here that you're being sued for breaking a non-compete agreement… but it doesn't say who the original contract was with."
"Non-compete agreement?" John echoed, sitting up straighter. "I've never signed anything like that! I'm not even sure what that means!"
Mia's eyes scanned the paper again. "It basically means that someone is claiming you agreed not to work on any competing projects for a certain period of time—and now they're saying you broke that agreement by accepting this role."
John stared at her, his heart pounding in his chest. "But I've never signed anything like that! I mean, I've barely been in this industry long enough to sign anything at all!"
Mia bit her lip, her mind clearly racing to figure this out. "Is there anyone… I mean, is there anyone who might want to sabotage you? Maybe someone from a previous project?"
John frowned, shaking his head. "The only other things I've done are a few local theater productions and some short films. And none of them were big enough to have anything like this attached to them."
"Okay, let's think," Mia said, pacing the room. "Could it be a scam? Maybe someone's trying to scare you into paying them off?"
John ran a hand through his hair, feeling utterly lost. "I don't know… I don't know anything right now. All I know is that this can't be happening. Not now, not after everything…"
Mia stopped pacing and knelt in front of him, her hands resting on his knees. "John, listen to me. We're going to figure this out. I promise. We'll call a lawyer, get some advice, and find out what's going on. But whatever happens, you're not alone in this, okay?"
John looked into Mia's eyes, feeling a little of the tension ease. She always knew what to say to calm him down, to help him find his footing when everything felt like it was crumbling. "Okay… okay, you're right. We'll figure this out."
Mia nodded, giving him a small, reassuring smile. "Damn right we will. Now, do you have a lawyer? Or do we need to find one?"
John blinked, realizing just how unprepared he was for something like this. "Uh… I mean, I know a guy who did my taxes last year, but I don't think he handles stuff like this."
Mia's expression softened. "Alright, first things first, let's call Anderson. Maybe he knows something about this, or at least he can point us in the right direction."
John hesitated, his hand hovering over his phone. "What if… what if this ruins everything? What if they decide I'm too much trouble and fire me before I even start?"
Mia shook her head firmly. "You can't think like that, John. You've done nothing wrong, and if Anderson and his team are any good, they'll want to help you sort this out. It's in their best interest too."
Taking a deep breath, John nodded and dialed Anderson's number. As the phone rang, he felt his heart pounding harder than it had during the audition. He could hardly believe that he was in this situation—one minute he was on top of the world, and the next, everything was hanging by a thread.
"John!" Anderson's voice was warm when he answered, but it did little to calm the storm brewing inside John. "Good to hear from you. Are you calling with questions about the role?"
John swallowed hard. "Uh, no, actually. Mr. Anderson… something's come up. I—I don't really know how to explain it, but… I just got served with some kind of lawsuit."
There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end of the line. "A lawsuit?" Anderson repeated, his tone suddenly serious. "What kind of lawsuit?"
"They're saying I broke a non-compete agreement," John said, his voice shaking slightly. "But I swear, I never signed anything like that. I don't even know who's behind this."
"Hold on," Anderson said, his voice growing tense. "This is the first I'm hearing about anything like this. Are you sure it's not a scam?"
John glanced at Mia, who was listening intently. "I don't know. The guy seemed pretty legit, and the document looks real. It even has a case number."
Anderson let out a sigh. "Okay, first things first, don't panic. We need to get to the bottom of this. I'll have my team look into it immediately, but I suggest you find a lawyer as well—someone who specializes in entertainment law."
"Right, of course," John said, feeling slightly better now that Anderson was involved. "I'll get on that right away."
"Good. We'll figure this out, John," Anderson said, his voice firm. "You focus on getting some legal advice, and I'll see what my team can dig up. Keep me posted."
"Thank you, Mr. Anderson. I really appreciate it," John said, trying to keep the relief out of his voice.
"Hang in there, John," Anderson replied before hanging up.
John put down his phone and looked at Mia, who was watching him with concern. "He's going to have his team look into it," John said, exhaling slowly. "But he also said I should get a lawyer."
"Alright," Mia said, grabbing her own phone. "Let's start calling around. I'll find someone who can help."
John nodded, feeling a little more in control now that there was a plan in place. But as Mia started making calls, the weight of the situation settled heavily on his shoulders. He had no idea how long this would take to resolve, or how it might impact his new role—or his entire career.
As Mia spoke with one lawyer after another, leaving messages and taking notes, John's mind drifted back to the moment when he had first received the news about getting the part. He had been so happy, so certain that everything was finally falling into place. But now…
"No," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "I'm not going to let this beat me. I've worked too hard to get here."
"What was that?" Mia asked, looking up from her phone.
John managed a small smile. "Just psyching myself up. We're going to get through this."
Mia grinned. "That's the spirit. And hey, I think I've found someone who can help. They're available to meet with us tomorrow."
"Thank you, Mia," John said, feeling a surge of gratitude. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Mia waved off the thanks, but her smile softened. "You'd do just fine, but I'm happy to be here anyway."
As they made plans to meet with the lawyer the next day, John couldn't help but feel a small flicker of hope. The situation was far from resolved, but at least he wasn't facing it alone.
---
The next morning, John and Mia arrived at the office of Evelyn Winters, a lawyer who came highly recommended by one of Mia's contacts. As they entered the sleek, modern building, John couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety. He had never been in a situation like this before, and he had no idea what to expect.
"Relax, John," Mia whispered as they rode the elevator up to the twelfth floor. "Evelyn's supposed to be one of the best. She'll know what to do."
John nodded, but the nervous knot in his stomach remained. When they stepped out of the elevator and into the reception area, a professional-looking receptionist greeted them with a warm smile.
"Mr. Lee, Ms. Carter, welcome," she said, standing
to shake their hands. "Ms. Winters is expecting you. Please follow me."
They were led down a hallway lined with tasteful artwork and into a spacious corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a stunning view of the city. Behind a large, polished desk sat Evelyn Winters, a woman in her mid-forties with sharp features and an air of quiet authority.
"Mr. Lee, Ms. Carter, please have a seat," Evelyn said, rising to shake their hands. Her grip was firm, her expression all business. "I've been briefed on your situation, and I'd like to start by getting a few more details."
As they sat down, John felt a little more at ease. Evelyn exuded confidence, and he could tell she knew her stuff. "Thank you for seeing us on such short notice," John said, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Of course," Evelyn replied, her gaze direct. "Now, can you walk me through exactly what happened? Start with how you received the lawsuit."
John recounted the events of the previous day, from the moment he received the envelope to his conversation with Anderson. As he spoke, Evelyn took notes, occasionally asking for clarification. Mia chimed in with her observations as well, and by the time they finished, Evelyn had a clear picture of the situation.
"Alright," Evelyn said, leaning back in her chair. "Based on what you've told me, it sounds like this could be a frivolous lawsuit—an attempt to intimidate you or sabotage your career. But we won't know for sure until we dig deeper."
John nodded, feeling a little more hopeful. "So what do we do next?"
"I'll need to see the documents you were served with," Evelyn said, holding out her hand.
John handed her the black envelope, and Evelyn carefully examined the contents. After a few minutes, she looked up, her expression thoughtful.
"This document is legitimate," she said, "but I'm not seeing any clear indication of who's behind it. There's a law firm listed, but no client name. That's unusual."
"So, what does that mean?" Mia asked, leaning forward in her seat.
"It could mean a number of things," Evelyn replied. "But most likely, someone is trying to hide their identity for now. They might be hoping that the fear of legal action will scare John into backing out of the project."
John clenched his fists, anger bubbling up inside him. "I'm not going to let that happen. I've worked too hard for this."
Evelyn gave him a reassuring nod. "That's the right attitude. I'll file a response on your behalf and start investigating this law firm. We'll find out who's behind this and why they're targeting you."
"Thank you, Ms. Winters," John said, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "I really appreciate your help."
"Call me Evelyn," she said with a small smile. "And don't worry, John. We'll get to the bottom of this."
As they wrapped up the meeting and made their way out of the office, John felt a strange mixture of relief and determination. The situation was far from resolved, but at least now he had someone in his corner who knew how to fight back.
But as they stepped out into the busy city streets, a nagging thought tugged at the back of John's mind. Who could be behind this? And why go to such lengths to derail his career?
Mia nudged him gently, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah," John said, forcing a smile. "Just trying to figure out who would do this. I mean, it doesn't make any sense."
Mia shrugged, her expression serious. "People can be petty, especially in this industry. Maybe someone's jealous, or maybe they're just trying to scare you off."
"Well, it's not going to work," John said, his jaw set. "I'm not backing down."
"Good," Mia said with a nod. "And remember, you're not in this alone. We'll figure it out together."
John appreciated her support more than he could put into words. He knew this wasn't just about the role anymore—it was about standing up for himself and not letting fear or intimidation control his future.
But as they walked back to the car, John couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. Whoever was behind this lawsuit wasn't going to give up easily, and John had a sinking suspicion that things were going to get a lot worse before they got better.
And in that moment, as the clouds began to gather overhead and the first raindrops splattered onto the pavement, John knew one thing for sure:
The storm was far from over.
---