Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Road Back

By Mama4Dukes

Chapter 01:

Jasper Whitlock whistled a happy tune as he strolled into the towering, stately building which housed the Law Offices of Alton Brandon – the largest law firm in Dallas, Texas. The tall, handsome gentleman, who was dressed immaculately in a well-tailored suit, which enhanced his lean muscles as he stared up at the sun, was deliriously happy. The young man was to be made a junior partner of the law firm that his future father-in-law, the great Alton Brandon, owned. With this promotion, he planned on asking his longtime girlfriend and college sweetheart, Alice Brandon, who also happened to be his boss’s daughter, to marry him. He had a diamond engagement ring tucked safely in the inside pocket of his blazer, and he planned on asking for her hand over dinner this evening.

He had come a long way from his upbringing in the small town of Forks, Washington – a small, isolated area about four hours west of Seattle, Washington. It boasted a smattering of mom-and-pop businesses, a grocery store, a pharmacy, a hardware store, and a hospital. Most of the residents owned a small business, were employed by the county, or worked for the fishing industry. Time stood still in Forks. People lived and died with hardly any changes to their lives or that of the town. It was a simple way of life, too simple for Jasper Whitlock. Growing up, he always knew he was meant for bigger and better than Forks. As soon as he graduated from high school, he went to college, followed by law school, and then worked hard to make a name for himself, working as an attorney for Alton Brandon for the past four years. At twenty-nine years old, he had shed his small-town roots and was moving and shaking with the best of them. His upcoming promotion to junior partner was proof. The surge in pride rippled through his chest as he recalled all he had accomplished since leaving Forks.

Jasper had a wide grin on his face as he walked into the office. Irina, the receptionist, greeted him, “Good morning, Mr. Whitlock. Mr. Brandon would like to see you in his office right away.”

“Of course. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Irina replied.

With a hop in his step, he proceeded to the majestic oak, double doors that served as the portal of entry to Mr. Alton Brandon’s office. This was it. This was the moment he worked towards for the last four years. He knocked and was summoned in. As soon as he stepped into the office, he would no longer be just plain Jasper Whitlock, an associate. Instead, he would become Jasper Whitlock, a junior partner at Texas’s most prestigious law firm.

“Jasper, it’s good to see you.” Mr. Brandon, a portly man with slicked-back silver hair and gleaming, white teeth, greeted him with a smile. On the man’s side stood Alice, looking impeccable per usual in one of her designer dresses and sky-high heels. She didn’t have a smile on her face. Actually, she was glaring at him for some reason. Jasper wondered what he had done to stroke her ire. It didn’t matter, though. He was getting a promotion.

“Good morning, Mr. Brandon. It’s a great day, isn’t it?”

“Uh, yes. Well, let’s get down to business, shall we?” Jasper wasn’t sure whether or not he should take a seat. But, unfortunately, he hadn’t been offered one, so he stood awkwardly in front of his boss’s desk. Mr. Brandon continued, “Jasper, you’ve been with us for four years, and I think it’s time for a change.”

Jasper’s face broke out into a wide grin. “Yes, sir. I’ve been looking forward to this, sir.”

“You have? I had no idea Alice told you.” Mr. Brandon voiced curiously and then shrugged. “Well, then, if that’s the case, it makes my job easier. Jasper, I want to wish you well in your future endeavors. It’s good of you to understand that your place is no longer with the Law Offices of Alton Brandon. You will, of course, be sent off with excellent references and a generous severance package as you are being displaced through no fault of your own.”

“Pardon me?” Jasper blurted. He thought he was up for a promotion; instead, he was being let go. “Sir, I thought you were pleased with my efforts since joining your practice.”

“Oh, so she didn’t tell you, my mistake,” his boss murmured.

“Mr. Brandon, I haven’t seen or heard from Alice in ten days. She went on vacation with her girlfriends, remember?” In hindsight, Jasper realized how odd it was that he had not received a single text message from her except for the one stating she had arrived safely in the Bahamas.

“Jasper, I am pleased with the work you’ve done for the Law Offices of Alton Brandon. You are an industrious and talented young lawyer; however,” Mr. Brandon hazarded a glimpse toward Alice, “my daughter is no longer comfortable with you working here.”

“Sir?” And then Jasper tilted his head towards his girlfriend. “Alice?”

Alice Brandon huffed and turned her nose up in the air, looking anywhere but at Jasper. She seemed to take an overt interest in the light fixture on the ceiling. How very like Alice, Jasper thought. She didn’t like any sort of conflict at all. Daddy, also known as Mr. Brandon, handled everything for her.

Ahem. Mr. Brandon cleared his throat. “Alice believes your relationship has been exhausted. You have, after all, been together for nine years-since your junior year of undergraduate school, if I’m not mistaken. Sometimes, relationships just fizzle out, which is what has happened here. In any case…”

The man was interrupted when the door opened. One of the senior associates with black slicked-back hair and a greasy smile, Royce King, sauntered in.

“Royce, Royce. Good to see you, son. I see you’re back from vacation. How were the Bahamas? Have a seat. I’m just finishing up with Jasper.”

Royce King was several years older than Jasper and was well-known for his crafty ways in the legal community of Dallas. He was from a high-powered banking family and went to law school under orders from his father, who needed an in-house counsel. He worked as in-house counsel for a couple of years before joining The Law Offices of Alton Brandon. In the office, many of the women bolted when they saw him approach, usually to Jasper’s side, who was taller and more muscular than Royce. Royce had a tendency to be handsy, and none of the women appreciated his behavior; however, nothing would ever be done about him because of his winning track record. Jasper suspected that much of his track record was achieved through underhanded means. In any case, Jasper had approached Mr. Brandon regarding Royce King’s behavior several times, but he was always brushed off.

Jasper noticed Alice smiling at Royce with a look of elation as soon as he sat down. It was the way she used to smile at him up until… Come to think of it, she used to smile at him like that until just a week ago before she went on vacation with her girlfriends. What the hell happened? Jasper thought back to what Mr. Brandon said about relationships fizzling out. Hang on? Was Mr. Brandon breaking up with him for Alice because she didn’t have the guts to do it herself?

Mr. Brandon cleared his throat. “As I was saying, Jasper. Relationships tend to fizzle out, and Alice has found someone more to her liking.” The man took Jasper’s hand and shook it. “Thank you for your years of service here. Please see Kate at HR before you leave. She has your severance package ready to sign and your personal belongings from your office all boxed up and ready to go. Security will help you load everything up in your car.” Jasper shook his head and proceeded toward the double doors in a daze. “Oh, and one more thing. The movers will be at the penthouse at one pm to assist in packing up your belongings. Tina has already started boxing everything up. I bought the place for Alice, so you understand, you’ll have to leave. You have forty-eight hours to vacate the premises. In compensation, I took the liberty of hiring movers for you. They will take your belongings to a location of your choice anywhere in the United States.”

Jasper had no words. Stupefied, he headed to HR to sign his paperwork. Kate, the head of HR, had a look of sympathy upon her face as he read and signed everything. It was definitely a generous compensation. He kept his health insurance and salary for a full eighteen months. On top of that, he was supplied with excellent references.

“Is this how he handles all terminations?” Jasper wondered out loud.

“No, you’re the first,” Kate whispered. “I suspect it’s because his precious daughter is involved. He’s obviously trying to avoid a lawsuit because up until Alice started dating Royce King, her world revolved around you.” She paused and looked up at him. “But you didn’t hear it from me.”

Jasper finished signing the papers. “It’ll be between you and me.” He pushed the signed paperwork towards her. “Thank you, Kate.”

“You’re welcome. Good luck, Jasper. We’re really going to miss you here. You were the only genuinely nice attorney here.”

Jasper drove home in his BMW, the one Alice insisted he needed. But, he had wanted a truck. Finally, he grew tired of her incessant nattering, so he gave in to her demands.

He was a bit disoriented about what had transpired and was amazed he made it home without causing an accident. Home. The penthouse was no longer his home. Alice lived there with him, but she had gone on a weeklong vacation with her girlfriends last week to the Bahamas. Now that he knew she had thrown him over for Royce King, Jasper was pretty sure Alice had gone on a trip with that sleazy bastard. Didn’t Mr. Brandon ask him if he had enjoyed the Bahamas?

Jasper unlocked the door to the penthouse and took a look around. Sure enough, Tina-the housekeeper-was already boxing up his belongings. The only oversized item he had was his TV, which he was definitely taking with him. Other than that, the only things that needed packing were his clothes, some books, a cast-iron frying pan from his mom, tools from his dad, his golf clubs, and a few mementos. He didn’t have any furniture-the place had come fully furnished. It was a college graduation present for Alice from Mr. Brandon. Jasper had moved in there with her after he finished law school. It had been a godsend when he thought about it. Jasper put most of his salary towards paying off his college loans instead of paying rent. Now, he supposed, things would have to change.

He plopped down on the hard, uncomfortable white leather sofa and considered his life. How had it come to this? This morning, he was on a high, positive he was getting a hard-earned promotion. Instead, he had been dumped by his girlfriend, let go from his job, and was soon-to-be homeless. He honestly had to consider what his next steps were going to be. Should he stay in Texas? He was an attorney. He had passed the bar exam in Texas. Fortunately, they administered the Uniform Bar Exam so it would be easy for him to become certified to practice law in another state. He had made a name for him in Texas, though. Then again, it had become apparent to him this morning that his excellent name depended on his being with Alice. He took out the four-carat diamond ring in his pocket. He’d have to return it to the jewelry store immediately. He didn’t want to make payments on something he would never use. He decided to begin with that errand. He’d return the ring to the jewelry store before he made any other decisions, big or small, in his life.

Jasper was able to return the ring for a full refund, and by six pm, the movers had arrived at the penthouse, packed his belongings into boxes, and his possessions away in a moving van headed for Forks, Washington. When asked where he wanted everything delivered to, he blurted out his parents’ address in Forks. He truly didn’t know where else to send his belongings to.

As soon as the movers left, Jasper realized nothing was left for him in Dallas. He had no real ties in Texas except for the Brandons, and they had unceremoniously shown him the door. He packed the remainder of his clothing into a suitcase along with his toiletries. He left behind the framed photo of Alice on his nightstand, placed the keys to the penthouse in front of it, and walked to his car. With no real destination in mind, Jasper drove away from his life of the past four years.