Chapter 26: Starting a Small Business

When Sebastian arrived at the law firm in the morning, the woman was already waiting.

She sat on the sofa in the reception area, her back ramrod straight, clutching a cup of water that had long since gone cold. She looked to be around thirty-five or thirty-six, dressed in a tasteful beige overcoat with exquisite makeup. However, the dark circles under her eyes were impossible to hide, and her lips were pressed into a thin line.

Assistant Joe hurried over, lowering his voice: "Counselor Sebastian, Mrs. Lin is here. She’s been waiting for half an hour."

Sebastian nodded and walked over.

"Mrs. Lin?"

The woman looked up and stood. Her movements were steady, but her fingers tightened visibly around the water cup.

"Counselor."

"This way, please."

Inside the office, Sebastian gestured for her to sit in the lounge area while he took the seat opposite her. Joe brought in two cups of hot tea and softly closed the door behind him.

Mrs. Lin sat upright, hands on her knees, looking as if she were attending a high-stakes interview. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, as if she had cried but managed to compose herself.

Sebastian didn't rush to speak, simply pushing the tea closer to her.

"Mrs. Lin, I’d like to re-confirm the details of the situation you mentioned over the phone."

Mrs. Lin nodded.

"How long have you been married to your husband?"

"Eleven years," her voice was a bit raspy. "Our child is nine."

Sebastian opened the notebook in front of him.

"And when did you discover that he..."

"Two years ago," Mrs. Lin interrupted, as if she had the answer ready. "I felt something was wrong two years ago. He was indifferent toward me, and we had almost no marital intimacy. I thought it was my fault, that I was doing something wrong. I saw a therapist, I went to the gym, I learned how to apply makeup... it was useless."

She paused, taking a deep breath.

"Later, I realized it wasn't that he wasn't interested in me; he wasn't interested in any woman."

Sebastian watched her, maintaining his composure. Her emotions were restrained, but the hands clutching her knees were trembling slightly.

"Do you have evidence?"

Mrs. Lin took a kraft paper envelope from her bag and placed it on the table.

"In here are his chat logs with those people, transfer records, and a few photos." Her voice remained steady, but her eyes grew redder. "I hired someone to follow him for three months."

Sebastian opened the envelope and flipped through it.

It was comprehensive.

Screenshots of chat logs—clear with timestamps, content, and profile pictures.

Transfer records—line by line, ranging from 800 to 3,000.

The photos showed a middle-aged man hugging and kissing different young men at hotel entrances, in parking lots, and on street corners.

"Does he know you've found out?"

"He knows," Mrs. Lin said. "I confronted him last week. He said it was just socializing, for show. He said I shouldn't have gone through his phone, that I didn't respect his privacy."

At this point, she finally broke.

Tears fell, though she didn't sob. She simply raised a hand to wipe them away and kept her back straight.

Sebastian pushed the tissue box toward her.

"Mrs. Lin, what is your objective?"

"I want a divorce," her voice was firm. "I want custody of our child, and I want him to leave with nothing."

Sebastian looked troubled.

"The possibility of him leaving with nothing is low. However, based on the evidence you've provided, we can fight for the majority of the assets, and the chances for custody are very promising."

Mrs. Lin nodded.

"I know. I've consulted other lawyers; they said it would be a long war and told me to be mentally prepared."

"It does take time," Sebastian said. "But we will do our best."

Mrs. Lin looked at him, falling silent for a moment.

"Counselor, I have a question."

"Please."

"Do you believe a person can fake it for eleven years?"

Sebastian didn't answer immediately. He looked into her eyes; there was no anger there, only a light that was weary to the point of flickering out.

"Some people," he said, "fake it for a lifetime."

Mrs. Lin’s lips twitched into a bitter smile.

"Then I suppose I'm lucky. I only got eleven years of the act."

Sebastian closed his notebook.

"Mrs. Lin, if you decide to retain us, there are several things we need to do. First, organize all evidence and notarize backups. Second, prepare the litigation materials. Third, considering the child's feelings, we will strive for pre-trial mediation. However, if the other party is uncooperative, we must be prepared for court."

Mrs. Lin nodded.

"I can cooperate."

She stood up and extended her hand.

"Counselor, I’m counting on you."

Sebastian shook her hand.

"We will do our best."

———

Meanwhile, in a classroom at Coastal College, Lucian was resting his chin on his hand, staring blankly.

Outside the window, the sea was deep blue, and the sunlight danced on the waves. But he wasn't looking at any of it.

He was thinking about money.

How to make it.

He wanted to prove he was useful for more than just "that."

Beside him, Chen poked him with a pen.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?"

Lucian snapped out of it and glanced at him.

"Thinking about making money."

"...Sigh."

Chen truly sympathized with Lucian. Since his parents passed, he had been drowning in debt. Everything of value had been sold, and even his tuition was covered by loans.

Lucian looked at him and also let out a sigh.

"Oh, right. How are things with you and that Xavier guy? Any progress?"

"A long road ahead," Chen sighed. "He won't even look at me. He's busy as a top, can't even return one message a day."

Lucian didn't respond, seemingly listening but lost in thought. A few minutes later, he suddenly tapped Chen.

"I have an idea."

"Speak," Chen said, lazily twirling his pen.

Lucian leaned forward, lowering his voice.

"Isn't our school right by the sea? Tons of tourists. I see people outside selling shells and pearls making bank. But it’s all small-time stuff, nothing special."

Chen blinked. "What are you planning?"

"Camping," Lucian said. "Beach camping. Renting out tents, BBQ grills, providing some drinks and snacks. Stargazing at night, watching the sunrise in the morning. Couples love that stuff."

Chen’s eyes lit up.

"That’s actually interesting."

"I've crunched the numbers," Lucian continued. "Low overhead. We can rent the tents and grills ourselves, and wholesale prices for drinks and snacks are cheap. We can talk to the owner of that empty lot by the beach and pay monthly. In one weekend, the net profit could easily be several thousand."

"It's just the start-up phase; that's enough for now."

Chen was listening intently. "What about promotion?"

"Social media platforms. It's trendy right now," Lucian said. "Film some aesthetic videos, get a few influencers to check it out. Once it goes viral, we won't have to worry about customers."

Chen slapped his thigh.

"You're a genius, kid! That brain of yours actually works!"

Lucian grinned.

"So, you in?"

"I’m in!" Chen’s eyes were sparkling. "This is definitely going to make Xavier see me in a new light!"

The two grew more excited, their voices rising, completely failing to notice that the professor at the podium had stopped lecturing and was staring right at them.

"Lucian! Chen!"

Both of them froze instantly.

The professor pushed up his glasses, his gaze sharp as a blade.

"The two of you have been whispering since the start of class. Do you think I'm invisible?"

A ripple of snickering went through the classroom.

Lucian and Chen kept their heads down, not daring to make a sound.

"To my office after class!"

The professor turned back around to continue the lecture.

Lucian and Chen looked at each other, their expressions equally miserable.