I'll fight your fight

Conflict of interest

"I have filed it but the judge wants us to go there and prove that we have no conflict of interest." Bea said and plopped on the couch at Jema's office.

Conflict of interest is situation in which a person has a duty to more than one person or organization, but cannot do justice to the actual or potentially adverse interests of both parties (A/N: Conflict of interest in this fic is quite a big deal and needs to be defended, just for the sake of the story.)

Jema looked at her. "Okay."

"Okay? 'Yun na ambag mo?"

"You said you were gonna file it yourself. I suggested it to be done by your students, but, you insisted."

"I so hate you." Bea said and stood up.

"Fine. If they want us to come there, then we'll be there." Bea looked at her. "We wouldn't want to risk anything that can jeopardize this. We got Deanna's approval. That's an accomplishment already."

"You're right."

Jema smiled at Bea before the latter sat in the chair in front of Jema's table. "How did you guys broke up?"

"What do you mean? You were there. I left for college." She said without looking at Bea and scanning files from Wong's folder.

"No I mean, why? You clearly love each other."

"..d." Jema made just the sound of the letter.

"Are you having a stroke?"

"Love..d. It's way past." Jema said.

"Do you think if you didn't moved to New York, you guys still together?"

"Yeah. And Deanna don't have to shoot anybody." She said as she scrolled her mouse and typed something on her computer.

"No. She did that because her mother was murdered."

"By the same people that she was working with."

"No, by the same people that sent her to jail." Bea corrected her.

"You know what she told me? She don't want to go out. Because the moment she step foot outside, she's dead. Now I'm having second thoughts. What if she will be on trial and her transfer from the jail to the court, it got ambushed or something."

"I don't think that's possible."

Jema raised her brow in askance.

"The election is nearing. She don't want to have a smudge on her reputation."

Jema nodded. "What time was the conflict of interest hearing?"

"12nn."

**

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Bea exclaimed.

"What?" Jema looked at the direction of Bea's sight.

She's looking at a man, same as their age, with a cocky smile on her face.

"Who's that?"

"Nico Evangelista. Good thing Jhoana isn't here."

"What, what? Why?"

They were interrupted by the bailiff. "Good morning everybody, please rise for Judge Gervacio."

"Please seat. This is a hearing for the conflict of interest between Ms. Deanna Wong and Ms. Jema Galanza. Defense, please start."

"Thank you, your Honor." Jema said and stood up. "The company I am working for, Caplan and Goulde, hired me as soon as I set foot here in the Philippines. They didn't told me they are interested on getting Ms. Wong as client. I was appointed by my bosses to represent the case because, well lets just say that my resume is flashing."