Norah Pierce

Biography
Sometimes, life has a way of feeling very surreal. It can go from appearing flawless, successful and even enviable in one moment, to being forced through dramatic twists and turns that leave you emotionally exhausted in the next. One thing Norah is sure of though, be it happy or sad, life is never simple.

Becoming a lawyer had always been a long shot, but deep down she knew that was what she was made for. Of course she certainly had the mind for it, ever the academic achiever throughout high school. But sometimes the sheer fact that school was expensive and she wasn’t from a wealthy family, drummed a slice of reality in to her – she was going to have to work incredibly hard for what she wanted. Not like the fortunate members of lower Anderson Island who were born in to riches the average family could only dream of, Norah was from a humble Ainsburg family. Instead of going to charity events and elegant black-tie galas, she and her family would spend weekends headed to the park or the Little Creek Arena to watch her favorite basketball team play. After she had finished high school, she took a year off to determine whether the law school debts were really going to be worth it in the long run. With a few average-paying jobs, she tried to gather together enough funds to be able to consider applying.

Eventually, she realized she couldn’t deny what was her lifelong ambition for fears of debt. In the long run, it would hurt her more to have never tried, so with that mindset and a fantastic LSATs score, she crossed the bridge to Anderson and started to study at what was quickly becoming known as one of the best Law Schools in the country, Belmonte University. Although life was tough, accommodation was poor and she was practically living off scraps to try and save her money, she eventually finished school with an impressive degree to her name (even if the debt was more so). It hadn’t taken her long to find a job working as an associate at Jacob Bennett ’s prestigious law firm. Making a name for herself as a lawyer with an ability to be both sensitive to the client yet assertive and successful in the courtroom, it didn’t take her long to land one of many prestigious clients the firm catered to – Erik Callaghan, Launceston’s Mayor.

Although at first she didn’t take well to the Mayor, it wasn’t her place to put personal judgement before the firm’s interests. They spent a large amount of time together during his first term and eventually, what had started off as a rocky acquaintance turned into something of a friendship both in and out of the workplace – not a common practice for the strictly-business brunette. Whilst he spent long hours in the office, it became a habit she would join him for a late dinner, where they would discuss business and personal matters. They both suffered excruciating work hours which ruined their social lives and sometimes it was just nice to have the company. During one evening over a bottle of wine and a selection of Chinese food, he’d leaned in and kissed her. The idea of feeling anything romantic towards him hadn’t crossed her mind until then. Things moved forward and would eventually become a secretive, fully fledged affair.

When he’d been re-elected, she was confused, seeing as he’d already confided in her that it wasn’t his plan to do so. Things felt different. What struck her the most was he seemed to be entirely unhappy with his job, rather odd considering people were suggesting that he’d rigged the election so that he’d emerge victorious. Surely if this was the case, he would at least be happy about it? By this point in their relationship, she was beginning to feel guilty. She knew his wife was becoming suspicious and feared that if knowledge of their affair was leaked, his career would be ruined. Now she has to decide whether love is worth the risk of both of their jobs.