Chapter 13
“That’s enough.”
I stared him down, my voice icy and unwavering.
“I don’t need a husband like you. You made your choice when you betrayed me–now, I’m setting you free.”
Brandon’s face collapsed into a mask of despair.
With no other options left, he turned to his parents, tears streaming down his face.
“Dad, Mom… please, help me. Say something. I don’t want to go to prison.”
He had already forgotten the venomous words he’d spat at them earlier.
“Get out of my sight!” Thomas Lancaster’s face flushed, trembling with rage. “You disgrace! I wish you were never born!”
Then he turned to the judge.
“I fully support the divorce. I support stripping Brandon of everything–and I demand he be held accountable for the death
of my innocent grandson.”
“From this day forward, all my assets will go to Claire Miles. It’s the least we can do.”
“It was us–our family–who wronged her,” he said, his voice cracking.
His wife nodded solemnly beside him.
After their statement, both parents turned toward me, as if preparing to kneel.
“No–please don’t.” I rushed to stop them, gently holding them up. “This was never your fault. You’ve always treated me
like family. I’ll continue to honor you as my own parents.”
After all, the blame had a name–and it wasn’t theirs.
They’d been kept in the dark, just like I had. And through it all, they’d always shown me genuine kindness.
Tears welled in their eyes. The courtroom erupted into applause.
News of the verdict spread like wildfire.
The internet was ablaze with fury at Brandon, Madison, and Lillian–disgusted by their betrayal, united in support for me.
“Please–just one more chance!” Brandon broke down completely. Groveling, sobbing, trying to get my forgiveness. “I’ll do anything. Anything! Please forgive me!” But the courtroom had turned to stone.
The silence was louder than his pleas.
The judge lifted the gavel.
“This court finds Brandon Lancaster solely at fault for the collapse of the marriage. He will forfeit all marital assets and
bear full legal responsibility.”
“All related criminal charges–including the intentional death of a child and attempted spousal harm–will be transferred to the criminal division for further prosecution.”
Chapter 13
100.00%
Bang.
The gavel came down.
It was over.
Brandon collapsed, clutching his head, slapping his own face in grief.
His parents didn’t spare him a glance. They turned and walked away in silence–too ashamed to stay.
“Claire!” Brandon screamed after me. “You can’t leave! Don’t go!”
He lunged, wild and frantic.
But the bailiffs held him back.
I didn’t turn around.
I walked out of the courtroom, letting the sunlight wash over my face like a breath of spring after a long, bitter winter.
“Thank you,” I said quietly to Daniel, who had waited silently beside me all this time.
“If it weren’t for you, I’d never have made it through this.”
He smiled, a lazy glint in his eyes. “Then thank me properly.”
“How?”
“Marry me.”
He reached for my hand.
Together, we stepped into the dusk–our shadows stretched long across the stone steps, golden in the light.
Chapter 1
