Chapter 1

"Mrs. Cole, since your beast of a son had the guts to ruin my daughter, why doesn't he dare show his face in court?!

"Don't think you can hide him away and make this disappear. I won't let this go. Lucas Cole deserves the death penalty, and your family must compensate my daughter two million in emotional damages!"

In the courtroom, Fiona Harper glared at me viciously, her eyes filled with such hatred, as if she wanted to peel my skin off and tear me apart.

Beside her, her daughter, Daisy Harper, cried softly, tears streaming down her face like falling petals. Her eyes were full of grievance and fear.

I looked coldly at the Harpers and repeated the same words. "Lucas did not assault Daisy; he could never have assaulted her. If a crime was committed, don't pin it on the wrong person. Do not even think about blaming Lucas."

Before today, I never imagined that Fiona and I would end up facing each other like enemies in a courtroom.

On the day Lucas and I moved into the neighborhood, Fiona had been warm and enthusiastic, helping me carry boxes and welcoming us as new neighbors. She told me that if I ever needed anything, I could just ask.

During our conversation, when she heard that I had a son, her smile grew even brighter. She immediately began introducing her own daughter, Daisy, praising her nonstop and saying it was fate that our families had met.

Yet that very night, she showed up at my door with Daisy, whose clothes were in disarray. She pounded on my door like she had lost her mind and accused Lucas of assaulting Daisy.

I was completely stunned when I heard it. After snapping out of it, I hurried to explain that Lucas would never do such a thing.

However, Fiona refused to listen. She insisted it was Lucas, and Daisy stood beside her, crying and agreeing. She said Lucas had cornered her in the hallway, dragged her up to the rooftop, and assaulted her there.

No matter how I tried to explain, the two of them were like wolves that had locked onto their prey, clamping down on Lucas and refusing to let go.

They even demanded a million in compensation and insisted that Lucas marry Daisy, or they would call the police and make sure Lucas rotted in prison.

I knew very clearly that Lucas could not have assaulted Daisy. The demand for one million was even more absurd. I flatly refused their conditions.

I never expected them to take me to court.

I refused to admit to anything, and Fiona immediately exploded.

"Impossible? Mrs. Cole, open your damn dog eyes and look at the injuries on Daisy's body!" Fiona yanked open Daisy's jacket, revealing shocking bruises all over her skin. "Your beast of a son made these bruises. My Daisy is only eighteen!"

Daisy trembled as she looked at me, her eyes full of tears. "Mrs. Cole, these were all done by Lucas. He even threatened me, saying that if I did not take off my clothes, he would strangle me. I was really scared."

Fiona pulled Daisy into her arms and comforted her. The two of them broke down in sobs right there in the courtroom.

Meanwhile, as the so-called mother of the perpetrator, I looked on coldly and without emotion.

The spectators acting as the jury pointed at me and cursed.

"Shameless! Her son did something so inhuman, and she still refuses to admit it!"

"You can tell she is not a good person just by looking at her. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"

"Poor Daisy. So young, yet she had to go through something like this. It will haunt her for the rest of her life!"