Chapter 2

Joanne posted an edited version of our conversation online that same day. It quickly caused an uproar.

The post went viral, and the comments section was filled with insults directed at me. They called us an evil couple, scum, and accomplices.

Less than a week later, I received a court summons.

On the day of the hearing, I arrived at the courthouse on time.

The moment I entered the courtroom, I saw Joanne and her mother Ruth Wagner sitting at the plaintiff's table.

As I walked past them, Joanne immediately lowered her head and hunched her shoulders. She looked frightened and helpless.

Ruth immediately pulled her protectively into her arms and glared at me.

"Don't be afraid, sweetheart. I'm here.

"With so many people here today, those evil monsters will finally get what they deserve!"

I stopped in front of them and nodded in agreement.

"That's right. Evildoers always get what they deserve."

Joanne's eyelashes fluttered slightly.

I said nothing more and walked straight to the defendant's table.

The gavel fell, and the trial officially began.

The plaintiff's attorney was the first to stand.

"First of all, Your Honor, I would like my client to describe what happened."

Joanne sniffled and began speaking through tears.

"Ma'am, no, Susan tricked me into going to her home by pretending to hire me. At first, she told me that she lived alone and that I would only be responsible for preparing her meals and doing the daily cleaning.

"After I had worked there for over a month, she said she was going on vacation and left me alone in the house. Before she left, she gave me a bottle of something to drink. After I drank it, I started feeling dizzy. Then her husband came back and dragged me into the bedroom."

As she spoke, tears rolled down her face.

"T-That man pinned me to the bed and assaulted me."

Joanne's words immediately caused an uproar in the courtroom.

The spectators began shouting indignantly.

"That's inhuman!"

"This was clearly planned by the couple!"

Ignoring the insults around me, I stood up and spoke coldly.

"My husband would never do something like that!"

I then turned to face Joanne.

"If that really happened, why didn't you call the police immediately?"

Joanne burst into tears.

"He said that if I told anyone, my family and I would suffer.

"I'm only a housekeeper. How could I possibly fight people like you? It wasn't until I discovered that I was pregnant that I finally found the courage to stand up for myself and demand justice–"

Hushed murmurs immediately spread through the courtroom, interspersed with a few curses from the gallery.

"What an animal!"

"His wife isn't any better. She's protecting a rapist!"

Ruth seized the opportunity to cry out. "My daughter's entire life has been ruined!"

As she wiped away her tears, she shot me a brief, triumphant glance.

I frowned and raised my voice.

"You're lying. My husband could never have raped you."

The plaintiff's attorney immediately objected.

"Your Honor, we have crucial evidence."

While everyone watched, he took out a USB drive and inserted it into his computer.

After setting everything up, an audio recording began playing through the courtroom speakers.

First came a desperate cry. "Ma'am! Help me!"

That was followed by a man's deep, mocking laugh.

"Are you actually calling Susan for help?

"Looks like you still haven't figured out what's going on. She left the house specifically to give the two of us some privacy.

"As long as you make me happy, you can have money, work, and whatever you want. We can talk about it. Just do as I say."

Then came Joanne's frantic crying and the sounds of struggling.

"No! Please, let me go! I promise I won't tell anyone! Please!"

The recording ended abruptly with Joanne's desperate sobbing.

Joanne had already covered her face and broken down in tears. Her entire body was trembling.

Ruth suddenly stood up and pointed at us as she screamed.

"Did you hear that? These two monsters planned everything together!

"They tricked my daughter into their home just so that man could force himself on her!"

The courtroom went into an uproar. Some people even had tears in their eyes.

"I feel so bad for this woman and her daughter. How could they have been unlucky enough to encounter such a disgusting couple?"

"Arrest the woman too! An accomplice is just as guilty!"

Amid the furious shouting, I clenched my fists.

"How can you prove that the voice belongs to my husband?"

The plaintiff's attorney turned to face me.

"The evidence is right here. According to technical voice comparison, there is a 95 percent probability that the voice belongs to Gary."

Even in the face of such evidence, I answered without hesitation, "That's impossible. That voice doesn't belong to my husband!"

I knew for certain that Joanne could never have met my husband.