Chapter 4

Three days later, on the day of the trial, I still hadn't recovered.

The surgery to remove my kidney had taken a serious toll on me, and a dull ache lingered in my abdomen.

The courthouse bench was cold and hard. I kept my back straight and did everything I could to cooperate with Melanie.

Not far away, Audrey stood at the defense table in a sharply tailored black suit, calm and composed, her voice steady. It was the version of her I knew best, the version I'd once been proudest of.

In our six years of marriage, I'd watched her stay up all night poring over case files for her clients. I'd watched her methodically pick apart arguments in court and turn seemingly hopeless cases around.

Back then, I'd always believed that someone who respected the law so deeply and cared so much about the truth would be the strongest person I could ever have in my corner.

But now, all her expertise, insight, and eloquence had become weapons aimed at me.

Her arguments were sharp. She acknowledged that Talon's actions might have been inappropriate, but maintained that there was no direct causal link between what he'd done and the injuries I'd suffered afterward.

She argued that the law couldn't be swayed by a victim's emotions, and that one tragedy couldn't be used to create another victim.

Every word was precise, measured, impossible to fault.

Murmurs gradually spread through the gallery. People craned their necks to look at me, their gazes curious and faintly judgmental, as if I really were nothing more than a cold-hearted husband driven out of his mind by jealousy.

My hands slowly curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms. Pain continued to pulse deep inside my body.

Nevertheless, I didn't cry. I'd already used up all my tears during those endless nights of nightmares.

Audrey finished her closing argument and lowered her head to organize her papers. Not once had she looked at me.

I'd forced myself to relive every agonizing moment of that night over and over, digging through my memories for every detail I could find.

But against the airtight chain of evidence Audrey had built, none of it stood a chance.

Before long, Talon was cleared of criminal liability and ordered to pay only a small fine.

The moment the judge handed down the ruling, Talon covered his face and burst into tears as though he'd suffered some terrible injustice.

With swollen eyes, he thanked Audrey over and over, but as he turned away, his gaze cut through the crowd and landed on me. A fleeting smile flickered across his lips.

I met his eyes calmly. Then I stood and walked out of the courtroom alone.

My abdomen still hurt, and the sunlight outside left my legs weak.

When I got home, I placed the signed divorce agreement in an envelope and arranged for a courier to deliver it to Audrey's law firm.

I'd already packed my clothes, my personal documents, and the few photo albums I'd treasured over the years. As for the gifts Audrey had given me, I didn't take a single one.

I gently set my wedding ring on the coffee table and turned to look around the home we'd shared for six years.

Our wedding portrait was still hanging on the wall. Audrey and I had still been deeply in love then, our smiles full of happiness. Looking at it now, the picture felt so unfamiliar that it might as well have belonged to someone else's life.

I picked up my suitcase and walked out, closing the door behind me without a trace of reluctance.

At the airport, with half an hour left before my flight departed, I took out my phone and calmly made a call.

"Hi. The material I sent you before… You can release it now."

After six years of marriage, nothing was the same anymore.

'Audrey, you were the one who decided to show me no mercy first. So I have no reason to make this easy for you.'