Micah’s POVThe moment the video stopped playing, my mind went blank.I couldn’t think. I couldn’t speak.I was already bracing myself for the inevitable—for the judge to pronounce my judgment.The video was gory, violent, and disturbingly dark. It was so graphic that I struggled to believe Annabella had managed to capture everything that happened that night. But there was no mistaking it.My face was there. Clear as day.Her face was there too.There was no way around it. No excuse that could erase what was already being broadcasted to every single person in this courtroom.I felt suffocated."Mr. Micah."Attorney David’s voice sliced through the heavy silence.My pulse quickened.I kept my gaze lowered, refusing to meet his eyes. I didn’t need to look to know what expression he wore. I could hear the smugness in his voice before I even saw it on his face.He stepped closer. “I want to believe that video was AI-EDITED, right?” he teased, leaning against my stand, his words dripping w
Micah’s POVAfter Evelyn had been asked a series of questions, she nailed the hammer on the nail, putting me in even more misery—misery I knew I could never escape from. Each word she spoke tightened the noose around my neck, making my fate feel inevitable.“Your Honor, if it pleases the court, I would like to invite Chef Mirabel herself to the stand,” Attorney David announced, his voice firm and unwavering. My heart pounded in my chest, my anxiety reaching its peak.This was the moment of truth—one that would drown me in the most pitiful state of my life.At this instance, I wished I could turn back the hands of time, erase every trace of my meeting with Rebecca. She was the root of all my misfortunes. If only I had never met her, maybe—just maybe—I would still be living my life the way I wanted, preying on victims too weak to stand up for themselves.As my thoughts spiraled, I barely registered Mirabel stepping forward.“Do you swear to tell nothing but the truth?” Attorney David as
Judge Hilar’s POVI sighed as I listened to Attorney David’s arguments. He had hit the nail on the head, leaving no room for a contrary opinion. Mr. Micah, without a doubt, should be sentenced to life in prison with every fiber of strength the law permits.However, as a judge, I could not allow emotions to dictate my judgment. The law was not based on sentiment but on logic and fairness. Even when all fingers pointed at Mr. Micah, my duty was to ensure that those fingers were justified before delivering a verdict. A mistake in judgment could cost an innocent person their future, and I could not allow that to happen under my watch.With this thought in mind, I looked up at the courtroom. "Thank you, Attorney David," I said first, acknowledging his argument.Then, I shifted my attention to the documents spread before me. These were files submitted to my desk by Attorney David and Attorney Deborah at the beginning of this argument via the bailiff. Each document contained crucial informat
Rebecca’s POV“Yes, baby, I f**king love how you ride me.” These were the shocking words I heard as I stood at the door.Today was Gabriel’s birthday, and I had purchased a gift for him to surprise him at his office. He wasn’t expecting me, but I went anyway. After all, I was his wife. I shouldn’t be restricted from visiting my own husband, right?Standing at his office door, a wave of unease washed over me. Was I at the wrong door? “You’re the best, babe. I f**king love this,” I heard again, this time mixed with moans. My heart plummeted.There was no mistaking Gabriel's voice. Even in the dead of night or blindfolded, I could pick it out from a thousand others. I knew that voice.That’s why I barged in.My stomach churned as I threw the door open, praying I was wrong, hoping this was some horrible misunderstanding. But it wasn’t.There he was—Gabriel, my husband of five years. His pants were around his ankles, a woman straddling him with her skirt pushed up, revealing her bare backs
Rebecca’s POVThe world around me felt blurred and distant as my eyes fluttered open. The sterile smell of medicine and disinfectant hit my senses immediately, and I realized I was in a hospital room. The ceiling lights above me were too bright, almost painful.For a moment, everything was disorienting. The last thing I remembered was the sound of screeching tires... Gabriel's face, cold behind the wheel... and the impact that sent everything into darkness. My chest tightened as I tried to piece together the fragments of memory. The crash—it wasn’t just an accident. Gabriel... He did this.I blinked, and when my vision cleared, I saw Natasha sitting beside me. She had been my best friend since childhood, so I wasn’t surprised to find her here. Still, her face was strained, her eyes red from what looked like hours of crying.“Hey,” she greeted softly the moment she noticed I was awake. Her voice trembled with relief, but when I tried to respond, the dryness in my throat made it impossi
Rebecca’s POVBy our tradition, the dead must not stay long before burial. I remember how my mother buried my father quickly after his death in 2009. And now, just two days after her passing, we laid my mother to rest as well.Natasha and I left India and returned to Mandena, the country we call home.After the funeral, we went back to the family mansion. It was only Natasha and me now—she was all I had left. As we settled into the sitting room, one of the housekeepers turned on the TV. And there he was: Gabriel. His face filled the screen, celebrating his one-month wedding anniversary.Next to him was the same woman I had seen in his office, sitting on his lap like a queen. She was smiling, completely unaware of the destruction they’d caused in my life. They looked picture-perfect, soaking in the attention of flashing cameras.But I wasn’t heartbroken anymore. That part of me died with my mother. All I felt now was hatred—a deep, burning hatred for the man who had tried to kill me an
Gabriel’s POV“Babe, what about the bags and money you promised me?”Every morning, without fail. Her voice was like an alarm I couldn’t turn off, and I was starting to feel like I was trapped in a nightmare. Emmanuella was obsessed with material things, and I could barely stomach it anymore. How did I not see this before I married her? Worse, how could I have left my loyal wife, Rebecca, for someone like her?It’s only been a month since the wedding, and I already knew I had traded a diamond for a stone. Sure, Emmanuella was beautiful—no one could deny that—but beauty fades. The reality? It’s hitting me harder than I expected. I was a fool. A complete fool.During one of my interviews after the divorce, someone asked me why I left Rebecca. Back then, I said she wasn’t as flashy as Emmanuella, that I needed someone who could boost my company’s image. What a shallow thing to say. If I had just asked Rebecca to dress differently, to be more in line with what I thought I wanted, she woul
Rebecca’s POVJust as Natasha turned the laptop screen toward me, I stared at Gabriel’s bank information. Everything inside me screamed to make him learn this lesson—instantly.“Find an orphanage, empty the bank account, and let’s move on to the next one,” I said to Natasha, my voice calm but laced with resolve. She nodded without hesitation, her fingers poised over the keyboard.Emptying Gabriel’s bank account was, of course, one of the easiest things for Natasha to do. With just a hit of a button, his account would be wiped clean, and the transfer history would vanish as if it never existed.He’d go crazy—furious—at the realization that, suddenly, his millions were gone.I smirked at the thought, my pulse quickening with satisfaction. Finally, I gave the second order to Natasha. “Do it now.”However, Natasha hesitated. “Uh... Rebecca, I think Gabriel is calling me, but the call isn’t connecting. I blocked him, remember?”She held up her phone, showing me the screen. There it was, a
Judge Hilar’s POVI sighed as I listened to Attorney David’s arguments. He had hit the nail on the head, leaving no room for a contrary opinion. Mr. Micah, without a doubt, should be sentenced to life in prison with every fiber of strength the law permits.However, as a judge, I could not allow emotions to dictate my judgment. The law was not based on sentiment but on logic and fairness. Even when all fingers pointed at Mr. Micah, my duty was to ensure that those fingers were justified before delivering a verdict. A mistake in judgment could cost an innocent person their future, and I could not allow that to happen under my watch.With this thought in mind, I looked up at the courtroom. "Thank you, Attorney David," I said first, acknowledging his argument.Then, I shifted my attention to the documents spread before me. These were files submitted to my desk by Attorney David and Attorney Deborah at the beginning of this argument via the bailiff. Each document contained crucial informat
Micah’s POVAfter Evelyn had been asked a series of questions, she nailed the hammer on the nail, putting me in even more misery—misery I knew I could never escape from. Each word she spoke tightened the noose around my neck, making my fate feel inevitable.“Your Honor, if it pleases the court, I would like to invite Chef Mirabel herself to the stand,” Attorney David announced, his voice firm and unwavering. My heart pounded in my chest, my anxiety reaching its peak.This was the moment of truth—one that would drown me in the most pitiful state of my life.At this instance, I wished I could turn back the hands of time, erase every trace of my meeting with Rebecca. She was the root of all my misfortunes. If only I had never met her, maybe—just maybe—I would still be living my life the way I wanted, preying on victims too weak to stand up for themselves.As my thoughts spiraled, I barely registered Mirabel stepping forward.“Do you swear to tell nothing but the truth?” Attorney David as
Micah’s POVThe moment the video stopped playing, my mind went blank.I couldn’t think. I couldn’t speak.I was already bracing myself for the inevitable—for the judge to pronounce my judgment.The video was gory, violent, and disturbingly dark. It was so graphic that I struggled to believe Annabella had managed to capture everything that happened that night. But there was no mistaking it.My face was there. Clear as day.Her face was there too.There was no way around it. No excuse that could erase what was already being broadcasted to every single person in this courtroom.I felt suffocated."Mr. Micah."Attorney David’s voice sliced through the heavy silence.My pulse quickened.I kept my gaze lowered, refusing to meet his eyes. I didn’t need to look to know what expression he wore. I could hear the smugness in his voice before I even saw it on his face.He stepped closer. “I want to believe that video was AI-EDITED, right?” he teased, leaning against my stand, his words dripping w
Micah’s POV“Shut your fucking mouth up!” my voice boomed from the audio.“You fucker! I am so going to have this sex with you, and there is nothing—nothing—no fucking body will fucking do about it!!!” my voice continued, filled with rage and dominance.“Ahhhhhh!” a lady’s voice rang in the audio, high-pitched and trembling.“Shut your hell mouth! You wanna tell me you’re not fucking enjoying this?!!!” my voice cut through the recording like a blade, silencing the lady.***I opened my eyes widely in horror.A cold shiver ran down my spine, making my fingers tremble slightly as I gripped the edge of the table before me. The courtroom was suffocatingly silent, yet the weight of the countless stares boring into me felt heavier than any noise could have been.I needed no one to tell me I was doomed.When did this lady make the voice recording?I struggled to recollect the exact moment. My mind raced, flipping through my memories like pages in a book, but the answer was already known to m
Micah’s POV“Objection Overruled!” Judge Hilar voiced immediately. And with this,“Mr. Micah, please approach the stand,” Attorney David gestured, his voice carrying the weight of authority.My heart pounded against my chest, an anxious rhythm that echoed through my entire body. I forced my feet forward, each step feeling heavier than the last. What question was Attorney David going to ask me? What angle was he going to take? Was this about defining sadomasochism, or was he going to twist the narrative, making it seem like my sexuality had driven me to attempt rape?Before I could steady my breath, one of the court officials—a woman dressed in a well-tailored brown suit with neatly pressed pants—stepped forward from the corner of the courtroom. She moved with calculated precision, her every motion exuding professionalism. In her hands, she carried two hardcover books that looked like legal documents at first glance. But deep down, I knew what they were.“Which belief do you adhere to,
Micah’s POVI couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw David Cooper enter the courtroom. His footsteps as he walked down the aisle were full of tension.Everyone was shocked. Who wouldn’t know David Cooper? The best lawyer in the whole country?My heart raced as he continued to approach. And when he approached the bench, said his name to the judge, it was as if my heart dropped into the deepest pit.My hands trembled as if I was infected by a shaking disease. I was sweaty all over. Before I met Rebecca, I had watched cases David Cooper argued on TV.He was a popular attorney that they used his life-courting arguing cases to teach young and upcoming attorneys how to do it right. And as such, his cases were always shown on TV for free.The cases he argued were brutal. The defendant, if he were prosecuting, always landed in a life sentence or was sentenced to be killed by fire.I opened my eyes widely as I remembered the final judgment a court pronounced on a case.Would I be judged to be kil
Rebecca’s POVWe arrived at the Supreme Court of the Country of Manderin. We had been duly informed that Micah’s hearing at the court was today, and hence, his fate would be sealed before the day was over.The weight of the moment settled heavily upon my shoulders, but I embraced it with unwavering determination. This was the day justice would be served.In light of this, we had hired a prosecutor who would prosecute Micah for his crime—David Cooper.One of the best attorneys in the whole of Manderin, talk less of Mandena. His reputation preceded him, a man feared by many in the legal profession, admired by even more.I had personally paid to hire him. A whopping sum of 400 grand. Just to put Micah in his place and make him understand that there are consequences for every action and inaction.To attempt a r*pe was a crime against humanity, and definitely, he must learn to put his dick in his trousers from now on.The moment we arrived at the court, I saw him darting a fearful look at
Micah’s POVMorning came as if it were never going to. The night was so long, and I was hell frozen to almost death. Every second that passed felt like an eternity, and the darkness of the cell only made it worse. My body ached from the cold, my muscles stiff, and my mind foggy from the lack of sleep.I never knew that Mandena was a city with so much coldness. Each time, I had always been in the room with the heater turned on, sheltered from the biting night air. But tonight, no heater was turned on. No thick blankets to wrap myself in. Just the unrelenting chill that seeped into my bones, making it feel as though I was locked inside a freezer, struggling to keep warm with nothing but my own body heat.The station was eerily quiet. Most of the police had retired home for the night to be with their families, leaving only a few behind. The ones who stayed behind weren’t the same officers from the daytime. These men were different—fully dressed in black, wearing masks that obscured their
Micah’s POVThe instant the officer returned to my cell, I didn't wait for him to speak. "I want my lawyer!" I immediately voiced before he could say anything else.“So, you think you can afford a lawyer, huh?” he chuckled darkly, his eyes narrowing as he sized me up. Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he turned to the others. “Give him his phone for ten minutes,” he ordered, his voice carrying an authoritative edge.“Let him get himself a lawyer. But monitor him. We don’t want any funny business,” the officer warned.Funny business? Like what? Did they think I was going to miraculously break out of the cell? Escape from the police station when I knew full well that I’d be caught again? That any attempt at running would only worsen my already dire situation?I stayed silent, my thoughts swirling in my head as I remained seated on the cold concrete bench. A few seconds later, another officer approached the cell, his gaze unreadable. Through the metal bars, he stretched out his hand,