Chapter 10 · The Verdict Is My Script

On the seventh morning, Charles called me twelve times.

I didn't answer a single one.

When the thirteenth call came in, Anna's message showed up first.

Anna: [Don't pick up. He's been suspended from making decisions, and he's super unstable right now. Only talk to him through text.]

I replied with an "Okay."

The screen was still glowing.

Charles's name kept flashing on the screen, like those relentless notifications that haunted me in my previous life.

I put my phone on silent and kept going through the joint account transactions.

On paper, the 290,000 dollars went into a financial company.

But two weeks later, the company returned the money to a private account.

The account was registered under Monica Mercer's name.

I stared at that name for a long time.

It wasn't Kinsley Mercer.

This was way more complicated than I thought.

Anna sent over some company info. [Monica is Kinsley's aunt. She owns a shell consulting firm that handled a project for Charles's company last year.]

I printed out the files, page by page.

The printer hummed softly as it spat out the pages.

With every sheet that landed, the fire in my heart grew steadier.

At ten in the morning, Charles finally started texting. [Julia, are you really trying to drive me to the edge?]

I didn't reply.

He sent another message. [Me being suspended doesn't do Lily any good either. Call it off now, and I won't pursue you for leaking those videos.]

I took a screenshot and saved his messages.

Then came the third message. [Don't forget, I was the one who covered the mortgage, paid Lily's tuition, and took care of your mom's hospital bills.]

I stared at those words, my fingers freezing on the screen.

When my mom was in the hospital, I sold the little apartment that I'd bought before we got married.

Charles was always there, running around with me to the hospital, picking up meds, signing forms.

Back then, I really believed he was my family, someone I could trust.

Later, I found out he'd put the money from the sale into our joint account, and two years later, he transferred 290,000 dollars out of it.

When people turn bad, they always try to hide behind their past good deeds.

I started recording.

On camera, I looked calmer than yesterday. "It's the seventh day, and I continue to apologize to Mr. Charles Pierce."

I placed the court ruling on the table. "I shouldn't have assumed the big transfers during our marriage were done on purpose, before all the evidence was checked."

I turned to the supporting documents. "The court ruling says there was a transfer of 290,000 dollars from our joint account. But we gave different explanations for what the money was used for."

I paused for a second. "I respect the judge's decision. Any property issues from here on will be settled in court."

After I posted the video, people in the comments section quickly caught on to what really mattered.

[Settled in court? She's not messing around.]

[The first six days were all about reputation, but now it's all about the cash.]

[290,000 dollars transferred out of the joint account? Someone better look into that.]

At noon, Anna called me, "Charles submitted some new evidence, claiming your videos are manipulating public opinion and damaging his reputation. He's asking the court to force you to stop posting."

I asked, "Do you think the judge will go for that?"

"Highly unlikely. Everything you've posted sticks to the court ruling and the evidence on file, but he'll definitely try to make things difficult for you."

"Like what?"

Anna paused for a moment before saying, "He might use Lily, your parents, or the company investigation to pressure you into settling."

Just as she finished, the doorbell rang.

On the security screen, there was a middle-aged man standing at the door.

He wore a crisp white shirt, a briefcase tucked under his arm, and a polite smile on his face.

I pressed the intercom. "Who is it?"

The man gave a courteous smile. "Mrs. Pierce, I'm Rowdy Pierce, Charles's cousin. We've met before. I held Lily at her birth party."

I didn't open the door. "If you need to talk, text me."

Rowdy's smile froze for a moment. "We're family, aren't we? It's weird talking at the door. Come on, let me in so we can talk."

"We're not family."

He lowered his voice. "Julia, when a woman stirs up this much trouble, it never ends well for her.

"Charles just got his authority suspended, but if he really loses his job, what are you and Lily gonna do? How are you supposed to survive?"

I turned on the door camera. "Go on."

When he saw the camera, his face darkened. "Don't mistake my patience for weakness."

I called the cops right away.

Rowdy cursed a couple of words at the door, then turned and walked off.

Ten minutes later, Charles texted me. [Did you really call the cops on my cousin?]

Then I replied to him for the first time today. [Keep everyone away from my house.]

He didn't reply.

That night, after Lily finished her homework, she sat next to me, sharpening her pencils.

Suddenly, she asked, "Mom, is Dad going to lose his job?"

I closed my laptop. "That's for his company to decide."

"Is he going to blame me?"

I looked at her. "He has no right to blame you."

Lily lowered her head and emptied the pencil shavings into the trash. "Grandma called my classmate's mom today and said you're trying to get Dad killed."

My heart sank. "Who told you that?"

"Ms. Collins."

Lily looked up, her eyes red. "Ms. Collins called me over and told me not to listen to grown-up stuff. She also said if anyone at school asks me about it, I can go to the office."

I ruffled her hair. "I'll go to the school tomorrow and take care of it."

She tugged at my sleeve. "Please don't fight with them."

I took her hand in mine. "I won't."

That night, I put together screenshots of Raina's calls, the video of Mrs. Parker at the school gate, and the footage of Rowdy showing up at my door, all into one folder.

I kept the folder name simple: "Evidence of Harassment."

Chapter 10

On the seventh morning, Charles called me twelve times.

I didn't answer a single one.

When the thirteenth call came in, Anna's message showed up first.

Anna: [Don't pick up. He's been suspended from making decisions, and he's super unstable right now. Only talk to him through text.]

I replied with an "Okay."

The screen was still glowing.

Charles's name kept flashing on the screen, like those relentless notifications that haunted me in my previous life.

I put my phone on silent and kept going through the joint account transactions.

On paper, the 290,000 dollars went into a financial company.

But two weeks later, the company returned the money to a private account.

The account was registered under Monica Mercer's name.

I stared at that name for a long time.

It wasn't Kinsley Mercer.

This was way more complicated than I thought.

Anna sent over some company info. [Monica is Kinsley's aunt. She owns a shell consulting firm that handled a project for Charles's company last year.]

I printed out the files, page by page.

The printer hummed softly as it spat out the pages.

With every sheet that landed, the fire in my heart grew steadier.

At ten in the morning, Charles finally started texting. [Julia, are you really trying to drive me to the edge?]

I didn't reply.

He sent another message. [Me being suspended doesn't do Lily any good either. Call it off now, and I won't pursue you for leaking those videos.]

I took a screenshot and saved his messages.

Then came the third message. [Don't forget, I was the one who covered the mortgage, paid Lily's tuition, and took care of your mom's hospital bills.]

I stared at those words, my fingers freezing on the screen.

When my mom was in the hospital, I sold the little apartment that I'd bought before we got married.

Charles was always there, running around with me to the hospital, picking up meds, signing forms.

Back then, I really believed he was my family, someone I could trust.

Later, I found out he'd put the money from the sale into our joint account, and two years later, he transferred 290,000 dollars out of it.

When people turn bad, they always try to hide behind their past good deeds.

I started recording.

On camera, I looked calmer than yesterday. "It's the seventh day, and I continue to apologize to Mr. Charles Pierce."

I placed the court ruling on the table. "I shouldn't have assumed the big transfers during our marriage were done on purpose, before all the evidence was checked."

I turned to the supporting documents. "The court ruling says there was a transfer of 290,000 dollars from our joint account. But we gave different explanations for what the money was used for."

I paused for a second. "I respect the judge's decision. Any property issues from here on will be settled in court."

After I posted the video, people in the comments section quickly caught on to what really mattered.

[Settled in court? She's not messing around.]

[The first six days were all about reputation, but now it's all about the cash.]

[290,000 dollars transferred out of the joint account? Someone better look into that.]

At noon, Anna called me, "Charles submitted some new evidence, claiming your videos are manipulating public opinion and damaging his reputation. He's asking the court to force you to stop posting."

I asked, "Do you think the judge will go for that?"

"Highly unlikely. Everything you've posted sticks to the court ruling and the evidence on file, but he'll definitely try to make things difficult for you."

"Like what?"

Anna paused for a moment before saying, "He might use Lily, your parents, or the company investigation to pressure you into settling."

Just as she finished, the doorbell rang.

On the security screen, there was a middle-aged man standing at the door.

He wore a crisp white shirt, a briefcase tucked under his arm, and a polite smile on his face.

I pressed the intercom. "Who is it?"

The man gave a courteous smile. "Mrs. Pierce, I'm Rowdy Pierce, Charles's cousin. We've met before. I held Lily at her birth party."

I didn't open the door. "If you need to talk, text me."

Rowdy's smile froze for a moment. "We're family, aren't we? It's weird talking at the door. Come on, let me in so we can talk."

"We're not family."

He lowered his voice. "Julia, when a woman stirs up this much trouble, it never ends well for her.

"Charles just got his authority suspended, but if he really loses his job, what are you and Lily gonna do? How are you supposed to survive?"

I turned on the door camera. "Go on."

When he saw the camera, his face darkened. "Don't mistake my patience for weakness."

I called the cops right away.

Rowdy cursed a couple of words at the door, then turned and walked off.

Ten minutes later, Charles texted me. [Did you really call the cops on my cousin?]

Then I replied to him for the first time today. [Keep everyone away from my house.]

He didn't reply.

That night, after Lily finished her homework, she sat next to me, sharpening her pencils.

Suddenly, she asked, "Mom, is Dad going to lose his job?"

I closed my laptop. "That's for his company to decide."

"Is he going to blame me?"

I looked at her. "He has no right to blame you."

Lily lowered her head and emptied the pencil shavings into the trash. "Grandma called my classmate's mom today and said you're trying to get Dad killed."

My heart sank. "Who told you that?"

"Ms. Collins."

Lily looked up, her eyes red. "Ms. Collins called me over and told me not to listen to grown-up stuff. She also said if anyone at school asks me about it, I can go to the office."

I ruffled her hair. "I'll go to the school tomorrow and take care of it."

She tugged at my sleeve. "Please don't fight with them."

I took her hand in mine. "I won't."

That night, I put together screenshots of Raina's calls, the video of Mrs. Parker at the school gate, and the footage of Rowdy showing up at my door, all into one folder.

I kept the folder name simple: "Evidence of Harassment."