Chapter 3
My phone buzzed.
The first comment popped up. [Why does this apology sound so detailed? It's more like saying what's going on than apologizing.]
The second comment popped up right after. [The verdict says there are multiple records of her husband and that woman staying at hotels together? And that's supposed to mean they're innocent?]
The third comment popped up. [Keep reading, girl. I'm loving this verdict drama.]
The view count started to jump.
Five thousand.
Ten thousand.
Thirty thousand.
Charles saw it too.
His expression turned grim. "Julia, delete it right now. Or I'll have my lawyer sue you for repeat infringement."
I nodded. "Okay."
He froze. "What did you say?"
"Go ahead and sue me. I'll show up in court. Let the judge decide if reading the verdict counts as enforcing the order."
Charles pressed his lips together.
He couldn't bring himself to do it, not right now, anyway.
Because every single line I said in front of the camera was quoted directly from the verdict.
The verdict might have gone against me, but it exposed their dirty laundry, too.
In my previous life, I lost because I let my emotions get the best of me.
This time, I was sticking to what was written.
Kinsley's phone buzzed, too.
She looked down, and her face went pale as a sheet. "Charlie, someone dropped the post in the office group chat."
Charles snatched her phone.
On the screen was their office group chat.
Someone had dropped the video link, but quickly deleted it.
All that was left was one message. [Don't spread this around.]
The more they told people not to spread it, the faster it got passed around.
I closed the verdict, stood up, and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water.
Charles followed me, barely holding back his anger. "Julia, what do you want?"
"I want the verdict enforced," I replied.
"Don't try to shut me up with that line."
I turned to face him. "So, what do you want to hear? You want me to say I was wrong, that you and Kinsley are squeaky clean, or that all those hotel stays, money transfers, and gifts over the years were something I made up?"
He frowned. "The judge already said you violated my rights."
"But the judge never said you were loyal."
The air went dead silent.
Kinsley stood in the living room, her voice barely above a whisper. "Charlie."
Charles closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he slipped right back into that calm, logical persona of his. "Julia, we have a kid together. Tell me, how does all this drama help Lily?"
My grip on the glass tightened.
He finally played the daughter card.
He did the same thing in my previous life.
Whenever he couldn't win an argument, he'd always bring up Lily. "Lily still needs to go to school." And "Lily can't have a mom who's lost it." Or "How's Lily supposed to face her classmates after this?"
Those words once wrapped around me, tighter and tighter.
This time, I looked him straight in the eye. "Did you ever think about her when you were cheating?"
Charles's expression froze. "I told you. I never cheated."
"Fine." I nodded. "Then I'll keep apologizing word for word from the verdict tomorrow."
The anger in his eyes was barely contained.
Kinsley walked over, her voice soft and gentle. "Julia, I know you hate me, but Charlie really loves Lily. Please don't drag her into our mess."
I looked at her. "Did you ever get her a birthday present?"
Kinsley was stunned.
I continued, "Last year, on Lily's birthday, Charles told me he was working late. But the verdict has a hotel record for that day, and you were there with him."
Kinsley opened her mouth, but couldn't find the words. "It was business."
"Tomorrow, I'll be reading that part of the verdict in my apology."
She went paler, and all the color had drained from her face.
Charles grabbed her arm. "Let's go."
Kinsley looked like she wanted to say something, but Charles pulled her out before she could get a word in.
At the door, Charles turned back. "Julia, you'll regret this."
I opened the door for them. "See yourselves out." Then I closed the door.
The living room went quiet again.
I leaned against the door, my legs feeling a little weak.
It wasn't fear. My body was still haunted by that suffocating feeling from my previous life.
My phone buzzed again.
It was a message from Anna. [I watched the video. It's safe for now. Send me the next ones before you post them.]
I replied: [Got it.]
The next second, my inbox blew up with messages.
Some people were calling me snarky.
Others were egging me on to keep going.
Someone said they had their own court verdict and asked if they could read theirs online, like me.
I scrolled up to the top of the comments.
The top comment already had over ten thousand likes. [Day one's already this wild? I'm camping out for the next fourteen days.]
I stared at that comment for a long time.
Then I pulled up my document and started drafting the title for my next video. [Day 2: the apology continues.]