My Husband r***d Her? He Died Years Ago!

Chapter 2

Several weeks later, the case went to court. Emily arrived early and gave interviews outside the courthouse. Her mother, Ruth, held an arm around her shoulders, wiping away her tears while telling reporters how much her daughter had suffered.

The instant she saw me approach, Ruth pulled her daughter closer. "Don't be afraid. Mom is right here. We'll make them pay today."

Emily shrank into her mother's embrace and wouldn't even look at me. But as she passed, she whispered so only the two of us could hear, "You're the one who refused to settle this privately."

I stopped and glanced at her. "Oh, I remember."

Daniel accompanied me into the courtroom and set a folder on the table. Every certificate and record we needed was inside. I rested my hand on the cover, sat down, and waited to hear her story.

Emily claimed that before leaving home, I had given her a bottle of soda that left her too weak to move. That night, Nathan had unlocked the door, dragged her into the bedroom, and threatened her into silence.

"He said his wife knew everything. How could I call the police? My mother still has to work. We could never stand up to people like them."

Ruth sobbed, "My daughter is only 24! She went there to earn money for school, not to be violated!"

A woman in the front row handed her a tissue. Someone nearby muttered, "That couple is disgusting."

The judge called for silence, and opposing counsel began playing an audio recording.

First came Emily's plea for help. Then a man laughed and said, "You're actually asking Claire for help? Why do you think she went abroad? She left you behind to keep me entertained."

My fingers curled around the edge of the table.

The man pretended to be Nathan, using my name as he spewed those filthy words.

When the recording ended, the attorney immediately produced a paternity report. "The report shows that the father of Emily's unborn child is Nathan Cole."

I glanced up. My husband's name was printed on the document, with a serial number beneath it that I didn't recognize.

Emily pushed the report toward my side of the room and looked me in the eye. Her attorney signaled for a staff member to play the security footage from my living room.

On the screen, a man in a dark overcoat unlocked the door and entered, carrying a leather bag in his right hand. With his back to the camera, he grabbed Emily by the wrist and dragged her toward the bedroom.

Both the coat and the bag had belonged to Nathan.

Whenever I cleaned the walk-in closet, I could never bring myself to touch that coat. They had put it on another man and used it as a prop in this performance.

The bedroom door closed. Cries came from inside, perfectly matching the audio recording.

The attorney paused the video and turned to me. "This evidence contradicts your public statement. Mrs. Cole, do you have an explanation?"

Emily lifted her tearful eyes and cut in. "I pulled the hair used for the test from his head while I was fighting him off. After all this, are you still going to call me a liar?"

I looked at her—and suddenly burst out laughing.

My laughter cut her off. Emily's mouth hung open, and she even forgot to wipe away her tears. Ruth's face went red.

"What are you laughing at? My daughter has suffered like this, and you can still laugh?"

"I'm laughing because you even came up with a sample of his hair for $700,000."

I turned to Emily. "You're certain you tore it from Nathan Cole's head yourself on the night I left the country?"

"I'm certain!" she said through clenched teeth. "It was your husband!"

"Good." I opened the folder, removed the death certificate, and handed it to the court clerk. "You accused me online of using a fake certificate. The original is right here, and the court has the hospital records too." Daniel submitted the rest of our evidence with it. Emily craned her neck to see. Her attorney took the copy and froze upon opening the first page. I looked at Emily. "My husband was cremated three years ago. So tell me—how exactly did he get you pregnant?"