Chapter 16: See You in Court
237 words
The courtroom was a theater, and Thorne’s defense team were the directors. For three days, they had paraded witnesses who painted Elena as a vanity-obsessed gold digger who had begged for an experimental procedure against medical advice. The jury—six men, six women—seemed dangerously swayed by Thorne’s charisma. He sat at the defense table, clean-shaven, wearing a suit that cost more than Elena’s life.
"Ms. Vance," the defense attorney smirked, pacing in front of the witness stand. "Isn't it true you spent every dime of your divorce settlement on vanity? You wanted to be young again, didn't you?"
Elena’s hands gripped the wood of the stand. She looked at the jury. They saw a woman in a scarf and sunglasses, hiding. They saw shame.
"I wanted to feel visible," Elena said quietly. "Not young. Visible."
"I can't hear you!" the lawyer barked. "Perhaps if you took off those theatrical accessories, the jury could assess your 'damages' properly."
It was a trap. He expected her to refuse, to look weak.
Elena stood up. The courtroom drama silenced instantly. Slowly, she reached up. She removed the sunglasses. She unwound the heavy silk scarf.
Gasps rippled through the gallery. The damage was raw, jagged, and horrifyingly real. A map of pain carved into skin.
Elena looked directly at Thorne. He wasn't checking his watch anymore. He was staring at his masterpiece of negligence.
End of Chapter 16
