The Doctor Ruined My Face, But The Malpractice Payout Made Me The Queen Of The City

Elena’s heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She barely heard the foreman speaking through the rushing blood in her ears.

"In the matter of Vance vs. Thorne... we find the defendant liable on all counts."

A sob caught in Elena's throat. But the foreman wasn't finished.

"We award the plaintiff compensatory damages of five million dollars," he read. Thorne rolled his eyes, clearly thinking his insurance would cover it.

Then the foreman looked up, locking eyes with Thorne. "And for punitive damages, meant to punish malicious conduct... we award the plaintiff eighty-five million dollars."

The number hit the room like a bomb. Ninety million dollars. A record-breaking verdict.

Thorne’s legs gave out. He collapsed into his chair, his silver hair dissheveled, his mouth agape. "That’s... that’s more than the insurance cap," he stammered, his voice rising to a shriek. "That’s everything!"

Elena turned to him. She didn't smile. She didn't gloat. She simply pulled her oversized sunglasses down her nose, looking at him over the rims with cold, dead eyes.

"You're ruined," she whispered, though he couldn't hear her over the commotion.

"I'm bankrupt!" Thorne screamed at the judge, veins bulging in his neck. "She can't have it! I have nothing! You'll never see a dime, you hear me? Not a single dime!"

Elena finally smoothed her scarf. He was wrong. She would see every dime, even if she had to tear apart his life brick by golden brick to find it.