Courtroom Betrayal, The Sister's Death

My sister was being bullied by her roommate. She acted in self-defense, but it left the other girl in critical condition.

My husband, Uriah Lane, was the only witness who could save her. But he refused to show up in court to fulfill a decade-long pact with his first love.

I knelt on the floor, clutching his hem and begging him to testify.

He shoved me away with pure disgust in his eyes. "Can you stop trying to compete for my attention for once? This ten-year anniversary only happens once."

"Is your sister really going to die just because I don't go? Besides, I wasn't the only one there. Stop trying to guilt-trip me."

Because no one testified for her, my sister was sentenced to three years. Her depression spiraled in prison, and she ended her own life in total despair.

With my only family gone, I felt my heart go cold. I was finally done with my husband.

Later, he came crawling back to me in tears, claiming he regretted everything.

"The defendant, Sienna Gold, is found guilty of intentional assault. Given the severity of the victim's injuries, she is sentenced to three years in prison."

I couldn't believe it. My sister had been condemned just like that.

As the guards began to lead her away, I lunged forward. A police officer grabbed my arms and pinned me to the floor.

I stared at Sienna with wide eyes. She looked back at me through a veil of tears, her lips moving silently. "Take care, sis," she mouthed before disappearing from sight.

The moment I walked out of the courthouse, I wiped my face. I opened my phone only to see a photo Uriah had just posted. It was a selfie with his first love, Shannon Chase.

Uriah was beaming with a kind of happiness I had never seen in our five years of marriage.

During our marriage, he had no patience for me. He always looked at me with contempt, complaining that I smelled like grease from my diner.

He constantly compared me to Shannon, who ran a successful law firm.

I knew he didn't love me. He only married me to spite her years ago.

But I never expected him to be this heartless.

Before the trial, I had knelt at his feet. "Uriah, please, I'm begging you to save my sister. The testimony will be quick. It won't take much of your time."

Uriah didn't care about my pleas. He kicked me away like I was trash.

"A ten-year reunion only happens once. Stop being so selfish. Learn when to stop picking fights with Shannon for my time."

"There were other witnesses. Is your sister really going to die if I don't go? You're just a manipulative brat. You're nothing."

Sienna had treated him like a real brother. Every year, she bought him better gifts than she bought me.

Uriah was a college professor who saw the whole incident. Yet, he refused to help, even though he knew Sienna was a sweetheart who would never start a fight.

The damage was done. I pushed down the agony, turned off my phone, and decided to find a better lawyer for an appeal.

I searched online and found a high-end firm. As I was about to call a cab, four burly men suddenly surrounded me. They covered my mouth and dragged me into a secluded corner of a nearby park.

"My daughter is in a coma because of your sister," one of them hissed.

"You had the nerve to claim she was innocent in court? I won't feel better until I break you."

It was the father of Sienna's roommate. His eyes were like daggers as he delivered a brutal kick to my stomach.

I nearly blacked out from the pain. I forced myself to look at him through gritted teeth.

"My sister did nothing wrong. Your daughter was a bully. She's in that hospital because of her own actions."

"Oh, still got a big mouth, huh? Get her, boys. Teach her some respect."

He waved his hand, and the others swarmed me. They rained down punches and kicks, showing no mercy. I heard the sickening crack of my own bones over the dull thud of their boots.

"I'm telling you, this isn't over. This is just the beginning."

Once they were satisfied, the man glared down at me one last time before they all fled.

The taste of copper filled my mouth. My body was screaming in pain as I tried to reach for my phone to call an ambulance. Just then, it rang.

It was Uriah.

"You've got some nerve. Why did it take you so long to answer?"

"Forget it. I don't have time for your games. Get to the diner and whip up five dishes. Have them couriered to the Four Seasons immediately."

"Make sure they're low-oil and low-sodium. Shannon is used to fine dining. she can't handle your greasy trash."

Uriah's voice felt like a serrated blade sawing at my heart. I couldn't tell what hurt more anymoreDmy broken ribs or my soul.

He didn't care about the verdict at all. He just took it for granted that I would serve him like a slave.

I cut the call, unable to listen to his indifferent voice for another second.

My vision blurred. The world went dark, and I collapsed into the dirt.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Both of my arms were encased in heavy plaster casts.

For a chef, losing the use of your hands feels like the end of the world. I fought back the rising panic and tried to sit up. I had to find a lawyer.

Sienna was all that mattered now. I didn't have the luxury of feeling sorry for myself.

"Don't move. You have severe fractures. You need to rest."

A man in a sharp suit walked in, carrying a thermal lunch box. He gently pressed me back down onto the pillows.

"Did you save me? Thank you, but I have an emergency. I need a lawyer. I'll pay you back for the medical bills later."

"Looking for a lawyer? Well, you're looking at one."

I froze, looking at him with newfound hope. "My sister... she's innocent. She was wrongly sentenced to three years. I need to appeal. Can you take her case?"

"Of course I can. Tell me everything." The man pulled up a chair and gave me a warm, reassuring smile. "By the way, I'm Holden Hayes."

Holden agreed so readily that my eyes welled up. I had been drowning in despair for days, betrayed by my husband and beaten by thugs.

This was the first time a stranger had shown me any real kindness.

I told Holden everything. When I finished, he slammed his hand on his knee, his eyes flashing with anger. "That is absolute bullshit! This is a total miscarriage of justice."

"Don't worry. I'm taking this case."

I could tell Holden was a man of integrity. He had a grounded, powerful presence that made me want to believe him.

He proved it immediately. With one phone call, he reached out to the university administration to demand the security footage.

Before this, Uriah had told me he had the evidence but forbade me from going to the school. He claimed the board didn't want a scandal.

I had been stupid enough to believe him. I had missed my chance because of his lies.

But with Holden, things finally started to move.

Holden worked fast. He used his connections to get the video. Even though it was slightly grainy, it clearly showed the girls arguing. It proved the roommate had simply lost her footing and fallen.

I followed him back to his office. Watching him seriously organize the files made me feel a sense of peace for the first time in years.

A stranger was doing more to save my sister than her own brother-in-law. Uriah hadn't cared if she lived or died.

All those years of love I gave him were nothing but a waste.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I answered it with trembling fingers.

"Miss Gold? I'm calling from the correctional facility. Your sister, Sienna, suffered a severe depressive episode. She took a permanent exit using a sharpened toothbrush while the guards weren't looking."

The news hit me like a physical blow. Every ounce of hope I had left shattered into dust.

The phone clattered to the floor.

"What happened?" Holden asked, his voice full of concern.

I sank to the floor, my legs giving out. Tears poured down my face like a dam had burst. The agony was so heavy it felt like it was snapping my spine.

"My sister is dead. She's gone."

I clenched my fists and pounded my bandaged arms against my head. "I'm so useless! I couldn't even protect the only person I had left."

"Sienna, I'm so sorry. Your big sister failed you."

I remembered her last look at the courthouse. I realized then that she wasn't just saying goodbye for the day. She had already decided to leave this world.

Holden didn't say a word. He just reached down, grabbed my broken arms gently, and pulled me into a tight embrace. "She knew you were trying, Valerie. She knew."

I stiffened for a second, then buried my face in his chest and let out a primal scream of grief. All the pain I had bottled up for years finally exploded.

Because Sienna was a convicted felon, I wasn't allowed to see her body. In just twenty-four hours, she went from a living person to a jar of cold ashes.

Holden stayed with me through every single step of the process. He didn't leave my side until the urn was placed in my hands.

I stared blankly at the jar, hearing her voice whisper in my head. The pain was a physical weight in my chest.

Suddenly, a ringtone pierced the silence of the funeral home.

"You're really dragging your feet, aren't you? Do you know what time it is? Why hasn't the food arrived!"

"I don't know why I ever married such a petty woman. I have to go to court with Shannon in an hour. Do you expect us to work on empty stomachs?"

Uriah had always looked down on me for being a chef. In his eyes, I wasn't romantic; I was just a servant who thought about nothing but chores. Even so, I had poured my heart into this marriage, only to get nothing in return.

He was truly heartless. He belittled me in front of his first love while choosing to escort her to court instead of helping his own family.

"My sister was sentenced to three years because no one would speak for her. She died in her cell last night."

I delivered the news with a cold, sharp edge, wanting to hurt him. Just as I was about to hang up, I heard him let out a cynical laugh.

"Nice try, Valerie. You're really going this far because I didn't show up? Lying about your sister being dead is a new low, even for you."

Uriah never used to call me first. This was the first time, and it was only to harass me for another woman's sake.

Since Sienna died, I had gone numb. I was done with him. I was done being the person who dropped everything to apologize the moment he got angry.

Then, I heard Shannon's voice, honey-sweet and mocking. "What's wrong? If Valerie has an emergency, you should go. I can handle things on my own."

"She's a cook. What emergency could she possibly have that compares to a high-profile lawyer like you?" Uriah replied.

"Her sister was always a weird loner. Anyone could see she was trouble. She nearly killed a classmate, and Valerie tried to force me to lie for her. Now she's claiming the girl is dead just to get my attention. It's pathetic."

Uriah spoke loudly. He knew I was still on the line, and he was performing for Shannon, using my trauma to flirt with her.

Even though I was numb, hearing him call my sister's death a "stunt" made a fresh wave of pain ripple through me.

Five years of marriage, and this was all I was to him.

"It's my fault," Shannon sighed. "I shouldn't have asked you to keep our decade pact. She wouldn't be acting out like this if it weren't for me."

"It's not about you. Valerie is just small-minded and bitter."

Before the call ended, they shared a laugh. It sounded like they were mocking a clown.

I had given him everything, and yet Sienna and I were worth less than a high school promise.

I forced myself to look up at Holden, who was still standing by my side. His eyes were red, and he looked genuinely devastated. I realized he had been crying quietly in front of Sienna's portrait.

A man I barely knew felt more grief for my sister than her own brother-in-law did.

Uriah knew she was innocent, yet he blamed the victim just to satisfy his own ego.

"Holden, can you draft a divorce settlement for me? I want out."

Five years of my life were ending like this. I was done with that cold-blooded monster.

"Are you sure about this?" Holden asked, looking shocked but concerned.

I nodded. To others, ending a five-year marriage might seem impulsive.

But I had lost my only family. There was no one left in this world for me to live for but myself. If he didn't love me, he could go to hell.

Seeing my resolve, Holden straightened up. "Fine. I'll handle your divorce personally."

After the funeral, I brought the urn home and placed it in Sienna's room. Just two weeks ago, she had promised to cook a special meal for me. Now, she was gone.

I collapsed onto the floor and wailed, letting the grief consume me.

Suddenly, the front door slammed open. Uriah's voice boomed through the house. "Valerie! Get your ass out here right now!"

I struggled to my feet. Before I could move, Uriah burst into Sienna's room with Shannon right behind him.

He looked like he was about to explode. He hurled the divorce papers at my face.

"You're asking for a divorce over a little argument? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"You're the one who chased me like a dog in college. You were happy to be my backup. Did you really think you could threaten me with a divorce?"

A divorce was exactly what he and Shannon wanted. I didn't understand why he was so furious. His voice was actually shaking.

Then I realized. To him, I was a loyal pet. He couldn't stand the idea of a dog biting back.

I watched his mouth move as he humiliated me in front of Shannon. My ears were ringing, and I felt a bone-deep exhaustion.

"Yes. Divorce," I said firmly.

"I want the house and the diner. You can have everything else."

The diner belonged to my parents. It held all my childhood memories.

The house was the first thing I bought with my hard-earned savings. It was filled with traces of Sienna's life. I wouldn't let him bring another woman here to disturb her spirit.

"Ha! You think you're worth that much?" Uriah sneered. "You think I'm afraid to leave? Fine. Let's do it. Just don't come crawling back begging for a reconciliation later."

Shannon smirked, tucking her arm into Uriah's. "Honey, if you want, I can represent you. We can take the house and the diner. You shouldn't let her walk away with so much."

My heart tightened at her threat.

"Who wants this dump or that greasy spoon anyway?" Uriah waved her off arrogantly. "I'll let her have them so she doesn't go around telling people I'm a monster."

"I want to see how long you last. I bet you'll be crying before I even reach the car."

Uriah pulled Shannon close and walked out, throwing one last condescending look over his shoulder.

He was wrong. I would never beg him again.

The girl who loved him with all her heart died in that courtroom.

Uriah didn't deserve my love. From this day on, we were strangers.