Chapter 5
The day of the family tribunal arrived. The hall was packed with the Ferrante family members. They had all come to watch me fail—to watch me get humiliated, shamed, and cast out from the family I was born into.
Bianca sat in the gallery, staring at me with mockery written all over her face. My parents sat beside her. They would not even look at me.
I stood at the petitioner's podium wearing a black suit, my hair pinned up without a strand out of place. My belly had begun to swell slightly, hidden beneath the tailored cut.
Across from me stood Cesare. His suit was sharp, and his presence was commanding. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice. "Giulia, it's not too late to back out. For the sake of all our years together, as long as you withdraw your petition now and apologize to Bianca, I promise I won't hold you accountable."
I shook my head. "Never."
The gavel struck, and the tribunal began.
Cesare had hired an elite legal team. Every mistake in our marriage was documented, magnified, and weaponized. Finally, Cesare submitted a document.
"Your Honor, as you can see here, Giulia and I have been using contraception throughout our marriage. I have prescriptions from our private physician as proof. And yet Giulia is now pregnant. This is ironclad evidence of her infidelity. I request the tribunal rule against Giulia!"
Papa shot to his feet, his eyes practically shooting flames at me. "You shameless disgrace!"
Mamma covered her mouth as tears spilled down her face. "I never imagined in my worst nightmares that you would do something like this..."
Bianca, cradling the baby, went to console them. "Giulia just lost her way for a moment. It's alright. When she's gone, I'll still take care of you both..."
The room erupted into chaos, and everyone began talking at once.
The judge struck the gavel. "Cesare Ferrante merely assisted Bianca Moretti in caring for an infant. This does not constitute wrongdoing within the marriage.
"Based on the evidence presented, Giulia is the one at fault in this marriage. If Giulia cannot provide new evidence, this tribunal will strip her of her title, freeze her personal accounts, and exile her from the family!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd. Cesare and Bianca threw their arms around each other in celebration.
Everyone thought I was finished. They were already celebrating their victory.
Then, I smiled.
"I do have evidence, actually." I pulled a brown envelope from my bag and handed it to the judge. "Surveillance footage from Bianca's home. And documentation proving that Bianca's husband is not dead. He's currently a high-ranking member of a rival family."
Bianca's face was drained of all color. The tribunal hall fell into deadly silence, with every pair of eyes turned to me. My counter-attack had begun.
You may also like
