The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back) novel Chapter 173

Gavel and Goodbye

HANNAH’S POV:

I thanked the heavens for Lucas. He was genuinely one of the most supportive people I’d ever known. The best uncle and godfather to my kids. He’d been angry at everyone who’d hurt me, defensive on my behalf even when I’d been too tired to defend myself.

We walked into the courtroom together as a united group, but the moment I saw Janet sitting at the defense table, something inside me twisted painfully.

There she was. Handcuffed. Looking pale and thinner than I’d ever seen her. A shadow of the girl I’d once called my sister.

Yet her eyes, those cold and furious eyes, were exactly the same as they’d always been. Her lips curled into that familiar smug smirk, like she was sitting in a café rather than a defendant’s chair awaiting sentencing for attempted murder.

Like she wasn’t responsible for the scars still healing on my skin and in my heart.

Her mother sat rigidly beside her, stiff-backed and sour-faced as always. Her father stared straight ahead like he’d already left his body weeks ago, like he’d checked out of reality entirely.

Good. I was genuinely happy they weren’t actually my parents. I couldn’t imagine my real parents, Mirada and Aaron, being so fundamentally evil.

The bailiff called for everyone to rise as the judge entered. My knees felt weak and shaky. Each heartbeat vibrated loudly in my ears, drowning out almost everything else.

The judge was an older woman with steel-gray hair and sharp eyes behind reading glasses. She adjusted those glasses now, flipping through papers on her desk with excruciating slowness.

Every second felt like an hour.

“After carefully reviewing all evidence presented by the prosecution,” she began, her voice clear and authoritative, “as well as all testimony from both the defense and prosecution witnesses, expert reports, psychological evaluations, and the complete criminal investigation findings, I am now ready to deliver my sentencing decision.”

My breath came out trembling and uneven.

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