The Verdict on My Husband the Judge: GUILTY novel Chapter 64

We hit a red light at the intersection.

He stared straight ahead at the traffic signal, his voice deliberately casual, but his death grip on the steering whe

told a different story.

Did I regret it? I’d been torturing myself with that same question for years.

Caspian was devastatingly perfect. Even when everyone knew he was taken, people still threw themselves at him relentlessly, which made me a paranoid wreck throughout our entire relationship. Being with him felt like constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The breaking point came senior year when some acquaintance casually mentioned that Caspian was planning to study abroad.

When she saw my stunned expression, she practically purred with satisfaction. “Oh my god, seriously? Everyone our circle has known for months. He didn’t tell you?”

We had a nuclear–level fight over it.

No matter how desperately he tried to explain, I couldn’t get past the betrayal.

He thought I broke up with him because of that secret, but it was really just the final nail in the coffin.

The real moment of truth had come weeks earlier, on Caspian’s birthday, when I overheard his mother on the phone, her voice dripping with aristocratic disdain:

“Caspian, that type of girl is perfectly fine for a college fling, but when it comes to marriage, the family has more suitable options lined up. Don’t sabotage your entire future over some passing infatuation.”

That’s when I fully grasped how the Morrison dynasty really saw me.

And Caspian had simply responded, “I understand.”

I was just his temporary entertainment.

A practice girlfriend to help him mature before the real thing came along.

I ended things with surgical precision. After graduation, I met Kieran through a family setup and married him

within two months.

Everyone assumed I was trying to make Caspian jealous. Probably even Caspian believed that narrative.

But breakups are never truly impulsive decisions, How could I regret something I’d analyzed to death?

11.AC

The Verdict on My Hebat the Indee GUILTY

Chapter 5

I looked at him with steady resolve. “No regrets whatsoever. Why would I have any?”

The light turned green, and the car lurched forward with unnecessary force.

His voice was barely above a whisper:

“Every single day after we broke up, I waited for you to change your mind.”

“I became an insomniac because I was terrified I’d miss your call asking me to come back. Then I heard you wel getting married.”

He let out a self–deprecating laugh. “I always assumed our breakup was just you being dramatic. I thought you’d always be there waiting if I decided to come back.”

I pressed my lips together. “Caspian, I genuinely loved you back then. And I genuinely stopped loving you. Both statements are equally true.”

“Deep down, I always felt like I was playing out of my league Every day with you was anxiety–inducing, wonderi how long someone like me could possibly hold onto someone as flawless as you.”

“Your friends were polite to my face, but I could feel their subtle condescension cutting me apart piece by piece. T way your family discussed me made my skin crawl. Every time you casually referenced things I’d never heard of, made me feel microscopic.”

“All of that was screaming that we existed in completely different universes, so our expiration date was inevitable. Once I accepted that reality, everything became clearer.”

All those experiences he used to talk about had seemed impossibly glamorous and out of reach.

Later, when I had real money, I realized they weren’t particularly special after all. Some things only lose their mystique once you can actually afford them yourself.

Just like that ex–boyfriend I’d once considered perfect and untouchable–time had reduced him to human proportions too.

Caspian’s voice cracked with emotion. He looked at me with pure guilt.

“I’m so sorry. I had absolutely no idea you felt that way.”

How could he have known? I’d always been bubbly and enthusiastic around him, never letting on that those micro–aggressions were slowly destroying me from the inside.

The car glided to a stop in front of my building. I climbed out and gave him a casual wave,

“Ancient history. Thanks for the rescue mission.”

After saying goodbye, I didn’t head upstairs immediately. Instead, I wandered down the street and found myself

Mth had this hideon TV

Chapter 5

drawn to a sketchy–looking barbecue joint.

I ordered an assortment of grilled skewers and ice–cold beer.

I hadn’t been to a place like this in years.

This used to be exactly my scene. I guess financial success really does change your entire lifestyle.

Sitting here now felt unexpectedly liberating, like I’d shed all my pretenses and could finally breathe again.

The table had a thick layer of grease coating its surface. When the owner noticed me frantically wiping it down, he smiled warmly and laid out a cheerful floral placemat.

“There you go, much better.”

I looked at him with genuine gratitude, touched that a stranger was willing to accommodate my neurotic tendencies.

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Chapter 6

Chapter 6