The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 56

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX CLAIRE’S POV

The courthouse steps were already crowded when we arrived.

Cameras started flashing before the car door even opened.

Reporters stood behind the barricades, speaking quickly into microphones as we walked past.

“…after yesterday’s dramatic testimony…”

“…Dhark’s former counsel, attorney Vale, stepping down…”

“….new representation expected to appear today…”

Margot didn’t slow down.

“Don’t look at them,” she murmured as we moved through the entrance.

I didn’t need the reminder.

The attention no longer surprised me, although it still exhausted me.

Inside the courthouse, the air felt cooler. Quieter. The murmur of voices echoed along the corridor as

lawyers and assistants moved toward their respective courtrooms.

Margot stopped just outside the doors, then she turned to me, her expression serious.

“Today won’t be subtle.” She stated.

I nodded, because believed her.

The courtroom was already almost filled when we entered.

Lucian sat at the defense table.

And beside him was a woman I had never seen before.

She was composed in a way that immediately drew attention.

Elegant, perfectly dressed, her posture straight and effortless.

So that was Victoria Merlyn.

Even without Margot whispering the name beside me, I would have known she was the new lawyer.

Victoria looked up as we approached.

Her eyes met mine briefly. Sharp, vicious dark eyes.

She offered a polite nod.

Not friendly, not hostile, just controlled. Measuring us.

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Margot leaned slightly toward me.

“Of course he hired her,” she muttered under her breath.

“You know her?” I asked, still watching the woman.

“Everyone in this field knows her.” Margot said, taking her seat beside me. “She’s vicious.” 1

The judge entered moments later, bringing the room to order.

Victoria stood almost immediately.

“Your Honor,” she began smoothly, “I’d like to proceed with a motion to enforce the prenuptial agreement signed by both parties.”

Her voice was strong and precise. Confident.

She spoke as if the outcome were already obvious.

And somehow, I already knew that Victoria Merlyn was a force.

“The reasoning is simple: the agreement was entered willingly and legally. Mrs. Dhark benefited from the marriage for years while Mr. Dhark built his company. The terms of the contract are clear and binding.”

Her gaze flicked briefly toward me as she spoke. “There is no legal basis to disregard the contract simply because the marriage ended unpleasantly.”

Margot rose immediately. “Your Honor, the circumstances surrounding this marriage are very much relevant-”

Victoria continued firmly, shooting a sharp glare at Margot. “This is not a question of emotion. It is a question of contract law.”

The judge raised a hand.

“Counsel will have her turn, Mrs. Sinclair.”

Victoria inclined her head slightly, then she shifted direction. Subtly. Skillfully.

“What we are witnessing,” she continued, “is an attempt to rewrite the terms of an agreement after the fact.” She paused briefly.

“As if the marriage itself had been stable and equitable until recently.”

Her words were measured, but the implication was very clear:

The marriage had already been broken. Long before Eva.

Margot rose from her seat like she had been stung. “Objection! Counsel is speculating.”

“Sustained,” the judge said.

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Victoria nodded easily. But it didn’t seem like she was one to accept defeat. “Of course, Your Honor

Then she said something unexpected. “The defense would like to call a witness.”

Beside me, I saw Margot frown. “I have the perfect guess.” She whispered.

Victoria turned slightly.

“Dr. Samuel Carter.”

My breath caught in my throat as a man stood from the second row.

He looked exactly as I remembered him.

Same neat gray suit, same careful posture, same balding head.

My former therapist. Just like Margot had warned.

My stomach started rumbling as he walked to the stand. I remembered he had told me that was my nerve’s way of sending warning signals to my body. It was comical now.

Margot leaned closer.

“You’ve remember him, right?” She asked.

“Yes,” I nodded. “Only a few sessions, like I said.”

Margot nodded, then kept her gaze focused.

Victoria approached the stand calmly after the oath had been administered.

“Dr. Carter, could you explain your professional relationship with Mrs. Claire Dhark?”

“I’m a licensed therapist,” he replied. “Mrs. Dhark attended several sessions with me approximately two years ago.”

Victoria nodded. “And what were those sessions primarily about?” She enquired.

Dr. Carter adjusted slightly in his chair.

“Marital dissatisfaction.” He stated.

The word echoed faintly in the quiet courtroom.

Victoria folded her hands loosely in front of her.

“Could you elaborate?”

My pulse began to quicken as Dr. Carter spoke evenly.

“Mrs. Dhark expressed frustration regarding her role in the marriage. She often described feeling… sidelined.”

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Victoria tilted her head slightly, seeming interested.

“Sidelined in what way?” She asked.

“She felt excluded from her husband’s business affairs.” Dr. Carter answered, then paused. “She was

particularly upset that she did not have access to shares within Dhark Holdings.”

My hands tightened in my lap as anger built up inside me.

That wasn’t what I had said!

Well… not exactly.

Victoria’s tone remained firm and leading.

“How did she describe that situation?”

Dr. Carter continued smoothly. “She felt reduced to the role of a housewife. She expressed resentment that she had no direct ownership in the company she believed she had helped support.'”

A quiet murmur moved through the courtroom. Reporters typed faster, people whispered amongst themselves.

Margot stood immediately.

“Objection!” She called. “This is a gross mischaracterization of private therapeutic discussions.”

Victoria responded sharply. “The witness is simply describing the patient’s statements.”

To Margot’s frustration, the judge allowed it to continue.

Victoria turned back to the stand. “Did Mrs. Dhark ever indicate that these frustrations affected the stability of her marriage?”

“Yes,” Dr. Carter replied. “She appeared deeply unhappy.”

Victoria nodded thoughtfully. “And during these sessions, did any other marital concerns arise?”

Dr. Carter hesitated slightly, like he was thinking back, trying to recollect the sessions, when in truth there wasn’t much to recollect.

But his hesitation was just enough to draw everyone’s attention.

“Yes.” He finally answered.

“What concerns?” Victoria asked further.

He folded his hands in front of him as he spoke. “There were discussions regarding fertility.”

My chest tightened then, and my stomach dropped even lower.

Nathaniel had warned me…

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Victoria’s voice softened slightly. Unusually.

“What kind of discussions?”

“Mrs. Dhark expressed anxiety about her ability to conceive.”

Victoria took a slow step forward.

“Based on your professional observations, did you believe Mrs. Dhark was aware of potential fertility issues at that time?”

Dr. Carter paused. Then he said something that made my blood run cold.

“I suspected she might have been.”

I almost gasped.

What a blatant lie!

A quiet ripple of murmurs spread across the room.

Victoria continued gently.

“And did she indicate whether she had shared those concerns with Mr. Dhark?”

Dr. Carter shook his head.

“She suggested that she had not.”

Margot stood again, like it was the most absurd lie she had ever heard. And indeed, it was!

“Objection! This is speculation and a violation of patient confidentiality.”

Victoria turned calmly toward the judge.

“Mrs. Dhark placed her marriage at issue in this case. The defense has every right to establish context.”

The judge allowed the testimony to stand for the moment.

Victoria turned back toward the courtroom.

“The defense’s point is simple, Your Honor.”

Her voice remained perfectly composed.

“The narrative presented here is one of sudden betrayal.”