Chapter 7 - The Pre-Trial Hearings
The courtroom was suffocatingly tense. Julian sat at the defense table in a poorly fitting orange jumpsuit, a far cry from the polished, charming man I’d met in Denver. His sleazy defense attorney, a man named Sterling, was attempting to get the prenup thrown out to claim spousal support to fund his defense.
“Your Honor,” Sterling argued, pacing the floor. “This prenup was signed under duress. My client was deeply in love, manipulated by a wealthy, domineering woman who used her power—”
Diane stood up, adjusting her glasses. “Your Honor, we submit Exhibit C into evidence. Audio files recovered from the hard drive provided by the defendant's cousin, Marcus Vance.”
The judge nodded. Diane pressed play on her laptop.
Julian’s voice echoed through the courtroom, clear as day. “Don’t worry, Mom. Once the ring is on, I’ll break her down. She’s got a net worth of thirty mil. I’ll tolerate the feminist garbage until the ink is dry, then I’ll train her fast. We’ll be set for life.”
A collective gasp rippled through the gallery. The judge lowered his glasses, staring daggers at Julian, who had turned a sickly shade of gray.
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“Furthermore, Your Honor,” Diane continued, “we have records of Mr. Vance defrauding three other women in similar schemes over the last six years, using his mother as an accomplice to fake his wealthy background.”
The judge slammed his gavel. “Motion to invalidate the prenuptial agreement is unequivocally denied. Mr. Vance, you will not see a single dime of the plaintiff's money. Let’s move to the criminal docket.”
