Channel
The court was filled with a dead silence that stretched so long it began to suffocate me, wrapping around my throat like an invisible rope. Even the faint shuffling of papers had ceased. The air itself felt heavy, unmoving, as though time had paused just to watch me fall apart.
Everyone was waiting.
Waiting for the judge to decide my fate.
Waiting to watch me crumble.
Rowan had taken me to court. Rowan-my husband, my once safe haven, the man who had sworn before God and the world to protect me-was now the very one dragging me into ruin. He had accused me of infidelity, painted me as a shameless woman, and now stood tall and composed as though he were the victim in all of this.
And why wouldn't he?
He had power. He had money. He had influence.
I had nothing.
I stood at the dock, my fingers trembling so badly I had to clasp them together just to keep them from betraying me. My legs felt like they could give out at any second, yet somehow, I remained standing-barely.
This had to be it.
This had to be my death sentence.
Because Rowan had promised me death.
My breathing turned shallow and uneven as sweat broke out across my skin. My forehead throbbed painfully, my vision spinning as though the courtroom itself was collapsing around me. I blinked rapidly, trying to steady myself, but the dizziness only worsened.
Then the judge spoke.
"I hereby order that all of Channel's Sydney possessions be transferred to Rowan Reynolds..."
Each word struck me like a hammer.
"...and an amount of one hundred million dollars be paid to him as compensation for the pain and mental distress Rowan Reynolds has suffered..."
My ears rang.
"...failure to pay within one month will result in the accused serving five years in prison."
Bang!
The gavel hit.
And just like that, my world ended.
My knees buckled instantly, my body crashing onto the cold, unforgiving floor of the courtroom. The impact barely registered. My head spun violently, my chest tightening as though something was squeezing the life out of me from the inside.
I couldn't breathe.
I clutched at my chest, gasping desperately, but no air seemed to enter my lungs. A sharp, stinging pain spread through me, igniting panic as my heart pounded wildly, erratically.
Hot tears streamed down my face, blurring everything around me.
One hundred million dollars.
The number echoed over and over again in my mind like a curse.
Where was I supposed to get that from?
How was I supposed to pay that?
Between Rowan and me... who was really having the mental breakdown?
A broken laugh almost escaped my lips, but it turned into a choked sob instead.
This wasn't justice.
This was cruelty.
This was power being abused in the most merciless way.
But who was I to say anything?
I was no one.
Just a woman who had once been lucky enough to catch the attention of a powerful man... and was now paying the price for it.
Rowan had planned this.
Of course he had.
His uncle-the judge.
Everything suddenly made sense.
They had already decided my fate long before I stepped into this courtroom. This trial... it was nothing but a performance. A carefully staged execution.
I was the sacrifice.
"How... why..." I muttered weakly, my voice barely audible even to myself.
I hadn't cheated.
I hadn't done anything wrong.
"I didn't do it..." My voice broke as the words slipped out, raw and desperate. "I didn't cheat... someone... someone please believe me..."
But no one moved.
No one spoke.
No one cared.
Strong hands suddenly grabbed my arms, hauling me up roughly. The policemen didn't spare me a second glance as they began dragging me out of the courtroom like I was nothing more than trash being disposed of.
My feet stumbled against the floor as I was pulled along, my vision still blurred with tears.
And then-
From the corner of my eye, I saw her.
Rachel.
A triumphant smile spread across her face, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction as she leaned toward her friend.
"The bitch is finally out of the way," she said, her voice low but sharp enough to pierce through me. "My brother is all yours now."
My heart dropped.
Slowly, as if sensing my gaze, she turned to look at me. The smile on her lips widened, cruel and mocking. Then, with deliberate slowness, she raised her hand and waved.
Goodbye.
Something inside me shattered completely.
Then my eyes found Rowan.
For a moment, everything else faded.
It was just him and me.
His green eyes-once warm, once filled with love-were now dark, distant... unreadable. There was hatred there. Pain too. But no trace of the man I used to know.
His gaze pierced through me, cutting deep into my soul.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to run to him, to grab him, to force him to listen.
But my body wouldn't move.
And he... he didn't move either.
He just watched.
As I was dragged away.
By the time I was thrown out of the courthouse, I was no longer thinking clearly.
My feet carried me without direction, my mind numb, my heart hollow.
And somehow...
I found myself standing at the top of a bridge.
The wind blew harshly against my face, cold and biting, as though trying to wake me up from this nightmare. But I didn't wake up.
Because this wasn't a dream.
This was my reality.
"What do I do now...?" I whispered, my voice trembling.
There was no answer.
No solution.
No hope.
I had no home.
No family.
My mother was gone.
My father... locked away in a mental hospital, lost to a world I could never reach.
And now...
I had a child.
My hand slowly moved to my stomach, trembling as it rested there.
My baby.
The only blessing fate had given me.
The only light in this endless darkness.
Tears slipped down my cheeks as the doctor's words echoed in my mind.
You're lucky to even have this child... It may be your only one... your womb will have to be removed after delivery...
A broken sob escaped me.
"I'm sorry..." I whispered, my fingers tightening slightly against my stomach. "I'm so sorry, baby..."
My voice cracked completely.
"I wanted you... I wanted to love you... to hold you..." My breathing hitched painfully. "But I can't... I can't bring you into this world just to suffer..."
My knees trembled as I stepped closer to the railing.
"I can't protect you..."
The wind howled louder, whipping around me as though urging me forward.
"I'm sorry..." I cried, my body shaking violently now. "Momma is so sorry... I hope you can forgive me..."
My grip tightened on the railing as I slowly leaned forward, my eyes shutting tightly.
Just one step.
One step and everything would end.
The pain.
The humiliation.
The fear.
Everything.
The wind rushed past my ears, loud and consuming, as my body tilted forward-
"Channel! Don't you dare!"
His voice echoed in my ears.
