Chapter 119
"Yes, she has."
The courtroom buzzed with whispers at this statement. Lilly was taken aback, trying to recall what she might have done to Jamila, but no memory came to mind. The first time she remembered meeting Jamila was when she had attended a meeting with Ariana at the company.
"Mrs. Kane, do you know her?" asked the lawyer.
"No, I don't," Lilly answered honestly.
"Miss Jamila, could you explain to the court how Mrs. Kane has wronged you?"
Jamila stood up, her voice shaking as she recounted a painful experience. With a deep breath, she began to tell the court how Lilly had deeply hurt her.
"I met Mrs. Kane during my time studying in country B," she began, addressing the judge and the attentive jury. "I had just started my studies, and I was struggling to make ends meet. I ran out of money and was desperately in need of food. Back then, Mrs. Kane was pursuing her master's degree."
Jamila’s voice trembled with emotion as she continued. "I approached her, with tears in my eyes, asking for a little help, just enough money to buy something to eat. But instead of showing any kindness, she looked at me like I was some kind of bother, like I didn’t matter. Then, she just walked away, leaving me humiliated in front of others."
Tears filled Jamila’s eyes as she relived the memory. "I cried for days, feeling completely lost and abandoned. She could have just said no if she didn’t want to help, but to ignore me in such a cold, heartless way was unforgivable. From that day on, I carried a deep hatred for Mrs. Kane, vowing to get back at her for what she had done."
The courtroom fell silent as Jamila’s testimony laid bare the roots of her grudge and the motivations behind her actions. When she finished, the entire room was speechless.
"Why hold onto this resentment for so many years, only to seek revenge by doing something so cruel?" the lawyer asked. "You separated a wife from her husband, and a mother from her child, for four weeks—just because you were hurt over an incident like this?"
Jamila began to cry softly. "I'm sorry. I regret everything. I just wanted people to see her as a bad person. I didn’t know it would lead to her going to jail."
"But you wanted her to be seen as evil, even as a murderer!" the lawyer exclaimed.
The room was silent, except for Jamila’s soft sobs.
Lilly was bewildered. She managed a small smile, realizing Ariana had managed to shift the blame onto this poor girl. Yet, as Jamila spoke, Lilly started to remember the incident differently. Back then, she had told the young woman to wait under a tree while she withdrew money. However, when she returned after a delay at the ATM, the girl had already disappeared. At the time, Jamila had worn glasses, and Lilly hadn’t known her name, which explained why she hadn’t recognized her.
Even though Lilly had been declared innocent, people online criticized her for dismissing Jamila all those years ago. Jamila was sent to jail, and another court session was scheduled to determine her punishment for her role in the demolition.
Lilly rushed to Alexander, hugging him tightly. They kissed, not caring about the people around them.
"I'm finally going home," Lilly said.
"Yes, Viola is waiting for you," Alexander replied.
Sarah and the others gathered around to hug Lilly. "I'm so glad you're free now," Sarah said.
"So am I," Lilly smiled.
"But that Ariana," Sarah continued, "I can’t believe she let this innocent girl take the blame. She killed all those people just to tear you and Alexander apart. I’m glad she didn’t succeed."
Lilly smiled faintly. "She didn’t succeed this time, but I know she’s already planning her next move."
"Gosh, I wish we could just end this," Sarah fumed. "What’s Alexander planning to do about her?"
"He hasn’t said yet. He’s being patient because of me; otherwise, he would have handled it his way."
"I wish you'd let him handle it. He’d erase her from existence," Sarah suggested with a wry smile.
Lilly laughed softly. "Don’t worry, whatever Ariana tries next will only trap her further."
Ariana, knowing things were slipping out of her control, decided to take immediate action. She called for a press conference at her company to clear her name.
"Are you really the one behind all of this?" Carolina asked Ariana as she prepared to leave the house.
"What are you talking about?" Ariana responded with a laugh.
"The things they said at the trial—did you do it?" Carolina pressed.
Ariana chuckled again. "Please, Mother, do you think I could do all that? My assistant is the one behind it. I’m just as shocked as everyone else. I didn’t realize I had such a devil working for me. Who knows, she might have come after me next! I’m just glad she’s behind bars now."
Carolina sighed in relief, trusting her daughter’s words. Ariana then left for the press conference, looking calm and composed as she faced the gathered reporters.
At the conference, Ariana addressed every question with grace, denying any involvement in the demolition and expressing shock at her assistant’s actions. She claimed she was as much a victim as everyone else. She also took the opportunity to publicly apologize to Lilly, acknowledging the suffering her assistant had caused and congratulating her on her newfound freedom.
As Ariana’s apology played on a tablet in the car, Alexander was furious, but Lilly remained calm. Ariana’s words didn’t fool her. She knew all too well that Ariana had orchestrated everything, using her assistant as a scapegoat.
"Do you still want me to let her be?" Alexander asked in frustration.
Lilly met his gaze, her expression unwavering. "Yes. She’s not done yet. When she makes her next move, that’s when we’ll catch her."
Though Alexander had his own ideas about how to deal with Ariana, he decided to trust Lilly’s plan. They both knew Ariana hadn’t lost her memory—she was pretending, as part of her larger scheme. Whatever had happened between her and Alexander was over, and Lilly wasn’t about to let any other woman step into her place. Alexander belonged to her, and she was determined to keep it that way.
When they arrived home, Alexander got out of the car first, followed by Lilly. As soon as she entered the house, Viola rushed to her.
"Mummy!" Viola cried as she ran into her mother’s arms.
Lilly picked up her daughter, hugging her tightly and spinning her around. "I missed you so much," she said, kissing her daughter’s face.
"And I missed you too, Mummy," Viola replied, touching her mother’s hair.
Tears welled up in Lilly’s eyes as she held her daughter close. After nearly four weeks apart, she was overwhelmed with emotion.
Alexander watched from a distance, smiling at the reunion of the two people he cherished most in the world. He was willing to do anything to keep them safe.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
