Chapter 365
Wooing My Ex-Wife
Gwendolyn slid the note back into her pocket and looked down without saying a word.
At the defendantâs table, Kylie didnât seem to be in good spirits.
When the clueless audience caught the sorrowful expression on her face, they lamented the nobility of her motherly love and kindness for her adopted son.
In contrast, Gwendolyn wore a mask of indifference.
Despite her beauty, they accused her of being cold-hearted and thought she deserved to be put on the stand if she did commit murder.
The oblivious people at the public gallery had already made up their minds and were in favor of Kylie before the trial even started.
âMr. Vidar Lund was extradited via an international arrest warrant.
His crimes, if any, shouldâve been judged through a trial by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Meanwhile, the defendant, Gwendolyn Shalders Harris, murdered Mr. Vidar Lund on their wedding day and hid his body.
Until this day, his body is nowhere to be found.
Your Honor, we demand a heavier sentence for the defendant for conducting such psychotic deeds!â
Gwendolyn was spacing out when she heard Kylieâs lawyer mention her name.
Something the lawyer said had caught her attention.
Charlesâ body is missing? How can that be? I heard Cedrick ordered his men to send Charlesâ body to the Newtons in Chanaea.
Do the Newtons hate me so much that they collude with Her Highness and hide Charlesâ body to ruin me? Gwendolynâs mind was a jumbled mess of speculations and theories.
âYour Honor, the defendant has something to say against the plaintiffâs complaint.
â Jared raised his hand and spoke before he turned to Gwendolyn.
âMs. Harris, donât be afraid.
Tell the court what happened at Flola Grand Cathedral on the wedding day.
â The Harris familyâs legal team had had it all planned out.
They would present the proof of Nicoâs injury and other evidence to the court once Gwendolyn read the note.
At that moment, all eyes in the room were concentrated on Gwendolyn.
No one knew what she was thinking.
âMs. Harris, itâs your turn to speak,â Jared reminded her, pulling her out of her thought.
âDonât be scared and speak your mind.
The judge is fair and will grant you justice.
â Gwendolyn lifted her gaze and glanced at Jared.
She understood what he wanted her to do.
He was signaling her to shift the blame to Charles, letting him shoulder all the responsibility and infamy.
Charles was already dead anyway, and she was merely putting on a performance for the living.
Once everything ended, no oneâs life would be affected.
However, she couldnât do something like that to Charles.
Even though she never loved him, she used to admire and revere him.
Besides, Charles had never harmed her.
He didnât owe her anything.
No one knew how to love upon birth.
The way he loved was different than the rest.
âMs. Harris!â Jared called out for the third time.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Gwendolyn instinctively looked over her shoulder at Kieran and Treyton, who were sitting in the public gallery.
Both her brothersâ gazes were filled with conviction.
They hinted at her to rest assured and follow the plan.
Gwendolyn sighed inwardly and finally spoke.
She glanced at Kylie who was at the plaintiffâs table and asked calmly, âYour Highness, do you know what Charlesâ favorite food was? What food did he hate the most? Or his biggest wish?â âWhat are you trying to ask?â Not only Kylie, but everyone in the courtroom was stunned by Gwendolynâs question.
The defendantâs counsels stared wide-eyed at Gwendolyn.
Anger poured through Jared and he broke the pen in his grip.
This woman canât follow orders! If I lose this case, my bonus is as good as gone! My reputation as Chanaeaâs top lawyer will be dragged through the mud! Gwendolyn ignored her counselâs fervent hinting and continued, âYou donât know the answer to any of it because you never cared what he truly wanted for the past twenty years despite the guilt haunting you.
Youâd only forced whatever you thought was good for him onto him to lessen the guilt.
â Her criticism baffled Kylie, sending rage pulsing through her.
Kylie shot a fierce glare at Gwendolyn in retaliation.
âYes, I was unaware of his likes and dislikes.
I couldâve slowly discovered them, but Iâve lost that chance forever because of you!â Gwendolyn lowered her gaze and continued speaking as though Kylie didnât accuse her.
âI knew the answers because I frequented the Newton residence when I was younger.
I was the little girl who was always running after him.
He was loyal and wouldnât change his belief once he set his mind to it.
Cantaloupe and watermelon were his favorite fruits.
He said life was bitter and tiring, hence his love for sweets.
He disliked foie gras and chitlins because of the smell, regardless of the chefsâ skills.
The woman he loved the most was me, and his lifelong pursuit was to marry me.
Alas, I could never grant him those two wishes.
On our wedding day, he chose to fulfill my wish in the end, but what youâre doing now is destroying everything he had ever loved.
â Kylie was taken aback by Gwendolynâs words.
Tears streamed down Kylieâs face when she met Gwendolynâs eyes.
She knew all about Charlesâ obsession with Gwendolyn.
He was willing to jump in front of Gwendolyn to take the bullet for her without a second thought on the wedding day.
It was the first time he had ever glared at Kylie.
She could still remember every word he said.
âKilling her is equivalent to killing me!â Even if I win todayâs trial and take down Gwendolyn, Iâm sure Charlie will hate me if he finds out.
The notion of dropping the charges flashed across Kylieâs mind at the thought of Charles.
Noticing the guilt written across Kylieâs face, the defendantâs counsel let out a relieved sigh at the thought of keeping their bonus and silently praised Gwendolyn for her methods.
Kylie was conflicted, but before she could give voice to her thoughts, her lawyer whispered something in her ear.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
The gaze she cast at Gwendolyn was filled with intense hatred.
âHow shameless of you, Gwendolyn Shalders Harris! Trying to appeal to my emotions while threatening me!â She gritted her teeth in anger and slammed her hand on the table.
Her lawyer immediately raised his hand and said, âYour Honor, the plaintiff is beside herself.
I request for a recess.
â âAgree.
â Once the judge agreed, Kylie and her team swiftly left the courtroom.
Gwendolyn and her brothers also return to their waiting room.
She was confused about Kylie losing her temper at the end.
âWhat have you guys done?â Treyton explained, âJennifer found some intimate photos of her father with Her Highness in Erihal.
Other than photos, we have other evidence that can prove Charles wasnât adopted but was Her Highnessâ illegitimate son.
Weâve already informed Her Highnessâ counsel about this.
We donât mind exposing the royal familyâs scandal if Her Highness insists on continuing the trial.
I trust Her Highness will drop her charges during the recess after weighing the pros and cons.
â Gwendolyn said nothing, not letting down her guard despite the odds being in her favor.
Will Her Highness obediently give in and drop the case with her headstrong nature? Compared to that, Iâm more worried about Jennifer.
âDid Jennifer deliver those photos herself? Where is she?â Treyton pondered briefly and answered, âShe said she was going to the restroom a while ago and would meet us here later.
â At the same time, Kylie was throwing a tantrum and smashing things left and right.
Worried she would destroy public property, Gerhardt instructed his men to clear away every vase and cup in the room and gave her a pillow to vent her anger.
Kylie took the pillow and ripped it into pieces, sending cotton flying everywhere.
Gerhardt rubbed his forehead at the sight.
Fine.
It looks like I have to pay for the damage to the pillow.
Iâve underestimated Kylieâs destructive power.