“I will divorce you,” he said. “Just not now.”
“When?” Quinn demanded.
“Let me make some arrangements. Quinn, don’t tell my parents, or…” he said as his brow furrowed. “It won’t be good for either of us. You don’t want everyone to know about this, do you?”
“Give me a date,” Quinn insisted. “A week? Ten days? How long?”
“I can’t say for sure…”
Quinn stood her ground.
“Ten days. I’ll give you ten days. Otherwise, I’m not afraid of the shame. I’m the victim. You’re the one who should be ashamed! If you don’t agree to a divorce, I’ll tell everyone everything!”
Chase was getting desperate.
“What do you hope to gain from that? I said I’ll divorce you! I have to make arrangements so that the company isn’t affected. Can’t you give me some time?”
Quinn didn’t want to exchange another word with him. She turned to leave. Chase moved to block her, reaching for her arm.
A wave of nausea washed over her. She clapped a hand over her mouth and ran to the restroom.
Chase froze. She is throwing up?
Quinn did throw up. The moment Chase got close to her, she couldn’t control it.
“Quinn? Are you okay?” he called from outside.
Quinn stood up, her face pale. At that moment, she knew she would probably be repulsed by any man’s touch from now on. The trauma of last night had manifested as a physical revulsion to male contact.
She washed her face, rinsed her mouth, and opened the door, her face ashen.
Chase looked at her, a flicker of concern in his eyes.
“Are you okay? You look terrible. Should I take you to the hospital?”
Quinn dodged him, not even wanting to look at him.
“Stay away from me, or I’ll really be sick.”
“Quinn, don’t be like this,” Chase said, exasperated. “Tell me what I can do to make you forgive me.”
“A divorce,” Quinn declared and grabbed her bag. “Chase, let’s end this. Otherwise, it will get ugly for everyone.”
“You…” Chase started to say something, but she was already at the door. He followed her, yet she ignored him completely.
Chase was used to being adored, especially by Quinn. She had never given him the cold shoulder before. He got angry, barking, “Fine. Let’s divorce! Don’t you regret it!”
Quinn turned back, saying, “Let’s go get it done now.”
“I don’t have my papers,” Chase said, avoiding her eyes. “Some other day.”
“Not some other day. Tomorrow. Eight-thirty. At the courthouse. I’ll be waiting.”
“Fine.”
As soon as she left, Quinn called Lucy.
“Lucy, you said you knew a really good lawyer. Can you give me her number?”
“Is the divorce not going smoothly?” Lucy asked, worried. “Don’t panic. The lawyer is my cousin. She’ll definitely help you! I’ll call her right now and have her contact you.”
Half an hour later, Quinn met with Veronica Young.
She was a beautiful woman with short hair, dressed in a sharp suit and high heels, exuding competence and style.
Veronica shook her hand, saying, “Lucy told me you’re in some trouble. What kind of case is it? I don’t handle divorces, but I can help if you need a referral.”
Quinn shook her head, replying, “It’s not about the divorce. There’s something I wanted to ask you about. I want to know if, in this situation, if I were to go to the police or sue, the other party would be convicted.”
Veronica’s expression turned serious as she asked, “What happened?”
“Can you keep this confidential?” Quinn asked.
“You have my professional word.”
Quinn briefly explained what had happened.
Veronica had been a lawyer for eight years and had heard it all. But Quinn’s story still shocked her. Being sent to another man’s bed by her own husband was absurd.
“You said the man is rich and powerful,” she said. “So, who is he?”
Quinn’s hands were clasped so tightly her knuckles were white.
“His name is Julian Sterling.”
“What?”
Veronica was stunned.
Seeing her reaction, Quinn gave a bitter smile, saying, “A big shot, right? You know him too?”
“Impossible,” Veronica frowned and asked. “Quinn, are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
“I saw him when I woke up,” Quinn said. “I was naked, and he was there. And I have some memories… It was him.”
“But…” Veronica shook her head and murmured. “I can’t believe it.”
“Maybe his public image is just a very successful act,” Quinn said. “The first time I saw him, I thought he was noble and aloof. I never thought he would do something like this.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll help you,” Veronica said. “What evidence do you have?”
Quinn shook her head, replying, “I… I looked online. It said I need to preserve bodily fluids, but there was nothing on me.”
“How can there be nothing?”
“When I woke up, I think he might have given me a bath,” Quinn said, not wanting to relive the memory, but she had to tell Veronica the details. “So, no evidence.”
“It’s already difficult for women to win these cases. Without physical evidence, it’s even harder.”
“But I have a recording of Chase,” Quinn said, taking out her phone. “Can this be used as evidence?”
“It can, but it’s not very strong,” Veronica said. “And it’s easy for this kind of evidence to be ruled inadmissible.”
“Why?”
“First, you need Chase’s cooperation. If he denies it, the credibility of your recording is low. He could claim you coerced him. Second, Julian’s team could say you two conspired to frame him since you’re husband and wife.”
“But…” Quinn stammered as her heart sank. “So, there’s no chance of winning?”
“To be honest,” Veronica said, “against someone like Julian, a single recording won’t be enough to convict him. His legal team might even countersue you for defamation.”
“Is there no hope at all?”
Veronica could hear the despair in her voice. What had happened to Quinn was tragic, and she deserved sympathy. But she had to be realistic.
“Maybe you could sue for emotional distress,” Veronica suggested. “That might be more realistic.”
“To him, any problem that can be solved with money isn’t a problem, right?” Quinn replied and gave a bitter smile. “I don’t want money. I want him to go to jail.”
Veronica shook her head, stating, “I can tell you right now, no lawyer will take your case. I can help you, but I don’t have any chance of winning.”
Quinn hadn’t expected to be so completely shut down.
“Then what can I do to make him confess?”
“If what you say is true, and this isn’t the first time he’s done this, do you think the other women were all willing? Of course not. Do you think none of them wanted to sue him? Of course they did. But in the end, it probably all came to nothing.”
“Just because he’s rich and powerful, he can get away with breaking the law?”
“Quinn, Lucy said you’re her best friend, so I’ll be frank with you. This world is full of injustices. You’ll see a lot more of them.”
“Then what’s the point of the law? Are ordinary people just supposed to be bullied by them?”
Veronica sighed, “Quinn, what can I say? It’s frustrating, but that’s the reality. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you with this.”
“Lucy said you’re the best lawyer,” Quinn pleaded as her eyes welled with tears. “If even you can’t help me, what am I supposed to do?”
Her lashes trembled. Even Veronica, a woman, felt her heart soften at the sight of the beautiful, crying girl.
“If you’re determined to go to the police to sue him,” she said, “even though I have no chance of winning, I will be your lawyer. Maybe we can try a different approach, through public opinion. We might not be able to get him convicted, but we can at least make his life difficult.”
“Public opinion?”
“Yes. Society sympathizes with the underdog. With social media, we can get a few influencers to create some buzz, but that means you’ll have to expose everything. You’ll have to stand naked before the world. It won’t be easy for Julian, but you’ll be skinned alive too.”
Quinn was silent.
“Society sympathizes with the underdog,” Veronica continued, “but there are also many people who are inherently biased against women. They’ll say you’re seeking attention, trying to climb the social ladder. They might say you threw yourself at him because he’s rich and powerful, and now you’re trying to sue him… The things they’ll say could be much, much worse.”
“I know,” Quinn replied and nodded. She wanted to sue Julian, to see him punished by the law, but she hadn’t considered making it a public spectacle. For a woman, her reputation was as important as her honor.
“Think about it,” Veronica said. “If you decide to go to the police, the sooner the better.”
“Okay, I’ll think about it,” Quinn said. Though disappointed, she was still grateful. “Thank you so much.”
“I didn’t do much,” Veronica said. “Let me know what you decide.”
After Veronica left, Quinn was lost in thought. She had finally mustered the courage to fight back to punish the wicked, only to find that her chances were so slim.
Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Veronica.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.