Chapter 3

I found myself in the Court of Justice, observing Lily in the plaintiff's chair. Her eyes were puffy and she appeared frail. When others tried to comfort her, she spoke with a pained look on her face.

"We shouldn't put all the blame on Jack. Perhaps he simply doesn't grasp the idea of platonic friendships between men and women."

"It was wrong of him to strike me, but that's just his nature. He struggles to manage his emotions. I actually feel bad for him too."

As I listened to her words, I nearly chuckled. On the surface, Lily seemed to be speaking in my defense, but in reality, she had already established my guilt.

The uninformed spectators pointed fingers at me and hurled insults.

"Jack, do you have any humanity? Lily has always treated you so well, exemplifying a devoted wife. How could you raise a hand against her? Have you no shame?"

"Is it possible Jack has a mistress? Is that why he's so determined to drive Lily away?"

This remark caused a commotion among the audience and live stream viewers. Infidelity was a serious offense; if proven, one could face immediate elimination.

A barely noticeable smirk of victory played on Lily's lips, but she continued to feign defending me.

"That's impossible. Jack isn't that type of person. Please don't say such things. He still cares for me. There's even a lipstick in the car he bought for me, though it's been used. The sales associate probably tricked him."

This revelation directly confirmed suspicions of my unfaithfulness.

Comments flooded in: [Poor girl, it's not the sales associate who deceived him, you're the one being fooled!]

[What a wonderful wife, still protecting that scoundrel even now. Jack should just perish, he doesn't deserve to live!]

Seeing the flood of text, I let out a sardonic laugh, but didn't bother to respond. I had no need to justify myself to these fools who jumped to conclusions without knowing the full story.

"Your Honor, we can commence," I said, looking at the stern-faced judge.

Someone mocked me, "He's even eager to begin. These days, it seems the more shameless you are, the more you can get away with."

The judge rapped his gavel to quiet the court and started the proceedings.

"The plaintiff must present evidence to prove the defendant's wrongdoings. Once the trial begins, no one can back out. Anyone who withdraws will face immediate elimination."

I noticed a flicker of fear cross Lily's face, but she still stood up to start presenting her evidence.

The first piece was an accusation of domestic violence against me.

The large screen illuminated. I glanced at the viewer count, which had reached 80 million. Understandably, this number made me somewhat anxious. After all, if public opinion was overwhelmingly against me, it could negatively impact my case.