The Million-Dollar Heart

Zinnia gasped and turned to look at Leopold Sterling, who was smirking weirdly, "Who are you calling an old hag?!"

"Hey, isn't that Austin's mom over there? Why is your daughter sitting with the Littleton family's witnesses? Don't tell me she's the witness Vivienne Hawthorn mentioned."

Zinnia retorted, "Impossible! She's my daughter; why would she side with strangers?!"

Leopold chuckled disdainfully, "Oh, now you remember she's your daughter? What were you doing before?!"

"You!"

"Order!"

The judge frowned, banging the gavel for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

Looking down at Cassidy, who stood confidently in the witness stand, the judge's frown deepened, "Witness, please present your testimony."

Cassidy glanced towards her mother Zinnia, who was staring at her in shock, and smiled slightly, "Your Honor, my name is Cassidy. I'm supposedly the girl Julian was accused of harassing."

"I can affirm, Julian has been the best teacher I've had since starting school. He did not harass me. The whole situation was a scam orchestrated by my mother Zinnia and Kipling Abernasy." The courtroom erupted in shock.

Zinnia screamed, "You little brat! What nonsense are you spouting?! Get down here, I've done so much for you, and this is how you repay me?!"

Kipling was equally unsettled, "Cassidy, have you lost your mind?! Do you realize what you're saying? Come down now!"

smile only grew

I'm saying, Your Honor. I am the victim here,

standing aside with her makeup perfectly

to bring Cassidy, the very person involved, as a

spoke up, "Your Honor, I've heard Cassidy suffers from severe depression. Can we really trust the testimony of

calmly retorted, "Ms. Grimshaw, if you had educated yourself, you'd know depression isn't amnesia. People with depression are only emotionally down but their memory and awareness are as sharp as

"Legally, there's no rule against people with depression testifying. Especially when the witness is the

do to my daughter? Your Honor, I demand a medical examination

screamed, trying to break through the police barrier, "Cassidy, come back! Don't make a

"What do you know?"

to sell me off to influential old men, or how to make me serve as a maid

of my college opportunities, claiming I had depression, and lock me in a hospital? If it weren't for this attempt to frame Julian again, I might have spent my life in a dark room!" The

me, you should have expected that

chances of finding another

line and approached Cassidy, "You traitor! How much did they pay you? Tell me, I'll

"Get lost!"

quick to

gaze

Kipling, have you forgotten what you did to me five years ago?!" "Your Honor,

she said each word clearly, "Zinnia was his