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!"

only grew

course, I know what I'm saying, Your Honor. I am the victim here, and I

Grimshaw, standing aside with her makeup perfectly done,

managed to bring Cassidy, the very person involved,

I've heard Cassidy suffers from severe depression. Can we really trust the testimony of someone mentally

know depression isn't amnesia. People with depression are only emotionally down but

Perez added, "Legally, there's no rule against people with

you bastards! What did you do to my daughter? Your Honor, I demand a medical

back! Don't make a scene here. How could I, as your mother, not know about your

"What do you know?"

to influential old men, or how to make me serve as a maid for you and

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 courtroom was in an uproar, the clerk overwhelmed by the

those things to me, you should

another witness were slim, and

to make his decision, Kipling, driven by immense fear, broke through the police line and approached Cassidy, "You traitor! How much did they pay you? Tell me,

"Get lost!"

to

her calm gaze not showing a hint

what you did to me five years ago?!" "Your Honor, I wish to press charges against Kipling. Five years ago, he used his position to force himself

said each word clearly, "Zinnia was his