More and more people raised their hands.

Mr. Henderson stood there like a wet cloth thrown under the sun.

Director Liu still tried to struggle.

"Don't be led by the nose by Chloe."

I said: "I don't need to lead anything. You bring the accounts out, and the rhythm will follow naturally."

A suppressed wave of laughter rippled through the room.

Mr. Henderson suddenly rushed toward me.

"Chloe, do you have to ruin me?"

Julia stood in front of me.

The lawyer with Director Gu also stood up.

Mr. Henderson stopped.

He looked at the room full of people raising their hands and finally understood.

This time, no one was going to help him cover up the truth.

After the committee’s accounts were re-audited, Mr. Henderson panicked completely.

He came to find me three times.

The first time was at the entrance of the complex, carrying fruit.

"Chloe, it was Uncle Henderson being muddle-headed before. Please show some mercy."

I said: "Take the fruit. The materials have already been submitted."

The second time was in the hallway, with Mrs. Henderson.

Mrs. Henderson no longer cursed; she was crying, her face full of wrinkles.

"I shouldn't have worn your clothes or taken your things. Tell them to stop investigating my Old Chen; he has high blood pressure."

I said: "When my mother was critically ill, you threatened me with her keepsakes—did you think about my blood pressure then?"

The third time, it was Sarah.

She waited for me outside my workplace.

She wasn't wearing makeup and looked haggard.

"Can we not drag me into my father's business? My workplace saw the videos."

I looked at her.

"Who took the videos?"

She lowered her head.

"Me."

"Who posted the online thread?"

She didn't speak.

I said: "When you were filming me, did you think about whether it would drag me into your mess?"

Tears fell down her face.

"Back then, I thought you were bullying our family."

I asked: "And now?"

She choked back a sob.

"Now I know it wasn't."

I said: "Sarah, you aren't a child. An adult's apology isn't just saying you know you were wrong and expecting others to wipe the slate clean for you."

She wiped her face and left.

I felt no pleasure.

Only exhaustion.

Julia said: "You’re too soft-hearted; you feel bad whenever they cry."

I said: "Feeling bad and forgiving are two different things."

Chapter 24

On the seventeenth day, Liam’s disciplinary notice was issued.

He was suspended from his workplace pending an investigation.

The reasons went beyond occupying the house and forging my signature.

There were also multiple instances of borrowing money from others without repaying it, fabricating the addition of names to a "marital home" that didn't exist, and suspicion of fraud.

When the news arrived, I was at home, wiping my mother’s photo frame.

Liam was standing outside the door, ringing the bell for a long time.

I didn't open it.

He just spoke from the other side of the door.

"Chloe, I know you're in there."

I set the photo frame straight.

He said, "I only learned today that the money my dad owed wasn't actually that urgent. My mom had been lying to me, saying that if I didn't pay it back, something terrible would happen. I was in a panic; I was truly panicked."

I didn't respond.

He said, "My mistake was treating your house as my escape route. But we had three years of history—don't you care about that at all?"

I walked to the door and asked, separated by the wood:

"Did you ever care about it?"

The silence outside deepened.

I said, "When you were 'caring' about our relationship, did you ever think about me returning from a business trip to find strangers eating in my home?"

He didn't answer.

"Did you ever think about my mother’s photo frame being shoved into a corner?"

He still said nothing.

"Did you ever think about you standing in the living room, urging me to sign that fake agreement?"

Liam’s voice went hoarse.

"Chloe, I was afraid back then."

"Is being afraid an excuse to harm others?"

He couldn't say a word.

I opened the door.

It wasn't because my heart had softened.

It was because some things needed to be said face to face.

Liam had lost weight, and his beard was unshaven.

Seeing me, a flicker of hope ignited in his eyes.

"Chloe."

I handed him a paper bag.

Inside were the annulment documents, a list of returned items, a breakdown of property damage, and a copy of the legal materials I had entrusted my lawyer to file.

"Sign for it."

His hope extinguished.

"You’re still going to sue me?"

I said, "Yes."

His hand trembled, and the paper bag nearly fell to the floor.

"How much are you making me pay?"

"Based on actual losses, emotional distress, lost wages, and house restoration costs—whatever it comes out to. The forgery and illegal entry will be handled through separate legal procedures."

He looked up at me.

"You really aren't leaving me any way out."

I asked, "Who was the one who nearly blocked my way out?"

His eyes reddened.

This time, it wasn't an act of feigned grievance.

He was truly afraid.

"Chloe, what am I going to do now?"

I said, "That is your concern."

He stepped forward.

"Don't be like this."

I pulled the door back.

"Liam, my mother taught me that kindness should be given to people, not to wolves."

The door closed.

He stood outside for a long time.

I didn't listen any longer.

On the day the court hearing began, the gallery was filled with people.

Homeowners from the complex came.

Colleagues from work came.

The Henderson family came as well.

They sat on opposite sides of the defendant's bench from Liam, their glares at each other filled with hatred.

That is the most ridiculous thing about people who commit evil together:

When they are profiting, they call each other brothers.

When things go wrong, they tear at each other's flesh.

My lawyer was introduced to me by Director Gu.

His surname was Zhang; he was in his forties. He spoke slowly, but every word hit the mark.

Lawyer Zhang submitted the evidence.

The door lock records.

The living room video.

The group chat screenshots.

The fake agreement.

The handwriting analysis.

The record of retrieving the jewelry box.

The property management registration materials.

The original signed documents from the wedding company.

Mr. Henderson’s lawyer attempted to argue:

"My client subjectively believed that Liam had the authority to represent Chloe."

Lawyer Zhang asked: "Did Chloe explicitly refuse to lend the house before she left?"

Mr. Henderson didn't speak.

Chapter 25

The video played.

On screen, I stood at the door and said, "My house is not for lending."

Mr. Henderson’s face turned dark.

Lawyer Zhang asked: "After being explicitly refused, why did you still enter the property?"

Mr. Henderson said: "Liam said she would agree."

Lawyer Zhang asked: "Did Chloe herself agree?"

Mr. Henderson gritted his teeth: "No."

A low murmur arose in the gallery.

Then it was Liam’s turn.

His lawyer said:

"Liam and Chloe were a fiancé and fiancée. Driven by the common goal of preparing for the wedding and renovating their marital home, his understanding of behavioral boundaries was unclear."

Lawyer Zhang opened a video file.

In the conference room, Liam’s own voice roared:

"So what if I wrote it? It wasn't like I did it for anything other than saving money for our wedding!"

Lawyer Zhang asked: "What were you referring to when you said 'wrote it'?"

Liam hung his head.

"The signature."

"Whose signature?"

"Chloe’s."

"Did she authorize it?"

"No."

Lawyer Zhang closed the file.

"I have no further questions."

A few simple sentences were more brutal than a hundred insults.

Martha appeared as the representative for the property management company.

At first, she tried to claim she had been deceived.

Lawyer Zhang asked: "Did Chloe send a written notice to the property management clearly stating that she did not consent to others moving in?"

Martha nodded.

"She did."

"After receiving it, did you still prevent Chloe from returning home?"

Martha’s voice was very small.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Martha glanced at Mr. Henderson.

"I was afraid of the trouble escalating."

Lawyer Zhang asked: "Afraid of the trouble, or afraid that your unauthorized door opening would be discovered?"

Martha turned pale.

She didn't answer.

Not answering was an answer in itself.

When the hearing concluded, the judge announced that the verdict would be delivered at a later date.

Walking out of the courthouse, the sunlight was blinding.

Xiao Liu chased after me from behind.

"Chloe, I’m sorry."

I looked back.

She was clutching the strap of her bag.

"When I saw that post earlier, I really doubted you. After seeing the evidence in court today, I feel quite ashamed of myself."

I said: "You didn't join in on the abuse, and that’s already good enough."

She shook her head.

"In the future, I won't just listen to whoever speaks first."