Chapter 7 — Forced to Peel Shrimps, I Smashed an Entire Family

In the courtroom, the atmosphere was so heavy that it almost froze, every eye seemed to be waiting for a judgment. I sat in the plaintiff's seat, next to my father and lawyer Ly. My father's hand held mine tightly, silently giving me stability. On the opposite side, the Co family sat neatly as if prepared for a performance, everyone had an obnoxiously confident look on their faces. Luu Mai wore simple clothes, pale makeup trying to look pitiful, Co Dinh sat next to her with eyes as sharp as knives, occasionally glancing at me with hostility. Co Vien Son still maintained a cold expression as if he had nothing to do with it, while Co Dich bowed his head and avoided it, his weak appearance made the last bit of emotion in me disappear. Their lawyer, Truong, stood up to present, his voice as smooth as if he had practiced it hundreds of times, every sentence and every word embellished to sound reasonable. He used the online article as the basis, used legal language to frame it, turning the fabrication into something that seemed like the truth. He said I was hot-tempered, and just three days after the wedding, I beat an adult, causing the other person to panic and have to be hospitalized. He also gave me a diagnosis of "acute stress disorder." He said I was targeting my husband's assets, claiming all the money for the house purchase, repairs and furniture was paid by them. He also took out copies of the documents they had stolen from the safe and arranged them in a thick stack in front of the court. He didn't stop there, he continued to attack my personality, saying I had a complicated love life and didn't deserve any common property. They even presented two "witnesses" who said they had seen me intimate with another man before marriage. Their testimony was full of holes, but under the guidance of lawyer Truong, it still created a significant negative impact. In the audience, agitated people began to whisper, their eyes directed at me full of prejudice and curiosity. That sound was like small needles, pricking my nerves, but I remained silent, not expressing anything. I saw the corners of Luu Mai and Co Dinh's lips curl up slightly, they believed they were sure of victory. They think that in the face of public opinion and that pile of "evidence", I will have no way to speak. Lawyer Ly did not interrupt from beginning to end, just quietly taking notes, his expression terrifyingly calm. It wasn't until lawyer Truong finished with a request to dismiss my entire lawsuit and force me to apologize and compensate that she closed the case. The judge looked over at us.

“Invite the plaintiff's lawyer to present and cross-examine.”

Lawyer Ly stood up, his demeanor completely changed, his eyes as sharp as a knife just pulled out of its sheath.

“Your Honor, everything the defendant has just presented is, in our opinion, a deliberate fabrication and was created using false evidence.”

Lawyer Ly's voice was not loud, but each word clearly spread throughout the courtroom, carrying the certainty of someone in control of the whole situation.

"First of all, regarding my client being accused of 'hitting adults', I would like to ask defendant Luu Mai, on the day the incident occurred, did she insult my client's mother?"

Luu Mai paused, her eyes avoiding: "I... I don't have it, I just teach him the rules."

“Teaching rules?” Lawyer Ly smiled slightly, his voice light but sharp, "So the sentence 'what did your mother teach you' was what she said?"

Luu Mai's face immediately turned red: "I... I don't remember!"

"Are not It's okay to remember, we have a way to help you remember."

Lawyer Ly turned to the judge, his voice calm: "Your Honor, our side has important evidence that we would like to present and distribute immediately at the hearing." She took out a USB, at that moment, Co Dich suddenly stopped, her face turned white as if she had just realized something. Luu Mai and Co Dinh still did not understand what was going on, just looked at each other in confusion, while the judge nodded to allow the release. The device was connected, the whole courtroom fell silent, then Luu Mai's bitter voice rang out, so clear that it was undeniable.