Chapter 1Second I got assaulted, I called the cops. But the lawyer defending that piece of shit? My husband, Paxton Hartley.
Trial started and he played a video of me.
"So, Wren—no bra that night, red dress slit up to here. You telling me you weren't trying to get my client's attention?"
"You know you can't handle your liquor. But you knocked back ten shots anyway. That sound right to you?"
"You slept around so much you can't even have kids now. So what is this—you're gonna frame some innocent twenty-year-old kid to feel better about yourself?"
The whole courtroom lost it.
In the gallery, Paxton's first love—Sienna Marsh—was sobbing.
"Wren, Kieran's my baby brother! I know you hate me. But you stripped down, threw yourself at him, then screamed rape? That's disgusting."
Paxton's hand went to her shoulder. Soft. Protective.
I sat in that witness stand. Couldn't feel my hands.
Seven years ago he stood in a courtroom and said:
"SO A WOMAN DRINKS, WEARS A DRESS, STAYS OUT LATE—AND SHE DESERVES TO GET RAPED?"
He was defending me then.
Now? He used those same words to destroy me.
---
The screen flipped on. Everything went cold.
Security footage from the hotel hallway.
In the video, I'm wearing that red dress, tits practically falling out.
I'm stumbling, hanging all over Kieran Marsh.
Worst part? Looks like I'm the one pulling him in.
The courtroom went nuts.
Paxton pointed at the screen.
"Look at this. She's not yelling, not fighting—hell, she's moving right along with him."
"That's not resisting. That's playing games."
My throat closed up. I bit my lip and tasted blood.
"That's not what happened! I was drugged—I couldn't talk, couldn't move."
"I told him no."
Paxton glanced up at me for like half a second, then looked away fast.
His voice went cold. Like he was barely holding it together.
"Drugged? Really?"
"Ms. Wren, let me get this straight. Woman gets trashed at midnight, dressed like she's working the streets, walks into a hotel room with some college kid."
"And you're saying someone forced you?"
Felt like he just stripped me naked in front of the whole room.
Paxton went rigid for a second.
Looked right at me—my face must've been dead white.
His throat jumped. Like it just hit him what came out of his mouth.
Then just like that, he looked away.
Back to being the cold-ass lawyer.
I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.
That red dress? Sienna gave it to me.
She said, "Wren, you dress so boring all the time."
"Tonight's Paxton's celebration dinner. Let him see you look hot for once."
I didn't wanna wear it.
Paxton zipped it up himself though.
He laughed and said: "My wife looks gorgeous in red."
"Wren, stop being scared when people look at you."
"You're not dirty. You're beautiful."
Now he's up there telling a courtroom I dressed like a hooker.
How the fuck did we get here?
Like someone dragged me back into that nightmare from seven years ago.
Back then, I was new at my job. My boss almost raped me.
Everyone said I was "sleeping my way to the top."
Paxton was the one who told me it wasn't my fault.
The other lawyer got in my face and said:
"Ms. Wren, why didn't you scream right away?"
"Why didn't you just run out of that office?"
"You were playing along, weren't you?"
Paxton shot up and got between us.
"Objection!"
"You can't sit here and blame her just because she didn't fight back the way you wanted her to. Doesn't mean she wasn't raped."
I cried so hard in court that day.
Because someone finally stood up and told everyone:
It wasn't her fault. She was terrified.
But now? That rapist is his ex's little brother.
So Paxton took those same words and shoved them down my throat: You deserved it.
I looked at him. Voice barely a whisper.
"This isn't you. You never talked like this."
He froze. Just for a second.
Then he pulled out another document.
Psychiatric Treatment Records.
Chapter 2
My heart dropped.
Those were my therapy records from seven years ago.
The wound I never wanted anyone to see.
Nights I'd shake so bad I couldn't stop. Wake up screaming. Stand in the shower scrubbing till I bled.
Couldn't let guys near me. Couldn't do small spaces.
Paxton dragged me to therapy.
Every time I came out he'd pull me in, kiss my forehead like crazy.
"You're safe, Wren."
"Got you forever."
I gave him everything. Every fucked-up broken part.
But he took it all and put it out there for everyone.
Paxton cracked open the file. Voice dead.
"Your Honor, Wren's been seeing a shrink for years."
"She freaks out when guys touch her. And she's always thinking she's some kind of victim."
Everything went cold. I could barely get the words out.
"That's bullshit..."
"That's private. You can't—"
Paxton didn't even glance over.
"In therapy she kept saying guys assaulted her when nothing happened."
"That night? She was wasted, her marriage was a mess, she's got all this trauma. She didn't know what the hell was going on."
Whole room lost it.
"Wait, she's actually crazy?"
"Dude, didn't she do this exact same shit seven years ago?"
"So she just makes this stuff up? Thinks everyone's trying to rape her?"
I started shaking.
Paxton finally looked at me.
His hand gripped that file so tight his knuckles went white.
But then Sienna let out this little sob.
He turned back to the judge.
"Also, Your Honor, Wren's got serious issues with Sienna."
He whipped out more papers.
"Sienna's been dealing with Wren coming after her verbally for months. Wren thinks Sienna's trying to wreck her marriage."
"Once Sienna got pregnant? Wren completely spiraled."
Screen lit up with text screenshots between me and Sienna.
Chopped to hell. Zero context. Just me looking unhinged.
[Stay away from Paxton.]
[You know he's married.]
[Sienna, what the hell do you want from me?]
Paxton read them out loud, voice steady as hell.
"Proves Wren's got serious hate for Sienna."
I stared at those screenshots. Everything went cold.
"That's not—that's not how it—"
"She sent me pictures of her and Paxton at the fireworks. Middle of the night."
"Told me the baby deserves a dad."
"Said Paxton would end up back with her anyway."
Sienna's head snapped up, shaking no, tears already falling.
"I never said that! Wren, why are you making shit up about me?"
Hand on her stomach, face soaked.
"I told you the baby's innocent. I wasn't trying to take him from you!"
"Kieran and I—we lost our parents as kids. He's literally all I have left."
"I'm pregnant, I've got nobody. I'm just scared."
Paxton kept going:
"Did you or did you not publicly go off on Ms. Marsh's unborn baby in a hospital maternity ward?"
My hands balled into fists.
That day Sienna texted me—Paxton's been in an accident, get here now.
When I got to the hospital, I found out he was just there for her prenatal appointment.
Her leaning all over him, hand rubbing circles on her stomach.
"Paxton, who do you think the baby's gonna look like more? You or me?"
I just stood there like a fucking idiot.
Only thing I said? "Sienna, you enjoying this?"
Now that's "evidence" I'm jealous of her.
I looked over at the gallery. My mom was sitting there.
Her face was white. Eyes red as hell.
Seven years ago, after my first case, she held me while I fell apart. Cried so hard she collapsed.
Then Paxton showed up. Dropped to his knees right in front of her.
"Ma'am, I swear to God—I'll protect Wren. Nobody's ever gonna hurt her again."
Now she's watching him tear me to shreds in front of a packed courtroom.
Mom shot up out of her seat.
"Paxton—what the fuck are you?"
"Seven years ago—what did you promise me?"
"You're using her medical files, her trauma, the fact she can't have babies—using all of it to get a rapist off?"
"How do you fucking sleep at night?"
Paxton's face went white.
Just stood there. Couldn't say a word.
I looked at my mom's back and felt my chest tighten.
Chapter 3
First trial wrapped. Mom got her arms around me, practically dragged me out of that courthouse.
Soon as we hit the doors, reporters swarmed.
Cameras going off right in my face.
"Wren—you go after Sienna's little brother 'cause you're pissed she's knocked up with Paxton's kid?"
"Heard you went commando that night. What, you some kind of nympho? Couldn't keep it in your pants?"
"Seven years back you pulled this exact shit. Now it's some twenty-year-old college boy. This a shakedown or what?"
"That your mom? She know her daughter fucks around like this?"
Someone shoved me and I stumbled.
Then someone grabbed my sleeve and yanked.
The fabric ripped. My shoulder and half my chest were completely exposed.
Camera flashes went crazy. Men started laughing and whistling.
"Fuck, check out those tits—kid didn't stand a chance!"
Felt like I was gonna throw up.
My mom snapped. Threw herself between me and the cameras, trying to cover me up.
"BACK THE FUCK UP! GET AWAY! YOU FUCKING ANIMALS!"
Someone shoved her. Hard.
Her head cracked against the concrete pillar by the courthouse doors.
Blood everywhere.
Finally, the court officers came out and got us out of there.
That night, someone rang my doorbell.
Paxton was standing outside with Sienna.
The second my mom saw them, her face changed.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Sienna looked at me, tears in her eyes.
"Wren, I'm so sorry about Kieran. But he's twenty—never even been with a girl. He thought when you wore that dress, you were into him..."
"He said soon as he touched you, you were right there with him. Didn't push him away or anything! How can you call the cops and destroy his entire future?"
Something in my brain just snapped.
I stared at her.
"What the fuck did you just say? I was drugged. Couldn't even move. And you're telling me I wanted it?"
Sienna flinched back, scrambled behind Paxton.
"Paxton, I'm scared—is she—is Wren losing it again—"
My mom slapped her across the face.
"Shut the fuck up!"
Paxton yanked Sienna behind him, turned on my mom.
"She's pregnant. You don't get to hit her."
Then he looked at me and sighed.
"Wren, just drop the charges."
I knew it was coming. But hearing him say it still hurt like hell.
"Sign the paper, drop the charges—we won't come after you for lying to the cops."
"Keep pushing? This ends badly for you. You can't take what's coming."
I looked at him like I'd never seen him before in my life.
"Paxton—are you actually worried about me right now? Or is this a threat?"
"You saying if I don't drop this, you're gonna sick the internet on me?"
Something flickered across his face.
"That's not—I didn't mean—"
My mom pointed at the door, shaking.
"Get out. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
She grabbed her chest and swayed.
I screamed and caught her.
Paxton stepped forward to help.
I snapped my head up and shoved him away.
"Don't you touch her!"
He froze.
My mom leaned on me, face white as a sheet, forehead covered in cold sweat.
I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and called 911.
Paxton stood there, panicking for the first time.
"Wren, I—"
I held my mom. Couldn't stop shaking.
"Get Sienna and get out. Anything happens to my mom? I will never forgive you. Never."
Paxton's mouth moved but nothing came out.
My mom's hands were ice cold.
That's when I realized—Paxton didn't come here to get me to drop the charges.
He came here to kill the last person protecting me.
