Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 119

(Dilara's

POV)

From where I stood, half-hidden behind a huge oak tree at the edge of the courthouse, I watched Ethan Crawford get eviscerated by his father.

The elder Crawford's face was a deep shade of red, veins bulging at his temples as he jabbed a finger at Ethan's chest. Ethan, for all his smugness, now looked like a scolded child. His shoulders hunched as his father berated him. It was like the weight of his failure was finally sinking in.

"This is what you've done to us, Ethan!" Mr. Crawford roared and his voice carried across the parking lot. "Millions-millions I've spent covering your damn messes. And for what? For it to all come crashing down now?" Ethan, his usual arrogance nowhere to be found, stammered. "Dad, I-"

"Don't you dare!" his father spat. "Do you have any idea what you've cost me? My reputation? My investments in the center? The board's on my back, and now this... this rape case of yours is public! Do you know how many skeletons I've buried to keep your name clean?"

I chuckled softly to myself, but it was bitter. It was almost poetic, watching Ethan's world crumble. The man who had once held so much power over me now looked so small, so insignificant. But this wasn't enough. Not yet.

This wasn't just about me-it never was. It was about every girl he'd hurt, every life he'd shattered. For years, I'd thought I was alone in my pain as I carried the consequences of his actions in silence. But I wasn't alone. And I wasn't silent anymore.

I glanced down at my phone as the notifications from the Facebook group lit up the screen.

*"Thank you for starting this, Dilara."*

*"I've waited so long to tell my story."*

*"We'll fight him together."*

The messages poured in, one after the other. Survivors, women who had been silenced for years, were finally finding their voices.

I had started the group two weeks ago, shortly after publicizing the extent of Ethan's crimes. At first, it was just a handful of us-women I'd tracked down through rumors and networking. But word spread quickly, and now there were dozens. Maybe even hundreds soon.

I tapped into the chat.

*"Ladies, it's time."*

The responses came in immediately.

*"Let's do this."*

*"He won't get away with it."*

*"For the ones who can't fight back."*

My chest tightened as I read the words; anger and hope swelled in me.

This wasn't just about taking Ethan down. It was about sending a message to him, to his father, to every man who thought they could use their power and money to destroy lives.

I turned my gaze back to Ethan. His father had stormed off and left him alone in the parking lot, his head in his hands.

myself. "And I'm going to make sure you hit the

phone and walked away in light and purposeful

was only the

...

(Hande's POV)

program coordinator, who had just handed us a thick packet of forms. Eddie groaned dramatically and

you barely know how to pack a bag, let alone wing it across multiple

his chair and clasped his hands behind his head. "That's why I have you, babe.

smile tugged at my lips. "The charm that convinced me to do this with you? You should be grateful I don't

tried to maintain professionalism while she fought back a laugh. "The two

have no idea," I said and signed my name on the first form.

exclaimed, pretending to be offended. "I'll have it securely

burst out laughing, shaking my head. "Case

the plan? You hit the books, I hit the keyboard, and then we become a world-conquering

to be the best back-end developer this

him playfully. "And when your first client asks you to debug something, what's your

for a moment, then

my sides hurt. Despite his goofiness, I couldn't imagine

...

(Charlotte's POV)

even in the early summer breeze. Every corner seemed to echo with memories of the center-the bare

I'd returned to France, but it felt like an eternity. I missed them all-Hande's teasing encouragement, Angel's leadership, even Eddie's silly jokes. But most

of jam on the supermarket shelf. The mundane tasks of daily life were

a familiar voice thick with an accent that sent a jolt through

standing awkwardly in the middle of the aisle, holding a

barely able

nervously. "Bonjour... uh...

shaky laugh bubbled out of me as tears welled up in my

set the basket down as his hands reached for mine. "I... I missed you,

gripped

he took a deep breath, "I came here to tell you something important."

smiled, that warm, reassuring smile I'd missed so much. "I want to marry you, Charlotte. That's why I'm

for a moment, I forgot how

love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So,

the laughter and tears as I threw my arms around his

the first time since leaving the center, I felt like I

...

(Dilrah's POV)

of her shirt. She looked like a shadow of herself, and for a moment, I felt a little bit guilty. But

said quietly, keeping my gaze fixed on the tiled

eyes had widened with a plea. "What do you mean, you're leaving? Where