The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

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!"

Cassidy's smile only grew wider.

I'm saying, Your Honor. I am the victim here,

aside with her makeup

surprised that Vivienne had managed to bring

up, "Your Honor, I've heard Cassidy suffers from severe depression. Can we really trust the testimony of someone

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

people with depression testifying.

I demand a medical examination to check if Vivienne has drugged my

trying to break through the police barrier, "Cassidy, come back! Don't make

"What do you know?"

influential old men, or how to make me

to deprive me of my college opportunities, claiming I had depression, and lock me 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

when you did all those things to me, you should have expected that one day, I

victim herself denying any wrongdoing by Julian, Kipling's chances of finding another

judge, in his robe, was about 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, I'll

"Get lost!"

to kick

gaze not showing a hint of panic. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ

"Why?! Kipling, have you forgotten what you did to me five years ago?!" "Your Honor, I wish to press charges against Kipling. Five

each word clearly, "Zinnia was his

eyes widened

How could there be a mother like Zinnia in this

she snorted, "Kaitlyn, there's no shortage of scum like Zinnia and Kipling on