The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 68

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT_ CLAIRE’S POV

The courtroom felt different the moment I stepped in. Not louder, not chaotic either.

Just heavier.

Eyes followed me long enough to remind me that I was no longer just part of the case.

I was the case.

Lucian was already seated when I walked in. He didn’t look at me immediately, but I felt it anyway-that awareness of his presence, sharp and controlled. 1

Victoria sat beside him, composed as ever. No visible tension. No wasted movement.

I noticed Nathaniel in the audience. I didn’t look at him for long. I couldn’t afford to.

“Claire.”

Margot’s called, her voice was low and steady.

I took my place beside her.

“Today is about control,” she said quietly. “Not reaction.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

She studied me briefly, then nodded once. “Good.”

The session resumed, and soon enough, I was called to the stand.

The walk to the stand felt longer than it should have. The sound of my heels clicking against the floor

echoed through the courtroom.

After I was sworn in, I took my seat and faced forward.

Margot stood. “Please state your name for the record.”

“Claire Dhark.”

“And how long were you married to Mr. Dhark?”

I answered.

She start by guiding me through the essentials-our marriage, my role, the life I built around his. I confirmed that I supported him, that I had stepped back from my own ambitions, that I centered my life

around his.

“Thank you,” Margot said when I was done, and sat.

Victoria rose without haste and approached me.

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“Mrs. Dhark.”

Her tone was polite, but I knew whatever she had to say would land heavily.

“You weren’t happy in your marriage, were you?”

“I had difficult moments,” I replied carefully.

“As most people do,” she replied. “But yours were significant enough to seek outside counsel, correct?”

“I spoke to someone briefly.” I stated.

“And during those sessions, you expressed dissatisfaction with your role in the marriage?” Victoria pushed.

Margot stood. “Objection! Mischaracterization.”

“Overruled.”

“I expressed feeling lost,” I said.

“Lost,” Victoria repeated. “A rather vague term. Would it be more accurate to say you felt unfulfilled?”

I didn’t answer immediately.

“Unfulfilled in your position. Your access. Your influence.”

“Objection. Speculation,” Margot said.

“Overruled.”

Victoria continued, “You married into a powerful company, Mrs. Dhark. A position many would consider advantageous. And yet you remained on the sidelines. Did that frustrate you?”

“No.”

“Not at all?”

“No.”

“Interesting,” she said. “Because testimony suggests otherwise. You felt excluded. Overlooked. Restricted to a domestic role.”

“Objection.”

“Overruled.”

“Would you say you expected more from your marriage?”

“I expected honesty.”

Victoria’s expression shifted, almost imperceptibly. “And when that expectation wasn’t met, you began

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seeking alternatives?”

“I stayed.”

“Yes,” she said. “You did.”

She took a step, then changed direction.

“Now you are seeking a settlement significantly larger than what was agreed upon in your prenuptial contract.”

“Objection. Relevance.”

“Overruled.”

“Would you say that’s because the arrangement no longer benefits you the way you expected?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

I didn’t answer.

“You were aware of your medical condition before your marriage, correct?”

“I became aware during the marriage.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

“It would be quite significant if that information had been withheld.”

“Objection. No evidence.”

“Overruled.”

“If Mr. Dhark entered this marriage expecting to build a family, and that possibility was compromised from the beginning-”

“That’s enough. Objection. Speculation.”

“Overruled.”

“Did you ever explicitly disclose your condition to Mr. Dhark before marriage?”

“No.”

“After?”

“Yes.”

“And how did he respond?”

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I paused, then said nothing.

Victoria turned slightly. “To summarize, we have a woman who entered a wealthy, high-profile marriage, expressed dissatisfaction with her position, failed to meet key expectations, and is now seeking

financial compensation beyond agreed terms.”

“Objection. Argumentative.”

“Overruled.”

“Would you disagree with that characterization?”

I lifted my head. “Whether you believe it or not… I loved him.”

I continued, steady. “I didn’t enter that marriage for status or access. I entered it because I believed in

him. I believed in us. I gave up my own plans and ambitions because I chose to support him.”

“My greatest regret isn’t that I stayed too long trying to fix something broken. It’s that I lost myself while doing it. I became someone smaller. Quieter. Easier to ignore. And for a long time, I accepted that.”

“If public speculation is enough to discredit a woman, then no woman could ever seek justice.”

“I’m not asking this court to believe I was perfect. I wasn’t. But I was honest about one thing. I loved my husband. And I didn’t deserve to be reduced to a narrative that erases that.”

I glanced toward Margot. “And I didn’t fight alone. You stood for me when I couldn’t stand for myself. You fought when I didn’t know how. You are the real hero in this.”

I faced forward again. “Win or lose… I’m glad I spoke. I’m glad I fought. And I’m glad I found my voice

again.”

Applause broke out in the courtroom.

The judge struck the gavel. “Order.” 1

The sound quieted the room.

“The court will reconvene for final ruling,” the judge said.

That was it.

Not victory, not defeat either.

Something in between.

And for the first time, I didn’t feel powerless standing in it.

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