My husband, Blake, dragged me to the tribunal. If convicted, I’d lose everything, face ten years in prison, and never be able to interfere with Blake and his beloved, Seraphina. Blake, on the other hand, would get all my assets and move in with Seraphina. If acquitted, Blake would be plagued by misfortune and disfigured. Seraphina would be permanently sterilized and forced to pay me millions in emotional damages. And I would receive a multi-million dollar settlement, plus the right to terminate our marriage contract. My relatives and friends all urged me to apologize to Blake, simply because, in their eyes, he had always been devoted and deeply in love with me—never the type to cheat. They had no idea that in my past life, I walked in on my husband and Seraphina having an affair, and they killed me for it. This time, I was going to make those two pay a hefty price! Even before I entered the tribunal, videos had already surfaced online, painting me as an abusive, selfish monster towards Blake. The so-called vigilantes online dug up my name and address, sending me threatening letters and harassing packages. They even bombarded my company with nasty phone calls, full of curses and venom, questioning how a woman like me could be so vicious, demanding why I even deserved to be married. My colleagues were dragged into it too. After work, they were attacked by a mob of haters, and a few ended up in the hospital with injuries. Under immense public pressure, Ms. Davis, my boss, had no choice but to fire me. But this job was something I had worked tirelessly for years to get, poured my heart and soul into. My closest friends knew how much it meant to me. And all of this was orchestrated by Blake, my husband of three years. Because in this world, divorce isn’t easy. I arrived at the tribunal as scheduled. At the entrance, I ran straight into Blake. He visibly flinched when he saw me. Blake probably hadn’t expected me to actually show up. Three years of marriage, two years of dating – that was enough time to know a person. Blake was certain I wouldn’t appear. He knew I loved him, he knew I was a coward when it came to pain. He was sure I’d never show up. At least, in my past life, even with all the online bullying and immense stress, I never once appeared in court. That’s right, I’d been reborn. In my past life, after I caught Blake and Seraphina in their secret affair, Seraphina directly knocked me out with a blunt object. I lay in a pool of my own blood, weakly reaching out for Blake to save me. But Blake turned, pulled out a weapon, and killed me. Then he fabricated the story that I couldn’t handle the public backlash and fled the country. Blake and Seraphina then smoothly moved in together, stealing everything from me. My parents searched for me endlessly but to no avail. Then, on a stormy night, they died in a tragic accident. It was only after I died that I learned Seraphina, Blake’s so-called friend, was actually the love of his life. They’d been having an affair for ages, plotting how to get rid of me. The public outcry was just the beginning. They acted so early only because I had stumbled upon them. My presence messed up every step of their elaborate plan. After all, in this world, the penalty for cheating is incredibly severe. Reborn, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to trust Blake again.
“Anya, please, let me go. Stop tormenting me like this. Seraphina and I are just good friends. She’s the only family I have left. Just promise you won’t lay hands on me again, and you won’t stop me from seeing Seraphina, and I’ll drop the lawsuit. I don’t want you to be punished.” Blake’s voice yanked me back from the painful memories of my death in the past life. My back was drenched in cold sweat. As soon as Blake saw me, he reacted incredibly fast. Before anyone else could even process it, he dropped to his knees, playing the part of a long-suffering husband, constantly abused by me, yet still deeply in love. In this world, the tribunal is the highest form of justice, and practically no one dares to appear. In outsiders’ eyes, if Blake was truly suffering, he’d never come here. My case was the first of its kind in fifty years, naturally causing quite a stir globally. Some media outlets, desperate for an exclusive, had set up cameras at the tribunal entrance hours ago. The moment Blake knelt, they scrambled to turn on their cameras and rushed forward. “Anya, even though I love you, forcing me to separate from my best friend is worse than death. Please, stop this madness. Let’s just go home. Just promise me, and we can go back to living a good life.” Blake, seeing that the fire wasn’t burning hot enough, continued. What a declaration of love. In my past life, if I’d seen Blake crying so hard he’d lost all composure, I would have softened. But I had crawled out of hell, and I wouldn’t fall for it again. I just stared at Blake coldly, enunciating each word. “If that’s the case, then just go die!” The crowd wasn’t just media; there were also many who had participated in the online bullying against me. They all started pointing and whispering. “Oh my god, is there really a woman like this in the world? Does a married man not deserve his own social circle?” “I heard Blake and his female friend have known each other since they were little. If there was really something between them, what would Anya have to do with it? I bet she’s just jealous that Seraphina is pretty.” “Who even marries such a selfish woman? She’s actually telling her Blake to go die. Blake must have been blind. Looks like you really need to keep your eyes open when you get married.” All sorts of vile curses echoed in my ears, but I didn’t flinch. I walked straight into the tribunal. I sat in the defendant’s chair, Blake in the plaintiff’s. His eyes were red, and when people offered comfort, he spoke with feigned anguish. “It’s not entirely Anya’s fault. Maybe she just can’t understand friendship between men and women.” “While her actions were wrong, that’s just her temper. She can’t control her emotions, and I feel really bad for her.” I almost laughed hearing those words. On the surface, Blake was defending me, but he had already cemented my guilt. The unwitting audience immediately pointed at me and cursed. “Anya, are you even human? Blake has always been so good to you, how could you lay a hand on him?” “Could it be that Anya has someone else on the side? Is that why she’s trying every trick to force Blake away?” As soon as that speculation came out, everyone present, plus the audience watching the live stream, erupted. Cheating was no small matter. Blake’s lips curled into a barely perceptible smirk, yet he still feigned pity, trying to clear my name. “How could that be? Anya isn’t that kind of person. Don’t talk nonsense. She still loves me. There’s even a tie she bought for me in the car, though it’s been used. She probably just got scammed by the store clerk.” With that bombshell, the assumption that I was cheating was immediately taken seriously by many. The comments flooded the screen. 【Poor guy, you’re the one being scammed!】 【Such a good Blake! Even now he’s defending that vicious woman. Anya, just die!】 Watching the endless stream of messages, I scoffed, but I didn’t bother to respond. “Presiding Officer, we can begin.” I looked at the stern Presiding Officer. Someone mocked me. “She’s so impatient herself! These days, whoever’s aggressive gets to speak.” The Presiding Officer banged his gavel for silence, and the proceedings began. “The plaintiff must submit evidence to prove the defendant’s guilt. No one may withdraw during the proceedings, and those who withdraw will be severely punished immediately.” I saw a flicker of panic on Blake’s face, but he still stood to present his evidence. The first segment was to accuse me of domestic violence. The big screen lit up. I glanced at the viewership—it had already reached eighty million people.
The big screen played a video from my and Blake’s home. Blake had just come out of the shower, and I was sitting on the bed, my face dark. Blake, as usual, walked up to me. “Anya, the water’s perfect temperature now. You should go shower.” But I just ignored Blake. I threw my phone on the floor. The loud crash made Blake shriek. He was only wrapped in a towel, terrified, squatting on the ground with his hands covering his head. “Bitch! Haven’t I been good to you? Why are you doing this?!” I said, stepping forward and punching the wall right next to Blake’s ear. Blood immediately beaded on my knuckles. Blake didn’t say anything, just kept crying. My emotions spiraled out of control, and I slapped Blake across the face. “A man like you doesn’t deserve to be near me. Get out!” Blake looked at me with a wronged expression, tears welling up in his eyes. But after my shouting, he didn’t even change clothes, just ran out the door. The video ended with Blake shivering in the cold wind, helplessly squatting on the ground, murmuring repeatedly. “Why won’t you believe me? I’m so scared, Anya. Please take me home?” The screen froze there. The comments section exploded. 【Hitting someone for no reason? Are abusers always so moody?】 【Even if Blake did something wrong, you shouldn’t lay hands on him, right?】 【Didn’t you notice Blake showered first so Anya wouldn’t be cold when she went in? How could Anya be so cruel as to make such a thoughtful Blake go out in the dead of winter wearing just a towel?】 【While Anya hitting him is wrong, what if Blake really did something awful that made Anya lose control?】 It was a flood of insults, all aimed at me. Any sensible voice trying to defend me was quickly drowned out by vitriol. The Presiding Officer banged his gavel. “For the first charge, domestic violence, the defendant Anya is acquitted.”
The moment the verdict was announced, the live chat went silent for a moment, then exploded with a flurry of messages. 【Domestic abuse was practically proven, yet she’s acquitted?! This has to be rigged!】 【I heard Anya has a lot of money. It’s possible she bribed the Presiding Officer on the sly.】 Facing the accusations, the Presiding Officer’s expression remained calm. He just looked at Blake and asked, “Do you have a second piece of evidence?” Blake submitted the evidence. He didn’t even dare to look at me. The second segment was to accuse me of cheating. After the outcome of the previous charge, many were outraged, but even more tuned in. The scene shifted to my car. Blake bent down to pick something up and suddenly spotted a man’s tie under the seat. He asked, bewildered, “Anya, whose tie is this?” As he spoke, Blake picked up the tie; it had obvious signs of wear. Before I could answer, Blake continued, “I don’t even wear this brand or style.” I just glanced at it, replying indifferently, “Probably a male colleague left it when a bunch of us carpooled after our last team outing. Just leave it there. I’ll ask around later when I’m free.” Blake’s eyes immediately reddened. “Call every single one of your male colleagues and ask whose it is! I don’t want you to lie to me!” I snapped impatiently, “Do you know what time it is? Can you stop being so unreasonable?” Blake turned his head away, but tears still streamed down his face. I, however, continued driving, paying him no mind. After the evidence played, the comments section filled with sarcastic comments and jeers. 【Unreasonable? I think she’s feeling guilty, aren’t you? The last time I caught my partner cheating, it was because there was another person’s stuff in the car.】 【Poor Blake. He’s been betrayed, yet he’s still putting up with it.】 Then the Presiding Officer announced again. “For the second charge, cheating, the defendant Anya is acquitted.”
This time, the live chat utterly exploded. Some cursed the Presiding Officer, others cursed me. Someone even opened a public voting channel. That’s right, if the tribunal was questioned by the audience, a public vote could be initiated. In just a few seconds, the ‘guilty’ votes already hit twenty-six percent. If it reached sixty percent, the audience could convict me without even needing the Presiding Officer. Blake shot me a defiant look. After all, it had come to this point; he didn’t need to keep up the act anymore. The Presiding Officer ignored it and continued to ask Blake for evidence. Blake puffed out his chest, submitting the final piece of evidence. This segment was from when Blake and I went on a vacation. We had booked a trip to a tropical island. But when we were about to leave, Seraphina showed up, pulling a suitcase. My face instantly fell. Seraphina smiled at me. “I’m here to take pictures for you two. Professional travel photography is so expensive these days. Anya, don’t worry, I’m paying for all my own travel expenses.” But Blake quickly refused. “Letting you take pictures for us without paying you is one thing, but making you pay for your own trip too? No way!” Then Blake squeezed my hand, “Right, Anya?” I yanked my hand away from Blake’s, snapping back, my face dark. “If you have so much money you don’t know what to do with it, why not donate it? She’s your friend, why should my money pay for her?” Blake froze. He looked at me, bewildered. “Anya, we’re a team. My friends are your friends, aren’t they?” I scoffed. “Don’t make me sick. Is there such a thing as a ‘pure’ friendship between a man and a woman?” I stomped off, leaving the two of them in an awkward silence. After the video played, the Presiding Officer still said, “For the third charge, selfishness, the defendant Anya is acquitted.” As his words fell, the voting counter on the big screen started spinning, reaching fifty-eight percent. This meant that if it went any higher, I could be convicted by the audience without even needing the Presiding Officer’s judgment. 【Who says men and women can’t be just friends? Anya’s own heart must be so dirty, she sees filth everywhere!】 【Even if they’re just friends, you should pay for someone to take your pictures, right? How can Anya be so stingy she doesn’t want to pay a dime? I hope she goes broke!】 【She can’t stand her husband having friends? Why doesn’t she just tie him to her hip? What a disgusting shrew, so petty!】 More and more people were siding with Blake. Blake was completely triumphant. He even tried to speed up the voting by directly saying to me, “Anya, I know you resent me. I’m not even going to hold it against you that you secretly bribed the Presiding Officer. All I ask for is your loyalty and love, and for you to let me have friends freely. We can still make this work.”
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