My mother-in-law dragged me to court, accusing me of pretending to be pregnant to snatch the inheritance. Then, right there in the courtroom, she lunged forward and kicked my stomach. “See? It’s all fake!” Gasps erupted. What she didn’t realize… the man behind the judge’s bench was my father. And in that instant, her case didn’t just fall apart. Her life did haj.

Agatha had spared no expense. She sat at the plaintiff’s table, draped in black lace that looked more like a victory shroud than mourning attire. Beside her was Silas Vane, a lawyer known for destroying reputations for sport.

The gallery was packed with the city’s elite. They whispered behind their gloved hands, their eyes raking over my simple maternity dress. To them, I was the “Gold-Digger Widow,” the girl who had faked a pregnancy to secure a $100 million legacy.

“The defense is ready, Your Honor,” my lawyer, Mr. Henderson, mumbled.

Agatha took the stand first. Her performance was a masterclass in manipulation. She squeezed out tears that didn’t ruin her mascara, speaking of Marcus’s “misguided heart” and my “predatory nature.”

“She refused a DNA test while he was alive!” Agatha wailed, clutching a handkerchief. “She knew that once the child was born, the inheritance would be locked. She’s wearing a harness, Your Honor! Look at her—she doesn’t even have the morning sickness or the swollen ankles of a real mother!”