The courtroom was a blur. The judge’s words seemed to echo in the distance, muffled, distant. I didn’t hear the final verdict. The weight of it was too much. It felt surreal.

“Mr. Carver,” the judge’s voice cut through, pulling me back into reality. “You are hereby released on account of new evidence presented by the defence. You are free to go.”

I nodded, trying to make sense of the words. Released. The weight of it sank in slowly – this was supposed to be a victory, wasn’t it? Yet, I felt nothing but emptiness, a crushing hollow in my chest. My life had been torn apart, and now, somehow, I was walking free. But free of what? What was left for me?

The doors of the courtroom swung open, and I made my way through, the crushing silence of the room now replaced with the murmurs of the crowd. I barely noticed the eyes on me, the hushed whispers as I stepped into the hall. I wasn’t sure what I expected. I had been set free, but it didn’t feel like freedom. It felt like a sentence – one that had yet to be fully delivered.

I barely made it outside when I saw him.

Henry.

He was standing by the courthouse steps, as if waiting for me, that same smug expression plastered across his face. His eyes caught mine, and I felt a sickening jolt in my gut.

He looked like someone who knew far more than he should. The way he stood, the way his lips quirked upward as he approached – he wasn’t surprised. Not at all. He already knew.

“Vincent,” he greeted, his voice too calm, too collected. “That’s quite a turn of events, huh? I wasn’t sure how this would play out, but I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to get off this easy.”

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I stopped, forcing my feet to remain planted in front of him. “What are you talking about?”

He shrugged, casually, as though the weight of the moment didn’t register with him at all. “Oh, nothing. Just... I wasn’t sure if your lawyer would pull it off. But I guess she always had a way of getting what she wanted.” He paused, letting the words hang there, and I felt a cold chill rush through me.

"She?" I managed, my heart racing, but there was no real question in it. He didn't need to say it. He didn't have to.

Henry smirked. "Oh, you didn’t know? Amelia and I – we talked, you know. She wasn’t blind to what you’d become. She wanted to make sure everything came to light, even if it meant... well, you know.” He let the sentence trail off, the implication settling like lead in my stomach.

My mind spun. My thoughts spiralled.

“What are you trying to say?” I asked, forcing the words out, but I already knew. Somewhere deep inside, I already understood.

Henry chuckled softly, shaking his head as though I were a fool. “I’m just saying, Vincent... she had a plan. And you’ve played right into it. You think this is over? That this verdict means anything? You’re free for now, but you’ve already lost. You’ve lost everything.”

I stared at Henry, seeing the twisted satisfaction in his eyes, the smirk that spread across his face. “She couldn’t bring herself to destroy you completely, Vincent,” he continued, his voice almost pitying. “She loved you once, I suppose. But in the end, she wanted the world to know what you’d become. She wanted the truth to come out. You really thought you could get away with it, didn’t you?”

My breath caught in my throat as everything began to fall into place. The photograph. The letter. The evidence. All of it... part of her plan. She had been working to expose me.

And now, it didn’t matter. None of it mattered.

I had been freed, yes. But in my freedom, I was more alone than I had ever been. Amelia had made sure of that. She had wanted me to face the consequences of my actions, not through prison or the law, but through the truth. The truth that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I stood frozen, staring after him walk away, the weight of his words settling over me like a heavy fog. He was right. It didn’t matter that I was free. She had destroyed me. And now I was left with nothing.

No family. No wife. No reputation. No job. Nothing.