THE LIE THAT WORE A RING - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Alina’s heels clicked across the marble courtroom floor like a final act of defiance.
She looked flawless—again. Every hair in place, lips painted in a careful red. To the cameras outside, she was calm, composed, ready to face the next round of what her lawyers now dubbed “the character assassination campaign”.
But inside, behind her aviator sunglasses and perfectly arranged expressions, her world was crumbling.
Her financial records were under review. The IRS had been quietly tipped off—Nicholas didn’t even have to get involved. The media outlets that once adored her were beginning to retract their stories. One even published a long exposé: “Alina Winchester: Mistress, Manipulator, and the Myth of the Billionaire Victim.”
The interview she sold to a tabloid TV host? Never aired.
Turns out, Ava’s video struck deeper than she'd expected. People listened to kids. Especially when they spoke plainly.
In court, Nicholas sat with his lawyers, watching Alina twist under the scrutiny.
"Mrs. Winchester," the opposing counsel began, her voice steady, "can you explain the large withdrawals made from your joint account one month before the separation?"
Alina blinked slowly. "I was purchasing gifts. For the family."
"Yet no gifts were delivered. The bank statements show transfers to an offshore account under the name 'Genevieve M.' Is that you?"
“I… I don’t recall—”
"Is this your signature?"
The lawyer slid the document forward.
She paused too long before nodding.
The judge raised an eyebrow. “Mrs. Winchester, are you under the impression the court will overlook potential financial misconduct?”
Alina's lawyer quickly interjected, requesting a recess.
But the damage was done.
In the hallway outside, Nicholas exhaled deeply.
“She’s folding,” his attorney whispered. “Won’t admit guilt yet, but she’s running out of rope.”
Nicholas nodded. “Let her hang herself with the lies she tied.”
By the end of the week, things escalated.
Two of Alina’s former friends turned against her publicly, citing threats, emotional manipulation, and—most damning—helping her create fake text messages she later used in court to frame Nicholas as abusive.
The judge ordered a formal inquiry into perjury and evidence tampering.
Alina’s legal team began to fracture. One lawyer stepped away. Another asked for limited representation. No one wanted to go down with her.
Nicholas kept his head low. He didn’t celebrate. Not yet.
But Ava did.
“I want to go to the next hearing,” she told him.
He hesitated. “You sure?”
“I want to see her lose everything. I want to watch.”
Ethan chimed in, quieter but firm. “Me too.”
So they went.
And they watched.
The courtroom was quieter that day.
No cameras.
No media frenzy.
Just the echo of consequences.
The judge laid it all out: Alina had violated financial trust, misled the court, and emotionally exploited the children of the household. Though criminal charges were not yet confirmed, the divorce ruling was swift.
Full custody to Nicholas.
No spousal support.
A gag order on Alina to prevent further media manipulation.
And as she stood there, lip trembling but refusing to cry, Nicholas saw—for the first time—the woman he never really knew.
A shell. Beautiful, dangerous, hollow.
She wasn’t his wife anymore.
She never really was.
When they stepped outside the courthouse, Ava held her father’s hand.
Not out of weakness.
But out of peace.
“She’s gone,” she said.
Nicholas didn’t smile. Not really.
But the tension in his shoulders finally eased.
“Yes,” he whispered. “She is.”