Hell Hath no fury like a billionaire's Ex

Chapter 134: The Judgement

Diane’s POV

"Finally, Your Honor, we have evidence that Mr. Ashton’s residence was the scene of an armed robbery several months ago, during which shots were fired. Mr. Ashton refused to report this incident to police, raising questions about what other illegal activities he may be involved in."

The courtroom fell silent except for the soft hum of the ventilation system. I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears.

"Your Honor," Joan concluded, "the evidence clearly shows that Mr. Ashton is not only unfit to have custody of these children, but that any unsupervised visitation would put Dylan and Danielle at risk. Ms. Evans, on the other hand, has created a stable, loving home environment with strong family support and excellent childcare."

Judge Thompson looked up from his notes. "Mr. Holbrook, would you like to respond to these allegations?"

Holbrook stood slowly, and I could see the color had drained from his face. He glanced at Liam again, his expression now openly angry.

"Your Honor, I... these allegations are serious, and I was not fully informed of the extent of my client’s... difficulties. I would request a brief recess to consult with Mr. Ashton about these matters."

"Granted. We’ll recess for thirty minutes."

As the judge left the bench, the courtroom erupted in quiet conversations. I turned to see Dad’s face, which was set in grim satisfaction. Joan gathered her papers with the efficient movements of someone who knew they’d just delivered a knockout blow.

"How are you holding up?" Noah asked quietly, his hand finding mine.

"I feel sick," I admitted. "Watching those videos again... seeing him like that... it’s harder than I expected."

"He did this to himself," Dad said firmly from behind me. "Don’t let pity cloud your judgment about what’s best for Dylan and Danielle."

During the recess, I watched Holbrook and Liam in heated discussion at their table. Holbrook’s body language screamed frustration and anger—clearly, Liam had not been honest with his attorney about the extent of his problems.

Henry approached our table during the break. "The financial evidence is ironclad," he said quietly. "There’s no way he can explain away those offshore accounts or the money he’s stolen. Even if he somehow avoided jail time for the other issues, the financial crimes alone are felonies."

When court resumed, the change in Holbrook’s demeanor was striking. He looked like a man who’d just realized he was representing a sinking ship.

"Your Honor," he began, his voice lacking its usual confidence, "my client acknowledges that he has been going through a difficult period. However, he maintains his right as a father to have some relationship with his children."

It was a weak argument, and everyone in the courtroom knew it.

Judge Thompson reviewed his notes one final time before speaking.

"I’ve reviewed all the evidence presented today, including the social services reports from both homes. The evidence against Mr. Ashton is overwhelming and deeply concerning."

My heart started racing.

"Mr. Ashton, your behavior as documented in these videos shows a pattern of violence, substance abuse, and emotional instability that makes you unfit to care for minor children. The financial crimes you’ve committed demonstrate a fundamental disregard for honesty and responsibility."

Liam’s head dropped into his hands.

"Therefore, I award sole custody of Dylan and Danielle to their mother, Diane Evans. Mr. Ashton will have no unsupervised visitation rights at this time. Any future contact with the children will require court approval and professional supervision."

Relief flooded through me so intensely that I felt dizzy. Joan squeezed my hand tightly.

"Regarding the division of marital assets," Judge Thompson continued, "given Mr. Ashton’s attempts to hide assets offshore and his theft from joint accounts, I’m awarding Ms. Evans seventy percent of all marital property, including the frozen offshore accounts. Mr. Ashton will pay monthly child support in the amount of five thousand dollars per month."

But the judge wasn’t finished.

"Additionally, the evidence presented today regarding financial crimes—specifically, falsifying business records, embezzlement from company accounts, and fraudulent transfer of assets—constitutes criminal behavior. Mr. Ashton, you are hereby sentenced to three years in state prison, with the possibility of parole after eighteen months contingent on completion of substance abuse treatment."

The gavel came down with a finality that echoed through the silent courtroom.

Three years. Liam was going to prison for three years.

I turned to look at him, and what I saw broke my heart despite everything. He wasn’t the arrogant, manipulative man who’d made my life hell. He was just... broken. Completely, utterly broken.

Tears were streaming down my face before I realized I was crying. This was the man I’d loved, the man I’d married believing we’d build a life together. Seeing him like this—defeated, destroyed, facing years in prison—was more painful than I’d imagined it would be.

As court adjourned and people began gathering their things, I stood slowly, my legs shaky from the emotional intensity of the past few hours. Joan was beaming, Dad was satisfied, Noah was relieved, but all I could feel was a complex mix of triumph and heartbreak.

I was gathering my purse when I heard my name.

"Diane."

Liam’s voice was soft, broken. I turned to see him standing a few feet away, Holbrook beside him looking resigned to his client’s fate.

"Diane, could I... could I speak to you for just a moment?"

Joan immediately stepped closer to me, protective instincts activated. "Diane, you don’t have to—"

"It’s okay," I said quietly. "What is it, Liam?"

He took a shaky breath, and I could see tears in his eyes. "You’re right. About everything. I’m not fit to be around the kids. I can’t take care of children—I can barely take care of myself. I don’t want to lie to myself anymore about what I’ve become."

His voice cracked on the last words, and I felt my own tears falling freely now.

"I’ve destroyed everything good in my life," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "I destroyed us, I destroyed my business, I’ve destroyed myself. I know I have no right to ask you for anything after everything I’ve put you through."

He paused, struggling to compose himself.

"But I have one last request. Just one. Whatever happens to me, wherever I end up—could you please, someday, bring my children to see me? Even if it’s just once? I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I’d like them to know that their father existed, that he loved them even if he was too broken to show it properly."

The raw pain in his voice, the complete absence of manipulation or anger, caught me completely off guard. This wasn’t a trick or a ploy—this was genuine remorse from a man who’d finally hit rock bottom and could see clearly for the first time in months.

"Please," he whispered. "Just this last wish. I know I don’t deserve it, but they’re my children too. I want them to know I tried to be better, even if I failed."

I stood there, tears streaming down my face, looking at the father of my children. The man who’d hurt me in ways I was still healing from. The man who’d just been sentenced to three years in prison. The man who was asking for one small mercy in the ruins of his life.

The courtroom had gone silent around us. Everyone was watching, waiting to see what I would say.

I thought about Dylan’s serious little face, about Danielle’s peaceful sleep. I thought about the kind of mother I wanted to be, the kind of person I wanted them to see when they looked at me.

"Liam," I said finally, my voice thick with tears, "I can’t promise when or how, but... yes. Someday, when they’re old enough to understand, I’ll bring them to see you. They deserve to know their father, even if the circumstances aren’t what any of us hoped for."

The relief that washed over his face was heartbreaking. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you."

Holbrook gently took Liam’s arm. "We need to go," he said quietly. "The bailiff is waiting."

As they walked away, Liam turned back once more. "Diane? I’m sorry. For everything. I hope... I hope you find all the happiness I couldn’t give you." noveldrama

And then he was gone, led away by the bailiff to begin serving his sentence.

I stood there in the empty courtroom, surrounded by my family and friends, finally free but feeling anything but victorious. Joan wrapped her arms around me as I sobbed—for the marriage that had failed, for the man Liam had once been, for the father my children would never really know.

"It’s over," Joan whispered. "It’s finally over."

But as we walked out of that courthouse into the bright afternoon sun, I knew that in some ways, this was just the beginning. I had two children to raise, a company to run, a life to build. And somewhere in the complexity of it all, I had to figure out how to explain to Dylan and Danielle that their father had loved them the only way he knew how, even if it hadn’t been enough.