I Defended the Man who Hurt My Wife

As the ambulance sirens pierced the silence at three a.m., I stood by the study's floor-to-ceiling window, watching the smoke curling from my fingertips burn out. Scorching ashes fell onto the expensive carpet, starkly resembling the winding bloodstains on Ruby Lincoln's wrist, piercing my eyes with pain. "lawyer Carter, Ms. Lincoln is still undergoing emergency treatment due to severe blood loss, and also..." The nurse's voice wavered with hesitation. "The police found a suicide note by her bedside, which mentioned Eric Shawn." Eric Shawn is the only son of the Shawn family, Sea City's top elite clan, notorious for his arrogant and overbearing demeanor. He is also the client for whom I recently signed the retainer. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and a message from my assistant appeared on the screen: "The Shawn Group agrees to pay ten times the lawyer's fees, demanding a not guilty defense." I stubbed out the cigarette and walked toward the foyer; the man in the mirror was sharply dressed in a suit, his face cold and stern, betraying no indication that my wife was teetering on the brink of death. Notify the media—hold a press conference at 10 a.m. tomorrow. I told my assistant, my voice unnervingly calm, unlike my usual self. The press conference was packed, camera flashes exploding relentlessly, microphones nearly thrusting into my face. lawyer Carter, is it true that your wife, Ruby Lincoln, attempted suicide after being assaulted by Eric Shawn? As the victim's husband, you are defending the alleged assailant. Does this not contravene lawyer ethical standards? "There are rumors that Shawn's paid you an exorbitant lawyer's fee. Did you abandon your wife for the money?" A barrage of questions hammered down on me. I raised my hand to call for silence, my eyes scanning the densely packed faces in the crowd. "Regarding my wife Ruby Lincoln's condition," I paused, each word forced through clenched teeth, "she has been diagnosed by a specialist with severe paranoia. The alleged 'assault' is entirely unfounded." The room erupted instantly—exclamations of shock and curses intertwined, the relentless shutter of cameras filling the air. "Yale Carter, are you even human?!" A furious roar cut through the chaos as Ruby's father pushed through the crowd and stormed onto the stage, raising his hand to slap me across the face. The sharp smack echoed through the hall; my cheek burned fiercely, and a thin line of blood welled at the corner of my mouth. "You beastly, despicable creature!" Ruby's father trembled with rage, pointing at me as he cursed, "How could Ruby be so blind to marry you? I hereby declare that she will divorce you!" I neither struck back nor offered a defense; I stood quietly, letting his spit rain on my suit. Reporters swarmed around like mad to capture this dramatic moment. I knew from that instant, I would become the target of widespread online condemnation. In the VIP ward of the hospital, Ruby Lincoln lay on the bed, her complexion as pale as paper, her wrist thickly bandaged. Seeing me enter, she weakly raised her hand to grasp the corner of my coat, her eyes full of pleading: "Yale, I know you were forced into this. If you are willing to testify in court, I... I can forgive you." Her fingers were cold and trembling slightly—the warmth I once treasured now felt unbearably ironic. I gently brushed her hand aside, my voice cold as ice: "Ruby Lincoln, I've already told you—that's your delusion. I will not commit perjury." Ruby Lincoln's eyes instantly reddened, tears streaming down and soaking the pillowcase: "Yale Carter, how can you do this to me? We've been married for five years. Have you forgotten how you pursued me back then?" I didn't look at her again. Turning, I walked out of the hospital room. The moment the door closed, it felt as though I heard her heart shatter—but I could only harden myself and keep moving forward. Returning to the empty house—once filled with laughter and warmth—now there was only cold silence.