Chapter 9

We stayed at home for a few more days. The online drama disappeared just as quickly as it had started. Within two days, the Celeste incident had already dropped off the trending list. Then, the police summoned us to the station for questioning. Although there was no concrete evidence to charge Howard with rape, the fact that the baby in Celeste's womb was genetically linked to him was enough for her to take the matter to court. On the day of the hearing, Howard and I sat together at the defendant's table. Celeste and Stella sat smugly on the plaintiff's side, their heads held high. As if that weren't enough, the mother and daughter had even invited the media to sit in on the trial again. Apparently, they hadn't learned their lesson. I glanced at Celeste's swollen belly and felt a flicker of unease stirring in me. Could Great-Uncle Sam really be right? Why hadn't things gotten better yet? But what was done was done. We had already followed every instruction he gave. Now, all we could do was leave it to fate. Then came the evidentiary phase of the trial. Celeste had nothing to present aside from the paternity test. There was no evidence of rape or illegal confinement. On our side, I submitted Howard's medical report and home surveillance footage to the judge. Celeste was completely stunned the moment she saw herself projected on the screen when the surveillance footage was played. "You… You were spying on me?" I shrugged. "I installed cameras in my own home. Is that a problem? You wore my clothes, used my jewelry, drank my wine, and even invited an outsider to plan how you'd extort us. What would you call that?" Celeste's face twisted into a scowl, but she said nothing. Then suddenly, she winced, clutching her stomach tightly. Next, we presented proof that Howard had azoospermia—a condition where no sperm was present in his semen. At that, Stella jumped up from her seat. "Your Honor, even if he has azoospermia, there are still cases where men with that condition father children. This isn't definitive proof. We still have the paternity test." The judge raised a hand, signaling for silence. Meanwhile, in the gallery, journalists were snapping photos and even secretly livestreaming. Celeste looked worse and worse by the second. She seemed to be in intense pain. When the judge asked her another question, she stammered senselessly. Suddenly, she let out a bone-chilling scream. "Ah! It hurts! My stomach—it hurts so bad!" Stella's face went pale as she looked down at Celeste's legs. Blood was seeping through her pants, pooling beneath her. A female officer nearby immediately called for an ambulance. Celeste slid off her chair and collapsed onto the floor, gripping her belly and writhing in agony. "Help me! Somebody help me! It hurts! It hurts so much!" The media, of course, weren't about to miss a moment like this. Their cameras immediately turned toward her. Just then, something utterly horrifying happened. Celeste's eyes bulged wide open. Her legs suddenly jerked apart as if they were pulled by invisible strings. From between them, something black and hairy slid out onto the courtroom floor. For a moment, the entire room froze in terror. "What the hell is that? A monster?" "Oh my God… This is horrifying. What in the world is she pregnant with?" People instinctively backed away after witnessing the terrible scene. Even Stella covered her mouth and pressed herself against the wall in fear. The ambulance arrived quickly, and paramedics rushed into the courtroom. When they saw Celeste on the floor with that dark, grotesque mass of hair, they were visibly shocked. Thinking fast, I spoke up. "Doctors, I think she's having a miscarriage. Please help her!" One of them paused, then performed a quick examination. Without missing a beat, he replied, "This woman isn't pregnant. And this definitely isn't a miscarriage. If I have to guess, it's some kind of medical condition." With the doctor's confirmation, I sat back down in my seat, calm and collected. Celeste was taken away in the ambulance. The journalists rushed out of the courtroom, hopping into their cars and following her straight to the hospital.