By the next morning, news of the wedding brawl had spread all across town. A video recorded by one of the guests had leaked online, showing Arthur’s powerful kick and Julian falling onto the marble floor. The public reaction was instant and intense. Millions of people watched the clip, praising the father for standing up to the arrogant groom. But Julian’s family did not back down easily. They used their massive media connections to release a statement claiming Arthur was unstable and had attacked Julian without any reason during a private family disagreement.
Two days later, Arthur and Clara walked into a high-floor corporate courtroom downtown. Julian was sitting at a long wooden table surrounded by four expensive divorce lawyers in dark suits. He was wearing dark sunglasses to hide the purple bruise and swollen skin on his jawline. His father sat right beside him, looking cold and stern. Arthur walked in with his old friend, the prosecutor, and Clara walked proudly right beside them, no longer hiding her bruised face behind a veil. She wore a simple dark blue dress, looking calm and strong despite the fear still lingering in her heart.
Julian's Lawyer: We demand a full public apology today.
Arthur's Lawyer: You will get nothing except a criminal record.
Julian: My reputation is ruined because of your family!
Arthur: You ruined your own life the day you touched her.
The judge called the session to order and demanded to see the evidence. Julian’s legal team tried to argue that the marriage was legally binding and that any claims of violence were made up to extract a large divorce settlement from the family estate. They brought out the prenuptial contract, pointing out clauses that would strip Clara of all financial rights if she ended the marriage early. They believed their thick pile of legal papers would intimidate the small-town father and daughter into silence, just like they had done to others before.
Then, Arthur’s lawyer stood up and placed a sleek silver flash drive onto the judge’s desk. It contained full high-definition security footage from the mansion's private hallway on the morning of the wedding, which Arthur had secretly bought from a sympathetic staff member. The video showed Julian shouting at Clara, grabbing her hair, and striking her across the face while she begged him to stop. It was clear, undeniable proof of domestic violence. The courtroom went dead quiet as the judge watched the clip on her monitor, her expression turning colder by the second as the truth came to light.
Judge: This evidence is clear and deeply disturbing.
Julian's Lawyer: Your Honor, we were not aware of this video.
Julian: Dad, do something! Make them stop this!
Julian's Father: Be quiet, Julian. Shut your mouth right now.
The evidence was too strong for any amount of money to fix. The judge immediately issued an emergency protection order, keeping Julian away from Clara and Arthur. She also ordered the police officers present in the courtroom to take Julian into custody right then and there on charges of felony assault. Julian’s face turned completely pale as two officers stepped forward and slapped iron handcuffs onto his wrists. The arrogance that he had displayed at the wedding was completely gone, replaced by tears of real panic as he was led away from his father’s table.