My Husband Wants An Open Marriage (Julie and Ryan)

CHAPTER 099: The Demons She Fought Ryan O'Brien~~

It's fifteen minutes before the pre-trial, and Ryan's car pulls into the courthouse. As Justin, his chauffeur and bodyguard, cuts the ignition, Ryan stares through the tinted window at the swarm of reporters and onlookers gathered outside like vultures, cameras poised for the kill. He can practically hear the click of shutters, the incessant questions ready to pounce, though he hasn't even stepped out yet. Adeline is beside him, looking as bored as ever.

Adeline taps her manicured nails against the leather armrest. She looks as though she'd rather be anywhere else, though Ryan knows better. His mother thrives on drama, especially when she's not the one under fire.

"How long is this circus going to take?" she says.

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"You didn't have to come." Ryan loosens his tie, the knot around his neck nothing compared to the one in his chest.

Adeline shrugs. "I had nothing better to do. Besides, someone has to ensure you don't embarrass the family name more than you already have."

"Thanks for the support, Mom."

"Oh, don't act like a martyr. You're the one who got yourself into this mess. You broke one of the cardinal rules for staying on top: Don't fuck your secretary. I'm just here for moral support or damage control, depending on how you perform today." Ryan's glare could melt steel. "She tricked me.

"Spare me the sob story. You're not the victim here. Grow up and start taking

responsibility for your actions." Her gaze shifts to the window, assessing the chaotic scene outside. "Anyway, shall we? The vultures look ravenous."

Justin turns in his seat. "Ready?"

Ryan nods. "As I'll ever be."

Justin steps out first, moving quickly to open the back door. The moment Ryan slides out, reporters hit him like a tidal wave.

"Mr. O'Brien! Do you have any comment on the allegations?"

"Ryan, are the rumors true about a settlement?"

"Mrs. O'Brien, how do you feel about your son's actions?"

Adeline steps out next, her heels clicking against the pavement. She pauses just long enough to flash a cold, practiced smile that manages to exude both superiority and utter

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indifference.

"No comment," she says.

Justin flanks them, parting the sea of reporters Ryan keeps his head down, jaw clenched so tightly he can feel the strain in his temples.

The courthouse doors swing open. Once they're in and the noise outside fades into muffled voices, Ryan exhales slowly.

"I'll wait here," Adeline announces, gesturing to a row of leather chairs in the waiting area. "Try not to make a spectacle of yourself."

"Thanks for the pep talk," Ryan mutters, running a hand through his hair as he strides toward the conference room.

The door creaks open, and Ben Wallace, his lawyer and longtime friend, looks up from the table. He waves Ryan over.

"Afternoon, Ryan. You look like shit," Ben says in greeting.

"Thank you. Got anything?" Ryan's voice is low, strained.

Ben leans back in his chair, tapping a pen against the legal pad in front of him. "I've got a few leads we can work with, and I've tried to line up some witnesses. But to be honest, most are too afraid of the media fallout. My advice? Let's try to settle this with Emily before, it goes any further." Ryan's jaw tightens. "I'm not giving that bitch a dime."

"You might not have much of a choice. You shouldn't have started anything with her. Or get caught on camera pinning her against a wall."

"That's because she deceived me." Ryan's words are clipped.

"Deceived you? Like she held a gun to your head and forced you to start a relationship with her? Come on, man. Nobody believes that." Ryan leans forward, his voice a low growl. "Do you?"

Ben hesitates, the pause dragging just long enough to sting. "I'm your lawyer. I'll believe whatever you want me to believe." "That's not an answer."

"Well, it's the one you're getting."

Ryan scowls, running his hand through his hair for what feels like the hundredth time." This whole thing is a setup."

"Maybe. But that's not going to fly in court. You're a public figure, Ryan. The jury's going

The Demons She Fought

to see a rich guy who couldn't keep it in his pants, not some innocent victim of a conspiracy."

Before Ryan can respond, the door opens. Emily strides in. She's dressed to kill, her tailored blazer and pencil skirt screaming confidence and control.

Her lawyer, a sharp-looking man with steel-gray hair, follows close behind, his demeanor as polished as his expensive watch.

Emily's smug smile is the first thing Ryan notices, and it makes his blood boil.

"Good afternoon, Ryan," she says, her voice dripping with faux sweetness. Ryan doesn't reply.

Emily's lawyer steps forward, extending a hand to Ben. "Robert Lang. A pleasure."

Ben shakes his hand briefly, his expression unreadable.

Emily slides into the chair across from Ryan, crossing her legs. "So," she says, "are we ready to talk about how you're going to make this right?"

Ryan leans forward, fists clenched on the table. "The only thing I'm ready to talk about is how quickly you can drop this nonsense and move on with your life.'

>>

"Oh, Ryan. Still delusional, I see. This 'nonsense' you're referring to is my life. You dragged me into it, remember?"

Ben places a hand on Ryan's arm, a silent plea for restraint.

Robert clears his throat. "Let's keep this professional, shall we? We're here to discuss terms, not trade insults."

Ryan glares at him. "There are no terms. I'm not paying her a cent."

"Then I guess we'll see you in court," Emily says.

Ben leans closer to Ryan, his voice low but firm. "You're not helping yourself here."

Ryan ignores him, his focus locked on Emily. "You're not going to win."

She smiles. "Oh, I will. And I'll enjoy every moment of it."

Ryan can feel his pulse pounding, his control slipping with every passing second. Before he can respond, a phone pings. Heads swivel toward the sound. Emily's lawyer glances down at his phone-obviously the culprit. His brows knit together in confusion. Then he leans toward Emily, whispering something inaudible. Her smirk falters, replaced by a look of shock as she snatches the phone from his hand.

Emily's entire attention falls on that screen, and with each passing second, her expression darkens. She suddenly stands, her chair scraping against the floor. Without a word, she

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CHAPTER 099: The Demons She Fought

storms out of the room.

"Emily," Robert calls, standing and scrambling to stop her. He calls her name all the way

out.

"What just happened?" Ryan says, turning toward Ben, who is now staring at his own phone, thumbs flying across the screen. The privacy filter on the screen blocks Ryan from seeing anything, but Ben's expression shifts-first confusion, then amusement, and finally outright laughter.

"What's so funny?" Ryan asks.

Ben doesn't look up. "It seems Emily won't be able to afford her lawyer anymore. The internet is on fire, Ryan. And for once, it's in your favor."

"What are you talking about?"

Ben sets his phone down, a grin stretching across his face. "A video just dropped. Emily, your precious Emily, was caught on an office desk with one of your employees. A guy named James, ring a bell?"

Ryan's brain struggles to process the words. "Who the hell is James?"

"It gets better." Ben leans back, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Right after that, an audio clip was posted. A conversation between Emily, James, and your ex-wife, Julie."

Ryan's heart skips a beat at the mention of Julie. "What kind of conversation?"

"The kind where James admits the baby isn't yours. Apparently, it's his kid. Emily tried to pull a smart one on you, hoping to climb to the top by giving you what you so desperately wanted. A baby. She called it... what was the phrase? Oh yeah, 'hustling."" Ben's grin turns wolfish. "And now 'hustling' is the top trending hashtag on X."

For a moment, Ryan says nothing. The information crashes over him in waves-betrayal, relief, disbelief. And then, like a dam breaking, he laughs. It's loud, bitter, and uncontrollable.

He almost doesn't hear Ben asking, "Do you think Julie's behind the leak?"

Ryan's laughter fades, replaced by a contemplative silence. His thoughts drift to Julie, her calm strength, her knack for always being three steps ahead. Oh, of course she leaked it. She's such a sweetheart. He barely notices when the court clerk walks in, her voice a distant hum as she and Ben exchange legal jargon.

"Your Honor's clerk," Ben says. "I need to bring to your attention a development that's just occurred. A video and an audio clip have surfaced online that directly contradict the plaintiff's claims. Furthermore, the plaintiff and her counsel abruptly left the room, despite our attempts to continue the proceedings."

"I see," she replies. "Do you have any information about the plaintiff's intentions or

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She Fought

whether they plan to return?"

"Unfortunately, no. They departed without explanation. Given the circumstances and the new evidence, we'd like to request guidance on how to proceed."

Ryan tunes their voices out, thinking about how he hasn't been this happy in months. He's going to send Julie a gift. No, is that too much? Jeez, she probably still despises him. He tunes back in just as the judge enters.

The judge's stern gaze sweeps the room. "What's this about the plaintiff leaving?"

Ben stands. "Your Honor, new evidence has surfaced online that directly contradicts the plaintiff's claims. We request the case be dismissed or ruled in favor of the defendant."

The judge frowns, glancing at the court clerk. "Is this evidence verified?"

The clerk nods, holding out a tablet. "It's already circulating widely, Your Honor."

The judge takes a moment to review the information. "Counselor, can you tell me more about this evidence that's surfaced online? What steps have you taken to verify its authenticity?"

As Ben speaks, Ryan watches his lips and hands move, but it's like trying to listen underwater. It's a good thing he never became a lawyer. He'd be bored to death.

"...However, the newly surfaced evidence reveals that the plaintiff confessed to deceiving the defendant, passing off her boyfriend's child as the defendant's, in an attempt to gain favor within the company..."

This catches Ryan's attention. Every time he thinks about that part, it peels off the scab of an existing wound, one that's barely healed. God, when would this all be over?

The judge is now speaking, "In light of this new evidence and the plaintiff's unexplained absence, I'm inclined to grant a default judgment in favor of the defendant. However, I want to ensure that the plaintiff had adequate notice and opportunity to respond. Clerk, please confirm that the plaintiff was properly notified of the hearing and that they've had sufficient time to respond to the new evidence."

"Yes, Your Honor," the clerk says. "The plaintiff was properly notified, and their counsel was present at the start of the hearing. However, they departed abruptly without explanation.'

"Very well. Given the circumstances, I'm granting a default judgment in favor of the defendant. The case is dismissed."

Ryan feels a surreal lightness. Ben shakes his hand with a triumphant grin, but Ryan barely registers it. His mind is elsewhere-on Julie. On every demon she must have fought in her mind before choosing to leak that evidence.

When he steps out into the hallway, he pulls out his phone and types a message: "Thank

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you.' It's simple, but he hopes she'll understand everything he can't put into words.

"Ryan." A familiar voice pulls him back to reality. His mother is standing in the waiting area, arms crossed. "I saw Emily storm out earlier. What the hell happened? And why is it so loud outside?"

Ryan glances toward the courthouse doors, where reporters and bystanders are undoubtedly swarming. He smiles, a real, genuine smile that feels foreign on his face. He hopes Emily didn't make it out in time before the mob turned on her. He hopes she gets so bullied that she deactivates her socials. He hopes she goes into hiding and he never sets eyes on her again. The list of his hopes is endless. But most importantly, he hopes this brings him peace.

"How's the weather in Belize this time of year?" he asks his mother.

"What?"

"I'm thinking of taking a vacation. As you suggested."

Adeline squints at him. "Are you going to tell me what happened in there?"

He slings an arm over her shoulder, steering her toward the exit. "It's a long story. I'll tell you on the way home."

"Unhand me, Ryan."

Ryan shakes his head. "Not happening. Smile brightly for the cameras, Mom."

The courthouse doors swing open, and the noise of the crowd rushes in. But for the first time in months, Ryan feels like he's stepping into the light.