Chapter 6 - The Ultimate Betrayal
"Monsieur Duval," the judge said. "Please state your view of your mother's involvement in your household."
Julien took a deep breath. His hands were shaking, but his voice was steady. "For years, I was blind. My mother is a master of manipulation. She made me believe that my wife was fragile, that my wife needed to be monitored. I thought I was protecting my family by keeping my mother close."
"Julien!" Martine called out from the dock, her voice sharp. "Think about what you are saying!"
"Silence, Accused!" the judge barked.
Julien continued, tears streaming down his face. "But three weeks ago, while packing up my mother’s house to sell it for legal fees, I found an old safe in her basement. Inside, there was a secondary phone. And on that phone, there were text messages sent to my sister, Nadia, and several members of her parish."
The prosecutor presented the new evidence to the court. The texts were damning.
One text from Martine to Nadia read: 'Élise is getting too confident. The twins are growing well. I need to make her slip up. A small hospital visit for the babies will break her spirit. Julien will listen to me then.'
Another, sent the night before the twins died: 'Gave them a double dose. They won't stop crying and Élise is losing her mind. Tomorrow, Julien will see she can't handle them and we will initiate the psychiatric evaluation papers.'
The courtroom erupted. The defense attorney sank into his chair, looking at his client with a mixture of professional defeat and personal disgust.
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Martine lost her composure entirely. She slammed her hands against the glass. "You ungrateful brat! Everything I did, I did for you! To rid you of that middle-class peasant woman! You would be nothing without me!"
Julien looked at her, his eyes dead. "You are not my mother. You are a monster."
