Cheers To Comeuppance
Chapter 56(Pt 1)

Third Person

The weekend had come and gone, and the case between Annika and Jeffrey was back to being underway. Jeffrey still had no idea the bombs that were about to be dropped that day. Annika and her family wanted Hunter to torture Jeffrey in court, by legal standards, of course. However, that didn’t mean Royce didn’t have any fun over the weekend, which got him in a bit of trouble with his parents. Though, not very much trouble, after they had found out what it was he had done.

Royce, the overprotective big brother and massive antagonist he was well known for, had sent Jeffrey proof of his father’s serial infidelity with Piper. He sent the file anonymously. When Jeffrey received the package with evidence of his father’s s****l exploitation, Jeffrey had a damn near aneurism in lockup. He was already going mad with anger and jealousy over Annika and Leon’s blossoming relationship and the fact that she was now expecting Leon’s child. But to see that instead of doing everything he could to protect his son from even more embarrassment, his father had to go and have an affair with his distant cousin, no less.

Jeffrey was horrified to learn of the kinks his father was into. He didn’t have time even to contemplate who had sent him the photos, much less stomach the fact that his father was practically committing incest with Piper, unbeknownst to Jeffrey, that Piper was his actual mother, which Hunter planned on revealing during court later on in the day.

As Jeffrey was escorted into the courtroom, his eyes immediately fixated on Annika, her family, and their arsenal of attorneys that took up the entire front row of their side of the courtroom. Hunter was busy reviewing paperwork and evidence to be used during the court session; the family lawyers were helping him organize everything neatly while Annika stood by her chair at the plaintiff’s table, Leon by her side with his arm around her waist. Jeffrey’s face burned bright red with jealousy and anger. But what was even more upsetting was when he saw his family sitting on his side of the courtroom. His father was seated between his mother and Piper. After seeing what his father and Piper were up to, he held nothing but revulsion for them.

“Ladies and gentlemen, court is now in session. Please take your seats!” The bailiff called out. After everyone found their seats, he then announced Judge Trainor’s entry. “All rise for the honorable Judge Trainor.” Everyone rose to their feet.

“Thank you. You may be seated.” Everyone took their seats. “Before we begin, I will remind everyone here today that this is a televised and highly publicized court hearing. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, bear in mind that this is a divorce hearing. Not a criminal case. That is why there are only six of you. As you can also see, your foreman has been replaced since you last were here.” Everyone in the courtroom snapped their heads to the jury, not even realizing the foreman had been replaced since they were last in court.

“What happened?” Annika asked Hunter in a whisper.

“I don’t know. I wasn’t even made aware of this,” he replied.

“Though I cannot specify who is behind it, please let me be frank about one thing,” Judge Trainor paused a moment as he eyed everyone in the courtroom, but his gaze landed on the Hollands family a second longer than anyone else’s. Piper seeing that he was staring straight at them, started to squirm a little. “Bribing a juror is a serious offense and will not be tolerated.” There were gasps of horror and disbelief all around.

Leon immediately turned to Toby and whispered something in his ear. Toby nodded his head in understanding and stealthily left the courtroom. Everyone’s undivided attention was on Judge Trainor and trying to figure out who had bribed a juror that they didn’t notice Toby leave.

“Let’s get this day started, shall we?” Judge Trainor stated that the court was underway. As in their original court hearing, Jeff represented himself, as Hunter represented Annika. “Counselor Hollands, you have the floor.”

“Thank you, Your Honor.” Jeffrey stood and took a quick glance at Annika. Everyone figured she would be his first victim; however, that wasn’t the case. Jeffrey called Leon to the stand. Annika snapped her head up in surprise. Leon, however, was poised and collected. He stood, buttoned his tailored Armani suit jacket, and went to the stand. The three women on the jury couldn’t help but swoon at him. Leon’s aura when he walked screamed wealth and power, and it also helped that he was tall, dark, and extremely handsome. Annika felt herself becoming possessive of Leon when she saw how he attracted women like moths to a flame.

“Place your right hand, sir. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you, God?”

“I do.”

“You may be seated.”

“Thank you for being here today, Mr. Von Doren. Though I have to admit, I’m surprised you’re here.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, forgive me, Mr. Von Doren. I’m just surprised you’re here because I thought you ran a multibillion-dollar company. Is that not right?”

“Objection! Badgering! And relevance!” Hunter exclaimed.

“Sustained. Counselor Hollands, watch yourself,” Judge Trainor warned with gritted teeth.

“No, it’s all right,” Leon stated with confidence. “You want to ask how someone like me, who runs a company as massive as mine, has time to come to a highly publicized divorce hearing, are you not?”

“Your words, not mine,” Jeffrey answered with a dismissive shrug.

“I want to wring his neck!” McKenna muttered under her breath.

“Well, I have the time because I make the time. Unlike you, Hollands, I’m my own boss. I don’t have to answer to anyone else, not even my board members, because, well, I can easily have them replaced. Unlike you. A man who was caught with his hands in the cookie jar and then got canned for it.” Leon hit a sore spot with his words, and the courtroom started to snicker—even the jury. No one really took Jeffrey seriously after his evidence fabrication and tampering crimes came to light. “Do you need a reminder Hollands, that you’re the one on trial here, not me?”

“Mr. Von Doren, I’m the one questioning—”

“Then give me a damn question and quit wasting everyone’s time.” Having been abruptly cut off by Leon, Jeffrey became slightly flustered. He had initially called Leon to embarrass Leon, but alas, Jeffrey became a victim of his own plot.

“Fine. Since you want to cut right to the chase. Very well. Mr. Von Doren, what is your relationship with Annika Silverton?”

“She’s my fiancée.” Jeffrey froze a moment. He knew the answer. But hearing it from the horse’s mouth made him stagger.

“When did you two become engaged?”

“Why is that of any relevance?” Leon questioned back.

“Please answer the question, Mr. Von Doren.”

“Last week. After I found out she was pregnant with our first child.” Jeffrey staggered again, and this time, women all over the country were heartbroken to hear that only was Leonardo Von Doren no longer available, but he was also expecting an heir. Though many people online and at home were congratulating them, a lot of people were cursing Annika for her immense good fortune.

“If that’s the case, are you telling the court you had relations with a married woman? My wife, to be precise?” Jeffrey asked, his voice laced with venom.

“No, I did not.”

“Mr. Von Doren, lying is a criminal—”

“I had relations with a woman who had been legally separated for several weeks from her husband, who had his own relations outside of their marriage.” Jeffrey became silent when Leon outed him as a cheater. Even though the entire country was already aware of this, Jeffrey had unintentionally shot himself in the foot. He had gotten way ahead of himself due to his ever-growing bitterness toward Leon. Jeffrey calmed himself once more before continuing.

“When did you first meet Ms. Silverton, Mr. Von Doren?”

“About five months ago.”

“Where?”

“Her practice.”

“And why were you there?”

“To get a physical exam.”

“Why are you lying, Mr. Von Doren?”

“I’m not.”

“You are. You have your own private physician. Why would you need to see my wife at her practice?”

“Who cares if I have my own private physician? I don’t have to use him to get a physical done. I can go to any physician I like. I had heard good things about Land and Mall. Ergo, I went.”

“Why Land and Mall, though? There are plenty of other physician’s offices in the city?”

“Objection! Asked and answered!”

“Sustained.”

“I withdraw the question.”

“This guy has some f*****g nerve,” Royce grumbled. “He’s fishing!”

“He’s a lawyer. He’s supposed to fish,” McKenna said to him. “But Leon’s too smart to take the bait.”

“Mr. Von Doren, after meeting Dr. Silverton, or should I say, Dr. Hiller, how did you two become a couple.”

“We didn’t.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“We didn’t initially become a couple. She figured out who I was and came to me with a business proposition.”

“And may I ask what that business proposition was?”

“She was looking for another clinic location. She explained to me that she and her partner, Dr. Malloy, were going to open another clinic and hire more doctors and nursing practitioners. And before you even ask, she came to me because I’m the best in commercial real estate in this state.”

“Do you make it a habit of sleeping with your clients?”

“OBJECTION!”

“Withdrawn.”

“No need,” Leon said firmly, annoyed with Jeffrey and his underhanded tactics to try and tarnish his image.

“Unlike you, Hollands, I don’t sleep around with married women. You slept with my wife while she and I were still married. You used the same tactic you are now during my initial divorce hearing with her. But one time is one time too many. After my divorce from that God-forsaken woman, I slept around. I had several one-night stands. I was a billionaire playboy philanthropist. Women threw themselves at my feet. Of course, I slept around. But I’ve never crossed the forbidden line with sleeping with a married woman. Nor did I ever sell myself for business. Business came to me because I’m that good at what I do. If I weren’t, I wouldn’t be the billionaire I am today.” Once Leon was done, Jeffrey had no retort. Everything he planned on asking went out the window with Leon’s explanation. Not only did Leon put down Jeffrey as an incompetent fool, but he also made it so that none of his follow-up questions could be asked. Jeffrey was silent for so long that Judge Trainor had to call his name.

“Counselor Hollands!”

“Huh? Yes?”

“Do you have any additional questions for Mr. Von Doren?”

“Um, no, I don’t. No further questions at this time.”

“Counselor Malloy?”

“No cross-examination at this time, Your Honor,” Hunter answered.

“Very well. You may step down, Mr. Von Doren.” Leon stood up and made his way back to his seat. As he passed Annika, he gave her a wink of assurance, making her smile and blush.

“Counselor Hollands, your next witness.”

“I have no one else to call on at this time.”

“Counselor Malloy?”

“I call Piper Hollands to the stand.” There were murmurs in the gallery, wondering who Piper Hollands was. Piper was looking around with her eyes trying to figure out why she was being called to the stand.

“Objection!” Jeffrey shouted. “She has no relevance to this case!”

“I think we should let the court decide that, Hollands,” Hunter retorted.

“Piper Hollands, you’ve been summoned to the stand. Show yourself or be held in contempt!” Judge Trainor shouted. Piper slowly got up from her seat while gritting her teeth. When she got to the stand, she swore to be 100% truthful and sat down.

“Ms. Hollands,” Hunter got her attention as he walked toward her. “Can you explain your relationship with the Hollands family to the courts?”

“I’m a distant relative.”

“In what capacity?”

“A cousin twice removed.”

“A cousin, you say?” Piper nodded, not liking the vibe she got from Hunter’s questioning tone. She looked over at Jack, who was also sweating in trepidation. Hunter held his finger up and briskly walked back to the table. “I’d like to enter into evidence document A.” Hunter brought it to the Judge. Judge Trainor read it over, and his eyes widened at what they said. “Ms. Hollands, I’ll allow you to change your statement.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ll give you a moment to revise your last statement. The one where you just told the court that you’re a distant cousin of the Hollands.”

“And why would I do that?”

“So, you won’t change your statement?”

“No,” Piper refused.

“Very well. Ladies and gentlemen of the court, please pay attention to the projector.” Everyone’s gazes simultaneously moved to the screen where Hunter projected the document he handed to the judge. The title of the paper was “Birth Certificate.” Piper’s face fell when she saw that it was Jeffrey’s when he was born. But that wasn’t what caught everyone else’s attention. It was the name of the birth mother. Piper Masters. Instead of Ruth Hollands.