When He Unknowingly Defended His Mother’s Killer

Aria’s POV

My mother-in-law was killed when my husband’s assistant ran a red light and hit her. Yet somehow, the court ruled that she was just trying to scam some money.

Still trying to defend her, I filed three lawsuits, but also lost all three.

Just as I was about to appeal for the fourth time, I discovered that her body had been stolen.

I was about to call the police when my husband, Caleb Morgan, a lawyer, showed up and tossed two thousand onto the table.

“You should already know,” he said coldly, “I’ve never lost a case. No matter how much evidence you think you have, your mother’s lawsuit will never win. If I said your mom was faking it, she’s faking it. All your appeals are just your way of trying to squeeze out more compensation. But don’t bother, I already had her body sold on the black market and got two grands for it. Consider that as the full value of her life. And stop bothering Brielle.”

That was when it hit me. He thought it was my mother who died.

I pushed the money back toward him. “I don’t have the right to take this.”

——

He frowned, his voice suddenly sharp. “What, two grands’ not enough for you? Aria, get this straight. Your mother was unemployed. For someone like her, earning two grands with her life is already a miracle. Don’t get greedy.”

I shook my head. “You misunderstand. I mean, you should be the one keeping this money.”

Caleb’s brows knitted tightly, disgust flashing across his face. “Are you out of your mind? This is the money made from selling your own mother’s corpse. What does that have to do with me? Do you really think I’d take that kind of dirty money?”

Caleb grew up with only his mother. His father died early, and it was his mom who worked multiple jobs to raise him and pay for his law school dream, ruining her health in the process.

Witnessing all that, he devoted his life to his mom.

I used to wonder why, after his mother’s death, he never once went home, why he devoted himself completely to defending Brielle Carter, the assistant who killed her.

Now I knew. He thought it was my mother who died, not his.

I looked him straight in the eye and said calmly, “Caleb, I suggest you return that money and buy Mom’s body back. Otherwise, you’ll regret it.”

But it seemed he didn’t get what I had said as he scoffed. “Do you even know what the black market is like? Once something’s sold there, you think you can just buy it back? Your mother’s body has probably been chopped into pieces by now. There’s no getting her back. So, just take the money and stop causing trouble.”

She wasn’t my biological mother, but she was still a human being. She’d been killed without reason, branded a scammer, and now her body had been sold off by her own son.

The thought of her fate made my chest ache.

“Caleb,” I said quietly, “since you know exactly how bodies are treated on the black market, how could you still do that to Mom? Doesn’t it bother you at all?”

He gave a mocking smile. “Why would it? She’s your mom, not mine. And besides, the dead don’t feel pain. Selling her body for cash at least gave her some worth. She should’ve watched where she was going. Getting killed was bad enough, but she also traumatized Brielle for days.”

I stared at him, speechless. For a moment, I couldn’t even imagine how he’d react if he found out that the woman sold to the black market was actually his own mother.

When I didn’t reply, he added casually, “Honestly, I always thought your mom looked like the short-lived type. Even if she hadn’t been hit, she wouldn’t have lasted long. So, just take the money and be grateful.”

Aria’s POV

“Take the money now, and tomorrow, buy something nice to apologize to Brielle at the office. End of conversation,” Caleb flatly said.

After that, he dropped the money on the table and walked away without looking back.

As I watched him leave, I suddenly realized something. The man who once fought for justice, the man I admired for his integrity, had completely rotted from the inside out.

And this marriage had also reached its end.

The next day, I drafted the divorce papers and went to his law firm.

The moment I stepped into his office, I froze.

There he was, the same man who couldn’t stand a speck of dust, kneeling on one knee, gently massaging Brielle’s foot. His eyes were filled with a tenderness I’d never seen before.

When Brielle noticed me, she immediately put on her innocent act.

“Aria, don’t get the wrong idea,” she stammered, pulling her foot back. “I… I twisted my ankle, and Caleb was just helping me. That’s all.”

She then tugged at his sleeve, pretending to panic. “Caleb, say something! I don’t want to lose my job over this!”

But Caleb patted her back affectionately, his voice soft. “Don’t be afraid. She’s just here to apologize.”

Then his tone turned icy as he looked at me with clear disgust. “I told you to bring something as a peace offering. Why’d you come empty-handed? You’re not young anymore. Don’t you even know how to apologize properly?”

Despite that, I didn’t bother arguing. Instead, I pulled the divorce papers from my bag, laid them on his desk, and said coldly, “Sign it. We’re getting divorced.”

He blinked, clearly caught off guard, then his face darkened.

“What are you trying to pull now?” he snapped. “You know my mom only ever approved of you as her daughter-in-law. She’d never agree to a divorce. Are you doing this just to make her scold me again?”

So, he still remembered his mother.

I let out a bitter laugh and said quietly, “Your mother can’t scold you anymore.”

His expression shifted. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Go home,” I said evenly. “You’ll see for yourself.”

He glared at me impatiently. “Stop confusing me with your nonsense. It’s your mom that had died, not mine. How long are you going to keep this up? Just leave. You’re embarrassing me here. I’m not divorcing you!”

Just then, Brielle, who had been enjoying the show, suddenly wiped away nonexistent tears and sniffled pitifully.

“Aria, I know I bought my driver’s license and my driving skills are terrible,” she said, voice trembling, “but that accident really wasn’t my fault! You’re only filing for divorce now to threaten Caleb to make him send me to prison, aren’t you?”

She looked so fragile and wronged that anyone who didn’t know better might’ve believed her.

And that included Caleb. He pulled her into his arms protectively and cooed, “Brielle, don’t cry. As long as I’m here, you’ll never go to prison.”

Then he turned on me, fury burning in his eyes. “Aria, Brielle’s just a kid. Do you really have to treat her like this? You think waving around a divorce agreement will make me stop defending her? Dream on! Your mother’s death was her own fault. You’re not getting a single cent in compensation, and if you dare touch a hair on Brielle’s head, expect the worst!”

As I looked at him, the man who once vowed to stand for truth and justice, now shielding the very woman who killed his own mother, I felt a deep, hollow sorrow.

But forget it. If that was the kind of son he wanted to be, what right did I have to interfere?

I took a deep breath and said slowly, each word clear and firm, “This marriage is over.”

Caleb’s face twisted in rage. He grabbed the divorce papers, tore them to shreds, and flung the pieces into the air.

Aria’s POV

“So, you really want to divorce me, huh?” Caleb snapped. “Fine! I’ll give you what you want. But let me make this clear. If we divorce, I will write the agreement. I’ll make sure you lose everything and walk out of this marriage with nothing but shame. I’ll also make sure my mother sees what kind of daughter-in-law she adored, a vile woman who used her own mother’s death to scam money and file false lawsuits!”

Through the flurry of shredded papers still floating in the air, I caught his cold, vengeful eyes, and a small, satisfied smirk curling on Brielle’s lips.

Still, I didn’t say a word. I simply turned and walked out of the law firm.

Back home, I quietly started packing my things.

By the time I wheeled my suitcase downstairs, a large group of people suddenly rushed toward me.

They surrounded me, holding up cameras and phones, shouting as they recorded.

“Look, it’s her, the woman who told her elderly mother to fake an accident!”

“After her mom got hit and killed, she used her death to blackmail people for money. When that didn’t work, she went to court just to keep squeezing more cash!”

“She even forced that poor college girl into depression. She tried to take her life several times!”

“Good thing her husband’s a righteous lawyer who stood by justice instead of siding with his greedy wife! Otherwise, who knows what that poor girl would’ve gone through!”

“And now, because he wouldn’t help her scam people, she’s threatening him with divorce. Look, her bags are packed already!”

Their accusations pierced through the air like knives.

Through the crowd, I saw Brielle and Caleb standing at the back, both watching me with smug satisfaction.

So, this was his plan, using a livestream to destroy me.

And it worked. The reaction was instant.

The live streamers were relentless, spitting venom with every word, and soon my name was plastered all over the internet.

[What kind of monster uses her own mother’s death for money?]

[No wonder her mom died early; karma got her first!]

[Like mother, like daughter! They both got what they deserved!]

[Serves her right. The car hit the right one!]

The online outrage spread like wildfire. Within hours, my photos topped every trending list. People called me names such as “unfilial daughter,” “scammer,” and “garbage woman.” Those labels became who I was.

Then the live streamers turned the crowd against me. Spectators began hurling rotten vegetables and eggs, shouting insults as I forced my way through the chaos.

Despite that, I stepped over trash and broken shells, walked straight up to Caleb, and asked quietly, “Do you really have to go this far, Caleb?”

He frowned, and before he could answer, Brielle spoke up with tears shimmering in her eyes.

“Aria,” she whimpered, “I know your mom’s gone, but I’ve been suffering too! Please, just let me go. Stop tormenting me already!”

Seeing her pitiful act, Caleb’s gaze softened instantly.

Then he turned to me, his tone filled with cold contempt. “Aria, you brought this on yourself. Your mom got hit because she was faking an accident. You shouldn’t have dragged Brielle through endless lawsuits. She even had to pay to fix her car after your mom wrecked it, and she never asked you for a dime. That’s called kindness. But you, you just kept pushing. With a heart as rotten as yours, it’s no wonder your mother died early!”

The words had barely left his mouth when a familiar voice cut through the crowd.

“Who did you just say is dead?” my mother asked sharply, stepping out from the onlookers.