Chapter 50: The Big Lawsuit

Miranda

I woke up in the hospital room, the dim light filtering through the curtains. Magnus was by my side, a look of relief on his face. It seemed that the sleepless night had left traces in his tired eyes.

I’m having a bit of trouble remembering what happened last night, the last thing on my mind is an image of a scared Magnus and my hands covered in blood, I don’t know how it happened, but I admit that losing the baby left me in shock.

I’m trying to build a family, I’m doing my best to do things right and it seems like I’m the only one who notices.

“How are you feeling?” he asked softly, approaching me as soon as he noticed I was moving.

I was having a bit of trouble adjusting to the light in the room.

“Better, thank you.” I was worried about asking the next question. “I need to know if it was serious, and the baby, how is it?” I asked, anxious to hear good news.

Magnus smiled, squeezing my hand tenderly, that calmed me down a bit.

“The baby is fine. The doctors said you need to take care of yourself, but you’re out of danger.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

After a while longer in the hospital, the doctors discharged me. Although physically I was better, my mind was full of thoughts about what we should do next.

“Thank you for doing everything possible to get me out of here as soon as possible, we have one last court encounter to do.”

“My priority is you and the baby, I’m letting you go back only because I know this affects you as much as me.”

“Magnus, I really need to get back to work. There are things I need to resolve, especially with the lawsuit and the whole situation with Richard. I can’t allow him to get away with what he’s done.”

“I trust that we can handle this.”

“Well, today is the big day, we will finally know if all our efforts have been worth it. I told you that you would be proud of me, I wasn’t going to let you regret hiring me as your lawyer. The first time we talked about this whole legal issue I promised you that we would win, but today I don’t even know where I stand.”

Magnus nodded understandingly, knowing that my job was an important part of who I was.

“Beating Richard and getting free of this lawsuit would be good, I won’t lie to you, but what matters most to me is that we are okay, I don’t care what the verdict in court is, I’m sure we’ll find a way to solve it,”

he smiled so sweetly that it was enough to encourage me.

“So, what do you plan to do first?”

“I need to talk to Josh. Not just about the lawsuit, but also about us. This situation is affecting us all, and it’s time to clear things up,” I replied, determined to face the problems head-on.

After leaving the hospital, Magnus took me home. I felt grateful to have him by my side in these difficult times. As I prepared to face what was to come, I knew that the strength I found in Magnus and in our connection would help me overcome any obstacle.

Once I had all the information I needed, we left the house since we couldn’t find Josh and Hannah, it makes sense because Magnus practically ran them out of the house. Upon arriving at the court, the courtroom was charged with tension.

Magnus and Richard, each with their lawyer, were facing off in a legal battle that would determine the course of their lives. I sat next to Magnus, aware that this recess in court was just a brief respite before the storm.

“Don’t let it intimidate you,” Magnus spoke.

“Richard is far from provoking anything in me if that’s what he thinks.” I was trying to stay calm.

The judge announced a brief recess after a long session of questions and arguments, it was hard to know who had the advantage today. We left the courtroom. Outside, the hallway was full of murmurs and nervous glances.

I approached Magnus, feeling the pressure of the moment.

“This is more complicated than I imagined. Richard has good arguments, and I don’t know what to expect from the final verdict,” I confessed to Magnus.

He gently took my hand, trying to comfort me.

“Today I’m feeling optimistic, let’s only think the best, okay?” I nodded, grateful for his support.

We stayed in the hallway, sharing moments of silence and reflection before the court resumed its proceedings.

Finally, the judge announced that it was time to return to the room. We headed there, aware that what was at stake was much more than a simple legal dispute. The fate of all of us was about to be sealed, and uncertainty weighed in the air as we prepared to face the final verdict.

Richard and his lawyer were visibly worried, while Magnus and I anxiously awaited the verdict. Then, something unexpected happened. Hannah discreetly approached the judge and handed him an envelope with information.

Nervous whispers spread through the room as the judge reviewed the content. The expression on his face changed, and he announced:

“After reviewing the new evidence presented, I have decided to award the victory in this lawsuit to Mr. Magnus Anderson.” Surprise filled the room.

Richard looked incredulous, while Magnus and I shared a look of disbelief and relief.

“This can’t be happening!” Richard exclaimed, standing up furiously.

“The evidence speaks for itself, Mr. Richard. You have lost,” declared the judge.

Magnus took my hand firmly. We left the room, and once outside, Richard approached furiously.

“Don’t think this is over, Magnus. This won’t stay like this,” he threatened.

“That’s enough, Richard. Accept the consequences of your actions,” I intervened, firm.

Magnus moved us away from the confrontation. As we walked out of the courthouse, we immersed ourselves in a silence charged with emotions.

“I don’t know how to thank you, Hannah. How did you get that information?”

“Sometimes, in life, we have to make difficult decisions. This was the right one.” Relief and disbelief mixed inside me.

Magnus hugged me tenderly.

“We did it, Miranda. Now we can leave all this behind.”

“Yes, Magnus. But something tells me that things are not over yet. Richard won’t give up that easily.”

“Let that be something we worry about tomorrow.”

“What do you want to do to celebrate?”

“Let’s get Josh to sign the papers.”

“And after that?”

“Will you marry me?”

He didn’t give me time to answer because he had already come up to kiss me.