flash
The hangover hit Mateo like a freight train at sunrise. Sunlight filtered through the velvet curtains of the luxury hotel suite, burning his eyes. Beside him, Valeria was still asleep, smelling of cheap neon cocktails and expensive perfume. Mateo groaned, reaching for his phone on the nightstand. / Chapter 7 / 20

Chapter 7 - The Sterility Bombshell

The courtroom was packed to maximum capacity. Journalists from every major network crammed into the benches. Mateo sat at the defense table, wearing an ill-fitting orange jumpsuit. His skin was sallow, his posture defeated.

His court-appointed public defender sat beside him, looking visibly exhausted.

At the prosecutor’s table, Alejandro and Camila sat side-by-side. Camila looked radiant, dressed in a sharp tailored black suit, her demeanor radiating absolute power and poise.

The judge slammed his gavel. "We will now address the motion filed by the defense regarding parental rights and paternity contestation."

Mateo leaned forward, a sick smile creeping back onto his lips. This was his last card. If he could prove the child wasn't his, or throw dirt on Camila's character in public, he could derail the prosecution's narrative of him abandoning his dutiful wife.

"Your Honor," Mateo’s public defender stood up hesitantly. "My client requested an official paternity test prior to the formal stripping of his parental rights."

The lead prosecutor stood up, holding a red folder. "Your Honor, the state has already processed the DNA results along with Mr. Mateo Garza’s certified medical history, subpoenaed from his private clinic."

The prosecutor stepped toward the center of the court.

"The test results reveal two critical facts," the prosecutor declared loudly. "First, Mateo Garza is not the biological father of baby Sofia."

Gasps erupted across the gallery. Mateo grinned triumphantly, looking over at Camila. "I knew it! She’s a cheat! She’s a hypocrite!" he shouted.

"Silence in the court!" the judge barked, slamming his gavel.

"Allow me to finish, Your Honor," the prosecutor continued smoothly. "The second revelation from the medical records is that Mr. Mateo Garza underwent a secret bilateral vasectomy seven years ago, rendering him entirely sterile."

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"You hid your sterility from your wife because you wanted to secure her trust fund without ever giving her an heir to share her wealth," the prosecutor spat with disgust. "However, Mrs. Garza was fully aware of your condition because she discovered the surgical records two years ago."

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