The mother-in-law turned pale. The ex-husband nearly jumped out of his seat:

— W-what? That has nothing to do with the case!

The judge sharply turned toward him:

— It does. Because I know all the details of that situation.

He tapped his pen on the table:

— And now this attempt to take a woman’s home from her. You are holding forged documents. I know everything.

He picked up one of the papers from the floor — the signature was so crooked that the forgery was obvious.

— Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?

The ex-husband tried to protest, but the judge cut him off:

 

— From this moment on, the hearing is closed. And your documents will be transferred to the prosecutor’s office. You are facing up to five years in prison.

The young woman stood stunned — she never expected the world to be so small.

The mother-in-law covered her face with her hands. Her son collapsed onto his chair.

And the judge quietly said to the young woman:

— You will never again fall into traps like these. I will personally make sure no one touches you.