The day I got back from a trip, my housekeeper filed a lawsuit against my father and me.

In court, she stood with her visibly pregnant belly, her voice shaking with anguish.

"Jethro Roberts and his son are nothing but monsters. They tricked me into moving into their home under the excuse of offering me a job as a housekeeper. They tied me to a bed and abused me.

"The baby I am carrying belongs to Jethro Roberts."

Her mother wept hard, nearly collapsing from the strain.

"These two monsters destroyed my daughter's life! They should pay with their lives."

As soon as she spoke, the courtroom burst into an uproar.

"Shameless criminals! The dad couldn't even be bothered to appear in court. They must be punished severely!"

"That's right. Look at the son. He's actually smiling. He has no conscience! They both deserve to pay for what they did."

Then, I calmly stepped forward and presented my evidence.

A stunned silence swept through the courtroom.

The moment I walked through the door, I did what I always do. I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through social media.

Out of nowhere, a cry for help on a local forum caught my eye.

I tapped on it, and the title made my heart skip a beat.

[My employer's dad took advantage of me. What should I do?]

Reading the details below, I could not help but furrow my brow.

[Not long after I started my new job, the man of the house told me he was going on a trip, leaving me by myself.]

[However, no sooner had he left than his dad showed up...]

The word 'trip' stopped me in my tracks.

I had just come back from a trip myself, and I had a housekeeper at home too.

I kept reading.

[He pulled me into the bedroom, and I was too scared to fight back. Afterward, he warned me to keep quiet. I was terrified!]

[I just found out I'm pregnant, and the man of the house has just returned. I don't know what to do!]

[Oh, and he knows all about what his dad did.]

The comments were blowing up.

[Call the cops, girl! Don't let those monsters get away with it!]

[A father and son crime duo? That's just sick!]

[It's been so long. It'll be tough to prove what happened. Maybe try talking to your employer in private first and see if you can get some compensation.]

I scrolled further. The original poster had liked the last comment and replied: [Thanks for the advice. I'll talk to them first.]

Just then, Harriet Lawson, my housekeeper, stopped cleaning and came up to me.

"Sir, there's something I need to tell you."

My heart dropped. I could not help but think of the post I just read, but I kept my face calm.

"What is it?"

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm pregnant. The baby is three months old.

"I-it's Mr. Roberts's."

I was floored. I stood still as the room seemed to spin around me. There was no way.

The Mr. Roberts she was talking about was my dad, Jethro Roberts.

I could not help but ask her, "Do you even realize what you're saying?"

Harriet nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Sir, please believe me. I'm not trying to cause a big scene.

"Just give me $700,000 for taking care of the kid and another $300,000 for my emotional compensation.

"After that, I promise I won't bug you again."

Her words might have sounded nice at first, but she really was asking for way too much.

I had to laugh when I saw how serious she looked. I knew for sure that my dad would never do something like that.

I took a deep breath and stared straight at her. "You're trying to scam me. I'm not giving you any money!"

Harriet frowned a little and said, "Sir, you've got to understand. No woman would lie about something this important.

"To you, this money is just a drop in the bucket.

"I don't want to make a big deal out of this," she added.

I just snorted. "Sure, I've got the cash, but I'm not going to be taken for a fool!"

When she saw I was not budging, Harriet got louder and her eyes fiercer.

"You really won't pay? Okay, then I'll tell everyone! I'll post it on forums, social media, and even tell your company. I won't hold back."

I looked her in the eye. "Go ahead. I'm ready for whatever you've got."

Harriet glared at me hard. "We'll see if you're still this brave in court!"

With that, she stormed out and slammed the door behind her.

Harriet posted an edited clip of our chat online, and it soon blew up.

The post went viral. The comments were hating on me, calling my father and me 'an evil father and son pair', 'scum of the earth', and 'accomplices'.

Less than a week later, I got a court summons.

On the day of the trial, I arrived at the courthouse right on time.

The moment I walked in, I saw Harriet and her mom on the plaintiff's side.

As I walked by, Harriet quickly looked down, her shoulders tensing up like she was scared.

Her mom wrapped her arms around her and stared at me angrily.

"Harriet, don't be scared. I'm right here.

"With everyone here today, we'll make sure those evil people get what they deserve!"

I stood in front of them and nodded. "You're right. Bad people will certainly get their comeuppance."

Harriet's eyelashes fluttered.

I did not say anything else and headed to the defendant's side.

The judge banged the gavel, and the trial began.

The plaintiff's lawyer stood up first.

"Let's hear from the victim about what happened."

Harriet sniffled, her voice breaking as she started.

"Sir... I mean, Charles Roberts lied about needing help at home to trick me into living in his cursed home.

"He told me he was alone and needed me to cook and clean for him.

"After a month, he said he was going on a trip and left me alone in the house. Before he left, he gave me a drink. After I drank it, I felt really dizzy. Then, his dad came back... and pulled me into a room."

She cried as she spoke. "That man, he forced me onto the bed and... he hurt me."

Her words set the courtroom on fire.

People in the gallery were furious. "He's a monster!"

"They planned this together, father and son!"

I ignored the insults from the crowd, stood up, and said firmly, "My dad would never do something like that!"

I turned to face Harriet, her eyes filled with tears.

"Why didn't you call the police right after it happened?"

Harriet's voice shook as she answered through her sobs.

"He threatened me. He said if I told anyone, he'd make life miserable for me and my family.

"I'm just a worker. I couldn't stand up to you. But when I found out I was pregnant, I knew I had to be brave and ask for justice..."

Whispers and gasps filled the courtroom, and angry voices spoke up.

"That man is a monster!"

"His son is just as bad, protecting a criminal!"

Harriet's mother cried out, her voice filled with grief. "My poor daughter's life is destroyed..."

As she wiped away her tears, she gave me a quick, smug glance.

I clenched my fists and spoke up. "You're lying. My father would never do such a thing."

The lawyer for the other side jumped in quickly. "Your Honor, we have important evidence."

Everyone watched as he plugged a USB drive into his computer.

The speakers in the courtroom came to life with a recording.

First, there was a desperate cry, "Sir! Help me!"

Then, a man's deep, taunting laugh. "Calling for Charles to save you?

"You don't understand, do you? He left to give us space.

"Just keep me happy, and you'll get money, a job, and whatever you want... Just do as you're told."

Next came Harriet's panicked cries and the sound of a struggle. "No! Please stop! I won't tell anyone! Please..."

The recording suddenly cut off with Harriet's heartbreaking sobs.

Harriet was already in tears, her whole body shaking. Her mother stood up quickly, pointing at us and yelling.

"Do you hear that? These evil people planned it all! They lured my daughter into their home just to hurt her!"

The courtroom buzzed with shock, and I saw someone fighting back tears.

"It's so sad for this mother and daughter to have to deal with such horrible people!"

"Lock up the rapist's son too! It's shameful to help a criminal!"

While everyone was shouting in anger, I clenched my fist tightly.

"How can you be so sure that voice is my dad's?"

The lawyer for the opposing side looked at me.

"We have proof. After checking, there's a 95% chance that the voice is Jethro's!"

With that kind of proof against me, I stood my ground. "No way. That's not my dad's voice!"

I knew for a fact that Harriet had never met my dad.

The lawyer's eyebrows knitted together.

"You can't just say 'no' and expect us to believe you. This proof is the real deal!"

Harriet was wiping away tears.

"It was me... I recorded that while he was on top of me. I was fighting as hard as I could... Every word, every scream is true! How could you lie like that?!"

She was so upset that she could barely speak, her shoulders shaking.

I laughed, but there was no warmth in it.

"Lots of people sound the same. Why are you so sure it's my dad?"

The lawyer gave me a look and snorted. "If you think that's not enough, I've got something else."

He looked down and clicked on his computer.

A moment later, the big screen in the courtroom turned on.

A video started playing.

It was from the surveillance camera in my living room, showing footage from a night I was not home.

The lights were dim, and a man walked in.

He went straight for Harriet.

"You must be Harriet. Oh, he was right… You are pretty."

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

The bottle Harriet was holding clattered to the floor as she struggled weakly, her voice filled with fear.

"What are you doing? Let go! Somebody, help!"

The man quickly overpowered her, and with a few rough pulls, he lifted her by the waist and marched toward the bedroom.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang.

Right after, soft cries and the sound of a struggle leaked through the door gap, eerily similar to the recording played earlier.

The video ended there.

The plaintiff's lawyer faced everyone, his voice filled with grief.

"This is a surveillance video taken from the defendant's home camera!

"Experts have investigated. The man in the video, his build and clothes, all match Jethro Roberts perfectly!"

Then, he looked at me. "Sir, can you still say this isn't Jethro Roberts?"

Whispers spread through the courtroom:

"The evidence is undeniable! The video shows it all!"

"He was defiant earlier, but let's see what he has to say now!"

Some even stood up, shouting with passion.

"There's nothing to talk about with such a heartless accomplice! Judge, please sentence them! Make them pay for their crimes in jail!"

Feeling the heat of countless scornful and angry stares, I stood up slowly, my eyes fixed on Harriet.

"You insist it was my father. So, tell me, had you met Jethro Roberts before this?"

Harriet, holding her belly, got to her feet.

"I've been working at your house for three months. How could I not have met your dad?

"Besides, he opened your house door like it was nothing, and the man looked just like him. If it wasn't your dad, who else could it be?"

The crowd started hurling insults at me too.

"All the evidence is right there, yet you still deny it!"

"You're heartless! Helping a criminal hurt an innocent girl? You're the lowest of the low!"

"Just look at him. You can tell he's bad news, just like his dad!"

The courtroom was filled with mean words that hurt my ears. I took a deep breath and looked around at everyone.

"I already told you. My dad never forced himself on her!"

I turned to the judge.

"Their lawyer is just guessing who it was by what they looked like and what they wore. That's not fair!

"It makes total sense to think that the man in the security video isn't my dad!"

Their lawyer laughed meanly. "You just won't quit, will you?"

Then, he pulled out a paper from his folder.