The Ingrateful Frame-Up Chapter 1

At sixty, I was a legend in my field. After a lifetime of achievement, I returned to my homeland to accept a lifetime professorship at a top university.

But my husband and son dragged me before the Tribunal.

The charges: treason, intellectual theft, and a betrayal of the nation that had raised me.

If found guilty, the sentence was summary execution.

They pleaded with me, their voices dripping with false concern, urging me to see the error of my ways. All I had to do was surrender my patents to the "true victim," and my sentence would be commuted to a mere twenty years in prison. After that, I could return to a "normal life."

I looked at them, at the faces of the two men I loved most, and shook my head with unwavering resolve.

"I accept the judgment."

* * *

At sixty, my hair was already streaked with silver. Looking at my husband, no longer a young man, and our son, on the cusp of adulthood, a wave of guilt washed over me. I had been so consumed by my work, so absent from their lives. That, combined with a deep, gnawing homesickness, had made my decision for me. It was time to bring my family home.

My return was heralded as a national event. Armed with countless patents and a lifetime of accolades, I was immediately appointed a tenured honorary professor at Archwood University, the country's most prestigious institution.

I thought, finally, I could rest. I thought I could enjoy the quiet twilight of my life with my family. Instead, my husband, Richard, and my son, Leo, filed a formal accusation against me at the Tribunal.

【Once a trial begins, it cannot be stopped. If the accused is found guilty, they will face unspeakable torment before the final sentence is carried out.】

【Accusers Richard and Leo Reed, do you formally charge the defendant, Dr. Evelyn Reed, with the crimes of treason, intellectual theft, and betrayal of the state for personal gain?】

I was seized and brought to the stand, exposed under the glare of a thousand lights and a million watching eyes. The Tribunal had existed for nearly a decade, but it was rarely convened. Its purpose was to judge only the most monstrous of criminals. The news of a new trial had drawn a massive crowd, and the global livestream had already surpassed ten million viewers.

Across from me, Richard looked at me with a pained, loving expression. "Evelyn, my love. Just admit your mistake. Sign over the patents you stole from Catherine Kane. That's all you have to do. You don't have to go through this."

My son Leo’s gaze was pure venom. "How could I have a traitor for a mother? You make me sick," he spat. "You'd better give the patents back to Aunt Catherine and divorce my father. You've already lived a life of luxury on the back of your country. Don't be so greedy. Twenty years in prison is more than you deserve."

A shocked murmur rippled through the crowd.

"I knew it! The Tribunal only ever tries the worst of the worst. A traitor who sold out her own country… Forget the trial, just execute her now!"

"Wait, I recognize her. Isn't that the new professor from Archwood? A traitor? There must be some mistake."

"A mistake? Her own husband and son are the ones who turned her in. What mistake could there be?"

The outrage in the hall was palpable, and the livestream chat exploded with fury. Patriotism is a raw nerve, and the word "traitor" had ignited a firestorm. The calls for my immediate execution were deafening.

I looked from my husband and son to the woman standing in the front row of the audience. Catherine Kane. She hadn't changed much. Still elegant, still beautiful. I, on the other hand, was stooped from a lifetime hunched over lab benches and research papers.

She offered me a small, triumphant smile. A smile that said, You may have overshadowed me for decades, but look who has your husband and son on her side now.

A bitter, ironic laugh escaped my lips. I turned to the Chief Justice, my voice clear and steady. "I accept the judgment."