Trial (1)
After the preparations, the day of the trial arrived.
Dania, dressed in dirty clothes, became a spectacle, and nearby, Shepherd was also present.
“Now, let the trial begin.”
The judge looked over the entire courtroom as the trial commenced.
“The defendant, Dania, committed assault against her older sister and murdered her biological father in the past, followed by tampering with a suicide note…”
“No, that’s not true! Everything was twisted!”
“Silence.”
“But I’m not guilty. And yet…”
“Mrs. Dania, please calm down!”
Despite the lawyer’s intervention, Dania caused the expected trouble.
“Defendant, choose your words carefully. The details are already in the records.”
“Judge.”
“What is it?”
Our lawyer raised their hand.
“May I have permission to speak? Mrs. Dania’s claim of not remembering is likely because, as the aggressor, she didn’t value the past events.”
“Oh? That’s…”
“In cases of bullying or abuse, the pain experienced by the aggressor and the victim differs. If the aggressor feels no guilt, the memories are less likely to linger. Therefore, we brought someone who knew her well at that time.”
“Very well.”
“What… that’s not fair!”
“Defendant, close your mouth. If you can’t, I’ll shut it for you.”
Dania cowered under the stern gaze of the judge.
A tough and unsympathetic woman, renowned for being skilled in her field.
Mrs. Anita took the stand and began recounting the events.
“My sister Dania had frequent arguments with our Father from childhood. She would throw tantrums at any opportunity.”
“Wait…”
As Mrs. Anita spoke, Dania tried to refute, but her attempts were suppressed.
“She would immediately become violent, and it was challenging to handle her even with a little scolding. These scars on my arms are from those early days. There are medical reports as well.”
Showing her arms, she presented the painful burn scars while making her case.
“Dania always craved a lot of affection. Therefore, whenever any affection was directed towards me, she would glare at our Father and start hurling insults. She even resorted to violence against me in secret… and this behavior persisted even after my marriage.”
“What evidence do you have?”
“We obtained testimonies from the residents of the Ranford territory. There are also documentary pieces of evidence.”
It wasn’t just one-sided; she submitted evidence, and the judge’s expression slightly changed.
The second witness against Dania was my Mom.
“When my son’s wife, Marie, was engaged to him, I was surprised by the clothing she wore, that was equivalent to abuse.”
“The basis for calling it abuse?”
“The difference in her son’s and Marie’s clothing. Moreover, she made repeated statements that seemed to suggest submission, as if she were talking about livestock.”
They showed a photo from the time we first met.
Even in past pictures, there was an evident anomaly.
However, the conclusive evidence was a certain letter.