My Childhood Stalker (Rain Series #3)

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

(Disclaimer: Law scenes ahead. The accuracy of every information, arguments, and processes of a court trial is not guaranteed and are only based on researches. Do not use this as a basis of knowledge.)

"All rise."

I stood up despite of my trembling knees. This is my first time entering courtroom, at talagang sa kaso pa ng kaibigan ko!

Ang bilis nga talaga ng panahon...

Fuck. I badly want to slap myself hard. Wala pa ako sa witness stand ay grabe na ang panginginig ko. Paano pa kaya mamaya?

Umupo kaming lahat nang makarating ang judge sa kaniyang pwesto. Panay naman ang pagkislot ko sa upuan dahil hindi ako mapakali. Gusto kong umuwi na lang at doon mag-panic.

Mas better siguro iyon.

"Tang ina, naisipan mo bang magpurga bago pumunta rito?" Iritang tanong ni Ingrid na katabi ko ngayon. "Para kang may bulate!"

Siya lang ang kasama ko at si Edith. Pupunta naman si Justice, sinadya niya lang talagang magpa-late.

"Putang ina mo pala, eh." Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. "Sa tingin mo ba gusto kong maging ganito?"

Ewan ko ba. Ako lang yata ang ganito mag-react sa'min. Maging ang mga kamag-anak ni Tristen ay chill lang habang nanonood. Kamusta naman akong kaibigan lang, hindi ba?

"Just... try to stop acting like that. Huwag kang mapapel. Witness ka lang, remember?"

Hindi na lang ako sumagot. I tried my best to focus my attention on the case.

Sana talaga ay nagkape ako para less nginig.

"Tristen Hale. It is charged that he, on or about the fourteenth day of October 2021 in the province of Bulacan did assault, causing bodily harm to Erie Pelaez." He stopped for a while. "Tristen Hale, how do you plead to this charge—guilty or not guilty?"

Walang emosyong sumagot ang kaibigan ko. "Not guilty."

"You may seat."

After he sat down, tumayo naman ang kaniyang abogado. The judge asked him na hindi ko narinig. Matapos iyon ay tumango lang siya at nagsimula ng magsalita.

"Your honor, this is a case of self-defense. According to my client here, the victim is trying to harass him which made him feel uncomfortable." The lawyer cleared his throat. "Today, you will hear from two defense witnesses: Tristen Hale and Diana Calliente. I anticipate that Mister Hale describes that... on the day in question, at about three o'clock PM, he and his friends were on the way on their car when the victim called him. The victim told him that she's pregnant with his child, thus, he instantly denied it. The victim assumed that he was only being sulky so she tried to harass him—"

"Objection, your honor!" Ang prosecutor iyon. "It's not harassment because the defendant liked it!"

Sa totoo lang, ang hirap ipaliwanag nito. Kung wala akong alam sa nangyari noong araw na iyon, I will also conclude that it's not harassment. Knowing Tristen's personality, he's the most likely to harass someone.

At maaari nilang magamit iyon laban sa kaniya.

"He felt uncomfortable and she did not ask for his consent. It is, technically, considered as harassment..." Mariing sagot ng abogado.

Tama, tama!

"Considering that they had a relationship, it is less possible for the victim to harass the defendant. At hindi ba rare pakinggan na babae ang nang-harass sa lalaki? I think it's the other way around."