A Half Truth

The Judgment

The man rose from his seat and walked towards the witness box. He seemed confident and mysterious. When they locked eyes, he smirked at her.

He sat down in the same chair as Freya, and the clerk repeated the oath-taking procedure. After that, he introduced himself to the court, providing his full name, address, and position.

“Mr. Robin Decuz, How do you know the offender, and what observations do you have about her?" The public prosecutor questioned him professionally. Olivia had already lost all hope while sitting in the accusation box.

"Ms. Hart is my employee. She has been with my team and department for nearly seven years and has proven to be a diligent worker. But recently, she has begun to ignore her responsibilities-"

"-There have been numerous complaints about her inappropriate workplace behavior, such as borrowing money from various sources and even fighting with her coworkers over minor issues and threatening to kill them," the man lied without hesitation, even stealing glances at Olivia as he mocked her with words.

"Then I realized that her change in behavior was due to her drug addiction. The company suffered significant losses as a result of her actions and had no choice but to dismiss her,"

Mr. Decuz had finally finished feeding the court with his lies, and she was not surprised. She was surprised by her lawyer's unconcerned demeanor while sitting in his chair.

The public prosecutor also dismissed Mr. Decuz. Following Mr. Robin Decuz, he summoned three additional witnesses, all of whom were her colleagues.

She did not pay them much attention because she knew they were all going to tell the same story, confirming that she was a drug addict with a dangerous personality capable of killing anyone.

But the final witness piqued her interest. He was the drug dealer, Mark. Olivia had never seen him before in her life, but he recognised her and testified against her.

She noticed a different type of tattoo on his hand, one she was familiar with but could not recall seeing recently.

"My Lord, there is the autopsy report and the forensic reports of dead bodies and the gun Weapon Of Murder clear evidence of the offender's crime," the public prosecutors dismissed the man named Mark and ambled towards his desk, picking up a file and a box before handing it over to the court lawyer, who then passed it on to the Judge.

The judge was carefully examining the reports, and everyone could tell by his expression how much he pity the deceased. At one point, he glared furiously at her.

"I apologize, my lord, but as a defense lawyer representing my client, I would like to make an announcement to the court-"

"-My client, Ms Olivia Hart, confesses her crime and seeks forgiveness...She pleads guilty at the mercy of the court-"

"-She commits an unfortunate crime while under the influence of drugs, and she deserves to be rehabilitated. The drug also has an effect on her mental state, as medical reports confirm-"

"-I request that the judge and jury send the offender to an official drug rehab/asylum where she can be treated,"

Her defense attorney, who had been glued to his seat the entire time, finally stood up and appealed on her behalf. He handed over some documents to the court lawyer.

The judge examined the affidavit and recognized it as the same documents she had signed in the waiting room before the case was called, which included her confessions to the crime.

"Objection! My Lord, a mother who murdered her daughter and a wife who murdered her husband deserve no mercy or forgiveness-"

"-This type of offender deserves the death penalty; if she is granted mercy, she should rot in prison for the rest of her life-"

"-This can serve as a lesson for any child abusers. Thank you! My Lord," the public prosecutor exclaimed, hurriedly rising from his seat and walking in front of the bench.

"But, My Lord, we cannot overlook the fact that drugs were used in this case, or, more importantly, the offender's mental state as a result of it. She requires treatment and then punishment. It is a human right that we cannot deny. A sick person requires rehabilitation,"

Mr. William stated the facts with conviction. Now she understood why this man was so successful: his words caused chaos in everyone's minds. The judge appeared to be in a quandary.

"Objection is overruled!" The judge dismissed the public prosecutor's objection sternly.

"Thank you! My Lord.." Mr. William bowed his head and mumbled to the judge. Both lawyers patiently await the judge's decision.

"This case is quite complicated...for further decision on this case, I would like the respected jury member 'The Mayor of the City' and both lawyers to join me in my chamber. So I can clear my mind about this situation,"

While saying his words, the judge rose from his seat and walked to a small room behind his chair. Both lawyers and the Mayor were following him.

The audience and Olivia waited patiently for them. It had been an hour, and they were still inside the chamber.

Sitting on the chair she was afraid of judgement. She had no knowledge of any actions or decisions made about her future in that small room, which made her even more nervous.

The wait ended when the four men exited the chamber and took their seats.

The public prosecutor appeared disappointed, while Mr. Willian smiled. The other two men remained neutral.

"After carefully reviewing all evidence, witness testimony, and victim forensic reports. The court determined that the perpetrator would face life in prison-"

"-However, since the culprit is found to be a drug addict who was not mentally stable when committing the crime-"

"-And after her confession, cooperation in legal proceedings, and appeal for mercy, the court and jury both decided to send the perpetrator to a reputable drug rehabilitation facility run by M.C. Hospitals and Medical Help. Which is a charitable organization-"

"-The culprit remains there until she fully recovers and after submitting her recovery report to the court. She will be sent to prison. She spent the rest of her life in prison-"

"-The Justice is severed, and the court is dismissed," the Judge announced to the court as he swung the hammer against the bench. Then he dismissed the court and stepped down from his seat.

The judge's final words made her nervous, not because they had sent her to the asylum, but because the asylum in her custody had been assigned.

In M.C. Hospital and Medical Help, M.C. stood for Marcus Campbell. Then reality hit her like a bucket of cold water, clearing away every hazy image in her mind.