The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 94

I was whisked away for lunch where I picked at a turkey sandwich while Carmella and a male advocate I'd only met briefly conversed excitedly about the new twist the case had taken thanks to my crazy brain.

The man said, "What the hell can they do now? Lucy already had the jury's sympathy, and now that she's told her version of what happened, it's obvious that Liam lied."

"They can try to punch holes in her story by claiming this could be a false memory. I wouldn't be surprised if they are stalling things to try to find an expert witness in the field of brain injuries to testify that she might be imagining the whole thing because of some PTSD response to the stress of the trial," Carmella replied.

"Do you think that's a possibility?" I asked her. "Could this be my mind messing with me?"

She sat beside me. "I don't think so. For one thing, Liam was white as a ghost the whole time you spoke, which I'm confident means he knows he's been caught in a lie. His lawyer looked shocked, so I'm guessing he didn't just lie to the court, but that he's also been lying to his legal team. I wonder if his politician daddy was aware of the truth."

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. "The defendant's lawyer wants to meet in the judge's chamber with Crown counsel, so the break has been extended," the court official told us.

Carmella patted my shoulder. "This might be very good news!"

We sat in the room for over an hour, which gave me a chance to text my dad, family, friends, and boyfriend about what had happened to me. I didn't like that we were still separated, but apparently the victim in a case like this was typically sequestered for their safety. Everyone was thrilled that the details resurfaced in my brain, and all of them were optimistic about how the tables had turned.

We were eventually called back into the courtroom and the judge called the session to order before addressing the room, which was now missing the twelve jurors. "During the recess, the defendant opted to switch his plea from not guilty to guilty with the request for a reduced charge and sentence. The Crown counsel agreed to changing the charge from aggravated assault to assault. The jury has been dismissed since this is no longer a trial, and the decision regarding the sentence is now in my hands. There are times when I request a victim impact statement, but after listening to Ms. Atwood's testimony, it's not necessary. Ms. Atwood, if you'd like to meet with me in chambers before I give the sentence, we can do that."

I shook my head. "I trust your decision."

She continued, "Normally, when a charge is reduced due to a plea, I choose to be reasonable with the punishment. However, it is clear to me, and probably everyone else in this court, that Liam Echols perjured himself when he was questioned, which is a serious crime. I offered him the choice between the maximum penalty for assault or a lighter sentence with a new perjury charge brought forward by the Crown. Perjury can result in up to fourteen years in prison, so it was agreed upon that Mr. Echols would accept the ten year sentence I am giving him, though I am choosing to reduce it by four years because this is his first offense. Mr. Echols will be taken into custody immediately and will be transported to the Toronto East Detention Centre where he will begin his six year sentence."

I looked over at Liam and saw that his face was bright red. Six years was a long time to spend behind bars, though he'd probably get out sooner since that's the way the system worked. I didn't really care; all that mattered was that he was being held accountable for what he'd done to me.

The judge gave her final statement which I barely heard because I was slightly dizzy. Everything had come to a quick conclusion, and I was struggling to process it. After everyone stood up to leave, I thanked Ms. Becker and Carmella and walked over to those who were there to support me.