"Due to the absence of the supposed to be witnesses, and the situation aroused by new evidence acquired, I therefore move the day of the last trial the day after tomorrow to give way to new reports both the prosecution and the defense need to file."
Matapos niyon ay tunog ng gavel ang maririnig mula sa judge. Nagsimulang magbulungan ang mga tao.
I looked around. From there, I saw people were one by one leaving while their eyes were looking at us still.
As I looked at Avery, she was looking at me sharply. Traise's aunt was still standing in the witness stand while uncontrollably crying. Newt seemed confused. Tyler, on the other hand, looked like he was amused.
"Leave..."
I looked at Traise who was beside me. He seemed devastated. His face turned madly red and there were tears in his eyes.
"But—"
"I said leave!" he exclaimed to me while his jaw was clenched.
He probably can't believe still the revelation his auntie just spilled. Few seconds later, he was escorted by a police out of the court room and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared from my sight.
"Well, I guess that's it for today."
I heard a mocking voice said and I looked at the owner of it. When our eyes met, I looked at him sharply as if I can kill him anytime. When he saw the anger written all over my face, a smirk formed on his lips. He then turned his back and walked away.
"So what are you up to?!" I asked while following him but he wasn't looking back.
"Hindi pa ba sapat sa 'yo 'yung niloko mo kaming lahat? Na nagpanggap ka at pinaniwalang kakampi ka pero ang totoo ay ginamit mo lang kami, ha? Na ginamit mo lang ako?"
That's when he stopped and he looked back.
"Courtney, think whatever you wanna think. I have my own agenda to fulfill."
"Agenda?" I bitterly smiled. "Anong agenda, Tyler? Na gaguhin kaming lahat?"
"You know," he said. "In the first place, you should not be mad at me. Tinutulungan pa nga kitang kilalanin mo ang sarili mo."
"What?" I asked, confused.
He smiled. "Who gave you enough resources to know about your mom? It was me. Who gave you an idea about your mom? It was me. And now I'm helping you unraveling your family's secret."
"Family secret? What do you mean?" I asked.
He walked towards me while his eyes were fixated at me.
"It was revealed that Traise Stevens, your dear friend, is an illegitimate child. Nanay niya ang tumestigo laban sa nanay mo para mabigyan siya ng death penalty, which apparently caused her death. If that's the case, bakit siya tutulungan ng tatay mo kahit na siya ang isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit nakulong ang nanay mo? Bakit siya bibigyan ng tatay mo ng trabaho after ng malaman ng tatay ni Traise na hindi niya tunay na anak ito?"
I felt a bang in my chest.
"And why would your dad support the education, even giving allowances, of the son of the woman who testified against his wife, making way for you and Traise to get close?"
I felt my heart stopped beating.
He inched the gap of our face.
"Tell me, is your friend...really your friend, or he's more than that?"
He smirked.
"Stay tuned."
His smile faded. He turned dead serious, and he walked away.
With mind in absolute confused state, I went inside our house and I saw my dad on the sofa and he was reading something
"That was a nice move," he said, and he put down the paper he had been reading. "How you presented the evidence was perfect."
I looked at him with blurry sight, as tears were forming now in my eyes.
"What's with the look?" he asked me, and then he smiled. "Are they gonna arrest me soon?"
"They will," I said and I looked at him thoroughly. "Dad, is there something you wanna tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"About myself, about this family, about FUCKING everything!"
My dad's expression changed with the sudden change of my mood, he turned dead serious.
"I told you," he said. "The box can answer your questions."
"BUT I WANT YOU TO TELL ME EVERYTHING!" I shouted. "Alam n'yo ba ano nararamdaman ko ngayon? Parang... Parang hindi ko kilala ang sarili ko. Napakaraming sikreto, napakarami kong hindi alam! Pakiramdam ko hindi ko kayo kilala. Parang joke time lang lahat. Ang gulo gulo, dad. Sobrang gulo. So please....please tell me everything...please... I'm begging..."
My dad's eyes turned teary and pain was written all over it.
"Would you...be able to handle them?"
"I will and I can," I said.
"Even if it means...letting go of things you can't live without?"
I heard a bang in my chest.
"Did you..." I said, stuttering, tears flowing like a river, "Just...just confirm...that my friend and I...are...are siblings...?"
My dad looked down.
I saw tears from his eyes fell...
~~~~
THIRD PERSON P.O.V
A man in his 20's with the word 'DETAINEE' in his shirt entered the query room and he was suddenly stunned after seeing who was waiting for him inside.
It wasn't the former prosecutor he knows, or the defender he once considered a brother, or his friend he oftentimes called attorney. It was the woman with the sweet face of an angel but has the mind of a clever devil. She was the one who controls the game that anyone should not mess with.
"I hope you're pleased to see me," she said with her usual smile.
The man sat in front of her with an emotionless face.
"Well I'm a bit flustered," he said. "I never thought someone as successful as you, Avery Heimsworth, would visit me."
"The last time I did was four years ago, am I right?" she asked, smiling still.
"Yes," he said. "And you told me Courtney has a boyfriend when she had none."
She laughed. "I was just kidding that time, Traise. Don't tell me you believed me?"
The man smiled. "I did."
The woman laughed.
"You still look the same," she said. "And acts the same."
"Well contrary to me, you've changed," he said, looking at her. "What happened to you?"
"You ask yourself that question," she said and her facial expression changed. "What did you do to me?"
"I told you," he said. "I don't need your—"
"YOU NEED MY HELP," she halted him. Her voice was authoritative yet there was pain on it. "Can't you see things now? Courtney can't defend you. She can't defeat me. She's overly distracted now because of her mom's case that overlaps with your case. I told you four years ago to wait for me, for me to defend you but you turned me down! You turned me down saying—"
"She can defend me," he halted her. "She can and she will."
"I thought you're smarter than me," she said, pain in her eyes. "She can't even beat my scores in tests and she can't even make it to any rankings. How will she defeat me in court?"
"Just wait and see," he said, determined.
"Why do you trust her that much?" she asked. " Yet you can't even trust me? You even turned me down not just once, not just twice, but thrice because of her! Remember when you didn't accept my love letter back in high school? Remember when you chose to teach her of basic calculus instead of joining the national academic competition that will give you a door for international school? Remember how many opportunities you sacrificed just because you don't wanna be apart from her? Remember how you ruined your life for her?!"
"That's my choice," he said. "It's not living if it's not with her."
She looked down and tears formed in her eyes. "How long are you gonna hurt me?"
"No," the man said. "How long are you gonna hurt yourself?"
He looked in her eyes.
"When you confessed your love for me several times and I oftentimes turned you down, that doesn't mean I don't like you. Well, I like how smart you are. I like how goal-oriented you are. I like how competitive you are. But you know, I can't see you as something suitable for me. You're too good."
She weakly smiled. "You really know how to turn someone down in a nice way, huh?"
"It's a talent, I guess," he said, smiling back at her.
"But I think, it's over for you two," she said.
"What...do you mean?" he asked, confused.
"You're illegitimate child and your dad abused you for being one. Think of it. Your mom testified against the coroner's wife, but why did the coroner gave your mom a job and gave you a scholarship?"
He opened his mouth to say something but he can't come up with any words to say.
She smirked after she saw how it caught him off guard.
"Strange, isn't it?"
"It is," the man said. "But can you do me a favor?"
"Let's see. What is it?"
He smiled.
"Do your best to convict me."
~~~~~
COURTNEY.
"Whoa-ho-ho, guess who came, the almighty attorney!"
I looked at the man sitting in front of me inside the detention query room.
"Former vice president, how's life treating you here?" I asked, smiling at him sarcastically.
"It's fine," he mockingly said. "Comfortable so far. Guess what power can do?"
I smiled bitterly.
"It should be fine and you should start to adjust," I said. "After all, you'll spend the rest of your life here."
He laughed. "I never met any woman as brave as you," he said, but then his expression changed. "Oh there is! Your mom, but my bad, she's dead."
My expression also changed.
"Have you seen her expression when she got killed by electric chair? It was fun to see."
My jaw clenched.
"Don't worry," I said, anger now in my eyes. "You'll experience it soon."
"Really, attorney?" he asked while smiling sarcastically. "I have the power, but I wonder if your dad has?"
My eyes grew bigger.
"Don't drag my dad into this," I said and my eyes were giving him a warning.
"We'll see, attorney," he said and met my eyes. "Revealing things about me also means revealing things about your dad tampering important evidence. Seeing me in electric chair also means seeing your dad beside me, being killed by the exact same electricity."
Then he laughed.
"In order to prove me guilty, you have to prove your dad also is," he then inched the gap of our face and with a twist of smile on his lips, he whispered,
"I wonder if you can do that, attorney..."
Hours later, I found myself inside the query room with the familiar man in front of me. I have been here for 15 minutes and we were just looking at each other for the entire time.
"How long are you gonna look at me?" he asked me with his signature emotionless face.
"As much as I want to," I said. "As much as I can to."
"Why?" he asked. "Is this my last night?"
I didn't answer.
"Oh," he said. "Bukas na pala ang last trial. So it may be my last night, I guess."
"Traise, did you really do it?" I asked again.
He smiled. "I already told you the answer. Don't worry, I'll plea guilty tomorrow. There's no need for you to defend me, just...just use tomorrow's platform for your mom's case. I'll...take my verdict wholeheartedly. That's—"
"Why are you doing this?" I asked and the tears I had long been trying to suppress fell to the ground. "I can defend you still. I can do things for you still but why are you telling me to stop—"
"Because I can't see you in pain anymore," he said. "Can you see yourself now? You looked so stressed, you seemed sleep deprived, you are disturbed. You're bothered also about your mom's case. Your dad got inclined. You carry the whole word now in your shoulder."
He then looked down.
" I... I can't afford to see you being roasted in court with those objection logic. I can't see you being played and labeled by media as criminal defender. I can't afford to see you being hated by the whole nation alone. I can't see you cry, I... I don't wanna see you in pain. So please...please take a rest," he said and met my eyes. "I'll handle myself."
"You told me we're all in this together," I said eagerly. "Then we'll end this together."
"No," he objected. "You should stop. Don't torment yourself anymore, please? Do it... do it for me"
"I can't," my voice broke.
"You can," he encouraged.
"I SAID I CAN'T!" I exclaimed.
"You can, Courtney. Listen to me, hmm?" he insisted. His former emotionless face started to get emotional. "I... I studied my case well. If you'll defend me still, it means you have to drag influential politicians into this. Even your dad, Courtney, you have to drag me into this mess."
He gulped.
"Once proven, they will all face the same imprisonment or worse, death. It's gonna be you against the whole nation, the ruling elites, and you even have to sacrifice your dad. But if I'll plea guilty, everything will end. It's only me who needs to sacrifice so there will be no more casualties.... So please do me a favor."
I met his eyes. Tears started to form in his eyes too.
"Sacrifice me."
"I can't," I said and burst into tears.
"You can..." he said, tears were glimmering in his eyes. "Whatever our relationship is, best friends or siblings, please always remember I love you forever, forever and always..."
I looked at him and I saw how much pain was on his face.
"You...also think...we are siblings?"
He smiled bitterly. "I guess we are."
"And what if we are?" I asked and my voice cracked.
"Then," he said. "I... I have to let you go..."
"WHAT?!" I exclaimed. "Can... Can you hear yourself?!?"
"We can't do anything," he said. "It's against the law of society, it's wrong in everyone else's eyes. As much as I want to, I... I can't see you being humiliated by just anyone. I want you to be happy, even if it's not with me, even if it no longer includes me."
"What..are you saying?" I asked. "Are you...perhaps...building gap between us...?"
"If that's the term then I am."
"Don't you love me anymore?!" I asked, my voice cracked.
"You know," he said, "My 'I love you' comes with different forms. Sometimes, it's when I wake up at 4 in the morning just to walk and go to your house just to make sure you won't be late again. Sometimes, it's when I was being strict whenever I was tutoring you because I want you to be the best. Sometimes, it's when I walked you home after class just to make sure you'll be safe. Sometimes, it's when I built my fence high just for the other guys not to befriend you and later cause you heart break."
He smiled at me weakly as his tears fell to the ground.
"Sometimes, it's when I'm watching you all night as you sleep after an earthquake just happened, making sure you'll sleep safe, and most of the time it's when I hold your hand when you're scared, kiss your forehead when you feel insecure, and hug you when you're about to cry. Ironically, it also comes when I said I'm letting you go..."
I felt myself getting numb. I can't feel anything. I feel so fucking lost.
"I love you so much," he said, his voice cracked and tears fell on his cheeks. "...to the point that if leaving you will later cause you happiness, my love, I will..."
"Don't..." I said, crying. "Please..."
He shook his head. "I'm letting you go not because I want to, but because I have to."
I bit my lower lip and cried. "No, Traise...please..."
He gulped. "Now you won't understand it but someday I know you will. By that time, I want you to be happy, even if I'm not there..."
I cried again and was trying my very best to stop my heart from breaking apart.
"Can I... make a request?" he asked, smiling painfully, while tears in his eyes. "When the world forgets me, please remember me..."
I sobbed again. The pain in his eyes was enough to murder me alive.
"Can I... make a request as well?" I asked, my voice was shaky.
"S-Sure" he said, trying to flash a smile while another wave of tears were building up in his eyes.
"Can you...sing for me?" I asked.
"But—
"The one you sing to me every time I can't sleep. That Evan Lofranco rendition...please, Traise, can you?"
He was hesitant at first until he finally smiled painfully at me.
"Put your head on my shoulder," he started. "Hold me in your arms, baby."
I felt my heart melted and my eyes ready for tears.
"Squeeze me oh-so-tight, show me," he continued singing and he smiled at me. "Show me that you love me too..."
I felt something was piercing my heart.
"Put your lips next to mine, dear. Won't you kiss me once, baby?"
And he held my hand and pressed my hand gently.
"Just a kiss goodnight, maybe."
And his tears fell.
"You and I.... will fall in love..."
He stopped and he looked at my eyes. He then wiped off the tears on my cheeks.
"If I die tomorrow and turns into ashes, I'll be reformed in the next lifetime and I will wait for you there."
He said and he smiled at me weakly and he mouthed,
"I love you..."
The next day, I found myself inside the court room. The scenery reminded me of the last trial 8 years ago. The audience was filled with media personnel, law makers, politicians, and even the chief justice came. The media was all over the place, seeking for a good place for coverage. Outside the building were mixtures of activists, former vice president supporters, human rights groups, and people asking for Traise's death penalty verdict. It was undeniably the main talk. In fact, news outlets were even putting it as their headline.
"Defense, are you ready?" the court clerk asked.
"I am," I said.
And I looked at the prosecution. They were composed of the Newt and Avery. Traise was sitting beside me and Tyler was nowhere to be found.
The trial started. It was a tough and heated argument.
I called Traise's aunt in the witness stand again and there, she revealed the original plan of Traise's dad; to poison his wife and obtain her insurance.
"As you heard, Your Honor," I said. "The victim aimed to commit a crime and the accused just stopped him. I rest my case."
"Prosecution, would you like to cross-examine?"
"No, Your Honor," Newt replied. "But I would like to present our evidence."
He walked in front with face as if he did nothing wrong to me at all.
"At this point, Your Honor," Newt started. "I would like to play this recording."
Few minutes later, the recorder played and it can be heard in the whole court.
"I've been telling you I'm guilty, ayaw n'yo kasi maniwala," a voice said. "You fought for me with just the thought of I can't commit such horrendous crime, but Courtney, I just did!"
My eyes grew bigger after hearing it. Iyon 'yong pag-uusap namin ni Traise 8 years ago!
"OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR!" I said. "The prosecution acquired an illegal evidence they do not own!"
"Your Honor," Newt said back confidently. "The evidence was personally recorded by the current defense for the former prosecution to hear and the former prosecutor registered it under the prosecution evidence possession. Therefore, it is not illegally obtained."
Then I remembered I let Tyler hear our conversation before. Shit!
"Objection overruled, continue. "
"Thank you, Your Honor," Newt said and looked at me as if he was mocking me. "Let's continue."
So this is the real Newt. He can do well in court but he chose to be petty before!
"You're right about my mom, attorney. She stabbed my dad. But at the same time, you're wrong," the voice from the recorder said. "She didn't kill him because I did."
Everyone gasped, even me, I did.
Newt smirked. "As you have heard, Your Honor and dear juries, the accused admitted the act. But there's still more," he said, and he played the recording again.
"Dumb detectives, dumb police, dumb law. They think he really died because of that?"
"What... do you mean?" I heard my voice.
"My dad didn't die because of the knife," he said. "It was poison, attorney. I poisoned him."
Newt stopped the recording and he faced the crowd.
"The accused admitted the crime and said it was poisoning. Now let's take a look at this exhibit."
And he flashed something in the screen.
"This is the autopsy report of the victim. The cause of death was not by multiple stabs, but by poisoning. In the recording, the accused said he poisoned the victim. Therefore, his confession and the autopsy findings matched. With that as a take off point, we stand firm in saying the accused is GUILTY of all means," Newt said and smiled. "The prosecution rests."
There was a loud noise coming from satisfied spectators who were impressed by what they witnessed. I looked at Traise and I can't read his face.
This ain't right.
I... I have to do something!
"Your Honor," I said. "I would like to summon a witness. I call the coroner in the witness stand."
My dad took the oath of affirmation.
"What are you?" I asked, feeling my heart breaking apart one more time.
"I'm the city coroner, attorney," he said.
"What does the coroner do?"
"The coroner may conduct and inquest to know someone's cause of death under his jurisdiction, attorney."
"Does the death of the victim under your jurisdiction?"
"Yes, attorney."
I gulped. I can't do this.
"It was said that there was no autopsy report at first," I hardly said. "How come it turns out that there was one? And why it is different from a medical facility's result?"
My dad looked at my eyes deeply, as if he was seeking strength through it.
"I tampered it, attorney..."
Everyone gasped. My jaw dropped after my dad said something he should've not said. People immediately talked about him.
"You...You can take it back, sir," my voice cracked. "I... I won't acknowledge it—"
"No, attorney," he said. "I did it. I tampered the autopsy to manipulate the case."
I felt a bang in my chest
"It was revealed that the the mother of the accused's cause of death was insulin poisoning," I said while trying to get a hold of myself. "Do you admit that you hid the autopsy report from the public, a contradiction of your responsibility as a city coroner?"
"I did..."
I bit my lower lip.
Dad...
"And not just that," he said. "I tampered as well the autopsy report of the 13th president, under the threat from the former vice president."
My eyes grew bigger. I got dumbfounded.
Everyone stood up. They were all shocked to the point that even the prosecution can't open their mouth to contradict him.
"My wife was the surgeon-in-charge for the president's operation years ago," my dad started. "My wife was excited because it was a rare opportunity but at the same time, she was scared. Nevertheless, she took the job despite of her conflict with the government because of the hospital she newly opened. Hours after the operation started, the vice president went to my office and for the first time, asked me to tamper an autopsy with no one's name on it."
My dad heaved a sigh to release the pain in his chest.
"At first... at first I declined but he intimidated me, he used his power to made me do it, he even used my daughter to scare me. Stupidly, I tampered the autopsy. I put what he wanted me to put there. Turned out, it was an already created autopsy report of the president's death. They already created it even before the operation failed as if they were sure that the president will die..." my dad narrated but you can sense a deeply rooted anger on it.
"In my horror, the thing I did put my wife behind bars. My wife said the president died mysteriously during the operation but it wasn't a medical malpractice because she knew what she was doing. But it was too late, the autopsy they forced me to tamper says it was a medical malpractice..."
My dad bit his lower lip. Tears were forming in his eyes.
"My wife... she was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment. When the star witness of the prosecution turned her back and joined me because she regretted what she did, I filed for a new trial in which they manipulated through their power. My wife got a death penalty as a verdict, and she died with no justice, she died for something she didn't do..."
It was the first time seeing my dad in this state. It's... killing me.
"That's... a serious allegation, mister," the judge said. "Can you...prove it?"
"I can," I meddled.
Everyone looked at me. I went to the defense seat and carried a box in front.
"First," I said. "Let's play this video."
I flashed a video on the screen.
"In the video, you can see the vice president coming back and forth to the room of the accused's mom. In the last trial, it was proven that the vice president ordered her death. It was revealed by the nurse they then killed. Now, through this recording, the defense will solidify our claim that the vice president has something to do with the past and the current cases. Let's play it."
I played the recording.
"Anong ginagawa mo rito?!" a woman can be heard, it was Traise's mom. "Hindi pa ba sapat sa inyo 'yong pinagawa ninyo sa akin noon?! Ha? Pati ba naman anak ko...idadawit ninyo rito?! Mga walanghiya kayo! Ikaw, walanghiya ka!"
"Shout all you want," a man's voice can be heard and it was the vice president."That'll be your last shout in this life. Alam mo kung bakit? Because high dosage of insulin are now in your body. Kumustahin mo nalang ako sa mga kaibigan mong doktor sa kung saan lupalop man siya napunta."
And the woman cried and the man just laughed hard.
"This evidence is not illegally acquired," I said since the prosecution can't object anymore to the things they found out. Avery and Newt were shocked too. "The accused's mom has been filming herself everyday, recording everything to help his son and when she died, all her things related to her son's case were all addressed to me."
I gulped.
"The recordings showed the vice president killed the nurse and the accused's mom who was the witness of the 13th president's operation years ago. To prove the autopsy tampering, let's... let's take a look at the screen."
No one was moving even a single nerve. An absolute silence occupied the courtroom.
Then I flashed something on the screen.
"The president's case was an open heart surgery," I introduced. "The president had been experiencing a heart disease and it caused his arteries to get blocked and narrowed, making hard for the coronary arteries to supply heart with blood that may cause the president's heart attack."
I looked at them, making sure all ears were on me.
"To access the heart, my mom, the surgeon made an 8-inch incision along the middle of the chest, passing the breastbone. Based on the report, the medical team used heart-lung bypass machine during the surgery that made the heart temporarily stopped beating and the bypass machine took over the heart's pumping action and it removed blood from the heart via tubes. The machine then removed carbon dioxide from the blood, added oxygen, and returned the blood to the body through the process "on-pump" surgery."
I looked at the prosecution and Avery was looking at me intently, waiting for an opportunity to object.
"However while on the process of it, the president had a cardiac arrest, which tragically caused his death," I said and faced the judge. "They said it was a clinical malpractice. But I bet disagree. Why? Because my dad, the coroner, did a real and not a tampered autopsy."
There was a loud murmuring.
I flashed the autopsy on screen even before either New or Avery can object.
"The president didn't die because of the surgeon opening him up, but because he was injected with potassium chloride which caused a muscle damage which taken into effect during the operation."
Lumakas lalo ang mga bulungan ngunit hindi ako nagpatinag.
"At sino ang may gawa?" I asked and flashed a video on the screen. I looked at Traise who was looking at me emotionally. "It was the accused's mom..."
Then the video played. It was a video of Traise's mom admitting the crime while crying hard.
"As shown in the video, the accused's mom, who was the head nurse of the operation, did the crime under the threat from the vice president. She first testified against the surgeon because she was threatened by the vice president again that he will expose her if she won't."
I felt anger in me.
"But why would the vice president do that?" I asked. "Let's hear my final recording."
And it played.
"You know what," the vice president said while we were in the query room. "The president is probably alive 'til now if he wasn't a son of a bitch. Imagine, he'll proclaim a revolutionary government right after he recovered from the operation to arrest me and my allies? All because he found out we planned to throw him out of the government with a destabilizing blueprint! Kaya inunahan ko na. Malas n'ya."
And I faced the crowd. "It was because of power. Many lives were wasted just because of his greed in power. With this, I therefore suspend the bail of the vice president and all inclined in the 13th president's case. That means they are not allowed to go outside the prison for the meantime."
I looked at the former vice president who was sitting with the crowd. Everyone was looking at him and flashes of cameras were blinding us. I smirked as he met my eyes.
"You destroyed my parents, now I will destroy you," I murmured.
"Objection, Your Honor!"
I suddenly looked at the owner of the voice. It was Avery.
"The defense is overlapping a case not related to the case we have now."
"Objection sustained," the judge approved.
My eyes grew bigger
WHAT????
"I request to take over, Your Honor," Avery requested
"I bet to—" I objected.
"Request granted."
WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?????
She met me halfway and looked at me with disgust.
"Stop overlapping cases, you'll lose."
I looked at her again, confused with her sudden concern.
"Your Honor," Avery started. "I would like to summon the accused in the witness stand."
Ano bang pina-plano niya?!
Traise took the oath of affirmation.
"I won't ask questions," Avery said. "I just wanna hear you narrating what happened that night. Can you?"
"I can," Traise said.
"Go on."
And he narrated it.
"So it means you do not know whether your dad ate the pinakbet where you put the aconite poison?"
"Yes. I put it there but I wished my dad didn't take it. My dad asked me to get some water in the fridge and that was the time I don't know whether he tasted it or not."
"But he died and the aconite was found in the autopsy. Do you admit the crime, then?"
There was silence. His eyes wandered. When he met my eyes, he smiled at me weakly.
"I do..."
Loud noise.
I closed my eyes hardly, remembering what he said.
"If pleading guilty means protecting you, I will."
Now he did. Since he did, the case's over.
"With the testimony from the accused," Avery said. "The case is now closed."
"I BET TO DISAGREE, YOUR HONOR."
We looked at the door that opened and it rendered more murmuring. In a flash, Tyler Scott came in with his formal suite, looking so professional.
WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING???
"The accused is just pressured and confused," he said.
"He admits the crime, Your Honor," Avery argued.
"And I'm here to prove the case is wrong," he said. "Your honor, I request to take over."
"Your honor, I disagree—"
"Why?" Tyler halted Avery. "Are you afraid of facts?"
"I am not," Avery said fiercely.
"Then let me," Tyler smiled at her mischievously.
"Request granted," the judge proclaimed.
Avery and Tyler exchanged few seconds of deadly glare before Avery finally sat back. Tyler then faced the crowd.
"A case can only be classified as parricide if someone killed a relative. But did the accused really kill his dad?"
He smiled.
"Or it was his mom?"
WHAT???????!
Everyone was gossiping.
He flashed something on the screen.
"The autopsy shows the victim died because of aconite poisoning. However, let's take a look at this exhibit."
He flashed a photo of gloves on the screen.
"The accused's mom used gloves because of her skin condition and the thing is, the gloves contained samples of aconite on each surface. Which means, the accused's mom may, or may not, be the one who poisoned the victim."
He flashed another photo on the screen.
"The accused said what he put in the pinakbet was the trunk part of the aconite. But I'm afraid," Tyler said. "We found a petal, not a trunk, in the wine the victim drunk. The autopsy showed that the poison wasn't in the food he congested, but in a fluid he drunk. It confirms that the accused's mom did the crime and the accused is innocent. The case should be attempted murder but since the prosecution filed that against him already, they cannot lower the verdict back to that because that'll be a double jeopardy, which is against the law."
He smirked.
"In case of parricide, it cannot be parricide because it was proven that the accused and the victim are not blood related."
"But parricide applies with step dad," Avery finally argued.
"You're right," Tyler said. "But do you know what I found out?"
He flashed another thing on the screen.
"It's the newly acquired birth certificate of the accused. His father, the victim, deleted his name as his father 2 days before the crime happened, which means the accused and the victim are no longer blood related or paper related which makes the parricide and murder now invalid."
He smirked.
"Checkmate."
People were all shocked. Some of them even stood up with the sudden revelation.
"And to prove that the accused and the victim are not blood related, let's take a look at the screen."
And he flashed something.
"It's the DNA test conducted years ago when the accused was 4 years of age," he said. "I got it from the 13th president's documents."
WAIT.
DID HE JUST SAY PRESIDENT???
"Yes," he said, "He's the son of the 13th president. And I am too."
And he faced the crowd.
"My brother is innocent," he smiled, "I rest my case."
Minutes later, the judge took a break and after it will be the verdict. Traise refused to talk with anyone and let himself to be accompanied by the police. On the other hand, I was sitting in front of Tyler after s'ya dumugin ng media dahil sa mga sinabi niya. Gaya na lamang na anak siya ng dating presidente na hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng publiko.
"How did that...happen?" I asked.
"Well," he said. "Traise's mom was a personal nurse of my dad and he asked her to join the operation team for his security but turned out she poisoned him. Tragic, isn't it?"
He faked a smile.
"She changed her mind after sacrifising her job to help your dad to win the 2nd case. In return, your dad gave her a job and sponsored her son's education," he added.
"Since when did you know that?" I asked.
"Remember when I dropped the case from murder to attempted murder sa first case? That was part of my plan to checkmate them and now I just did. I found out we were brothers when I visited his mom and acquired the recording I sent to you before."
"You're too clever, aren't you?" I said.
"He's more clever than me," he said. "But when it comes to being a good looking, I'm the winner."
We laughed. Few seconds later, an awkward atmosphere kicked in. We turned serious and looked at my eyes.
"You know," he said. "I faked everything. Literally everything. But all the things I did and said to you were the only real ones. I felt numb for years, but Courtney, you made me feel things..."
I opened my mouth but nothing came out.
"HI? CAN I MEDDLE IN THIS MOMENT WITH ALL DUE RESPECT?"
We both looked at the owner of the voice. It was Avery.
"I'm gonna make it quick," she said. "The good news is my petition to repel the death penalty got approved and it'll be on reading next week."
"You mean OUR petition?" Tyler corrected.
"Wait, magkakampi kayo?!" tanong ko.
"Only with death penalty because we both hate it," Avery said. "So it means whether Traise or your dad found guilty, they have the chance not to receive a death penalty. But the bad news is, you'll lose your mom's case."
My eyes grew bigger.
"Why?!" I exclaimed.
She turned dead serious.
"The statue of limitations..."
An hour later, I found people were cheering. Some were disappointed but there were more cheering noise after the verdict were proclaimed. As what we have predicted, my mom's case was dismissed because of statue of limitations which is the span of years you can file a charge and if you exceed and filed too late, the case will be invalid. It means the people involved were freed, despite of them conspiring for such crime, because that's the law and that's what the law says...
On the other note, half of me felt happy but the other half just died. My dad and Traise received their verdicts. One found guilty, while the other one did not.
My tears fell.
I caught Tyler looking at me and he had tears in his eyes too.
He smiled so weak and just like in my dream, he uttered the final words.
"Game over..."
~~~~
"Scalpel," a man who seemed like the lead surgeon commanded. He later then opened up the patient.
"Retractor," he commanded.
The nurse gave her one.
"Bovie."
And then a blood spitted in the air.
"Shit!" the doctor said. "Irrigation," he commanded.
He tried to handle the sudden commotion.
"Suction," he said. "Cut."
His eyes started to feel comfortable after he was able to manage it.
"Suture," he finally instructed.
They assisted him.
"Saturation," he followed and looked at his co-doctors. "Is the patient stable?"
"The vitals went back to stable," the anesthesiologist said.
I sighed as I turned off the television.
Bakit ba ang daming medical shows sa TV lately?
I looked at the ceiling one more time when finally, I heard someone hitting the door bell impatiently.
"HONEYYYYY, I'M HOMEEEEEEEE!" it shouted.
Look at this guys being so much of a nuisance again. I opened the door.
"Ba't ngayon ka lang?!" I asked.
He smiled. "Do you miss me that much?"
With a wide grin, he went in.
"I told you your curfew is 11 pm, it's almost 1 am now!" I said.
He laughed. "Why does my wife sound so cute?"
He took his coat and placed it on the table.\
"Tyler, hindi ako nakikipag biruan!" naiinis kong sabi.
He looked at me. "Can you not be angry at me? Your husband is a lawyer, what can I do about it?"
"Well we are all lawyers here!" I said. "AND CAN YOU STOP CALLING ME HONEY OR YOUR WIFE, FOR PETE'S SAKE TYLER, YOU'RE DISGUSTING!"
He laughed. "Sorry na. Your dad told me when will I marry you daw kasi parang wala pa raw balak si Traise. Gusto na raw niya ng apo."
Napangiwi ako.
"Your dad seems enjoying his new friends in prison," he added.
"Okay lang ba siya?" I asked. My dad received 20 years of imprisonment
"He is," Tyler said at binuksan ang ilang butones ng polo niya.
I sighed.
"You guys are disgusting," said by the woman who was walking downstairs while eating chips.
It was Avery. We decided to team up and establish our own office but turned out we live here due to overloaded cases we handle.
"In case you get married you create a disgusting duo. The daughter of an evidence tamperer and the son of a fuck boy. I don't know anymore!"
"What?!" I exclaimed. "Coming from the daughter of a thief?"
"Did you just call my dad a fuck boy, huh, almighty Avery Heimsworth?"
"Yes, I did, Tyler Scott!"
"It is pronounce as Tyler Skat, not Tyler Skot, you uncultured swine. Did you even attend your english class?"
"Well I did but did your dad attend his values class? Imagine impregnating your personal nurse and another woman when you have a wife!"
"Well that's none of your business!"
"Well, it is no wonder why you are like that!"
"What do you mean 'like that'?!"
They argued. People may think that it was alarming, but honestly, it's our daily routine.
In my surprise, I received a text.
"Nasa kanto ako."
My eyes grew bigger.
"Okay guys I'm out," I said and immediately get my jacket on top of my study table. With ease trying my best not to make any noise, I sneaked out.
Soon as I closed the gate, I replied, 'On my way.'
In a blink, the cold wind touched my skin. I shivered as I put my hands inside the pockets of my jacket, seeking for a familiar warmth.
Within few steps, I saw a familiar figure standing in the corner of the street. From there, I noticed that the orange light coming from the nearby light post was the only light guiding him away from the night's total darkness.
I suddenly smiled.
It seems so familiar...
"Long time no see, Doctor Traise Stevens!"
He laughed when he saw me. "What's with the sudden full name calling, Attorney Courtney Spencer? And mind you, I'm not a doctor yet. I'm just in my internship."
"Ganun na rin 'yun" I said while scanning his face.
He was wearing his white doctor coat with white polo inside and he was also wearing his fitted black slacks. Suot rin niya ang bilog niyang salamin at naka-brush up ang itim na itim niyang buhok. Namumungay na ang mga mata niya dahil sa pagod pero napaka-guwapo pa rin niya sa paningin ko.
"You are still wearing your coat," I said. "I guess babalik ka pa r'un?"
He nodded. "Break time ko. I went here just to see you."
He stared at me.
"Why are you staring?" I asked, smiling.
"Why, can't I? Am I not allowed to stare at the woman I own?"
I looked at him. Just then, I noticed there was something wrong with his smile. He seemed uneasy, like years ago when he went to me at this hour when his father died...
"Is there... something you wanna say to me?" I asked.
"None," he said. "I just wanna see you."
Why does everything feels weird...
Bago pa man ako makapag-isip, my phone beeped and I received a text from Tyler.
"A patient died in the hospital my brother works as an intern. Call him, I can't reach him!"
My eyes grew bigger. Traise looked at me and he smiled weakly.
"Defend Me, Attorney..."
I felt my heart pounding so hard.
"What...did you do?" I asked.
Before he can even answer, I heard police mobile cars coming towards us and there were plenty of them.
"Traise..." I said. "Tell me what did you do!"
He smiled weakly. "Will you surrender me or will you run away with me?"
"TELL ME FIRST WHAT HAPPENED!" I exclaimedm "I promise, I will defend you..."
"Courtney, it's too late," and before I could move, police mobile cars surrounded us.
"No," I said. "I'm not giving you in! Run! Run!"
"I'm not going anywhere," he said, "If loving you is a crime, then convict me, attorney..."
Confusion aroused in my eyes. "What?!"
And in my horror, the police car opened and everyone was composed of our friends and relatives.
I saw Tyler and Avery from the gate and they were watching.
"That looks so disgusting!" Avery shouted.
WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!
"Courtney..."
I looked back at Traise
"I know you are confused right now but hear me out. I love you and I don't wanna lose you ever again. I know I'm not as professional and successful as you yet but I know I can take care of you for the rest of my life," he said while looking at my eyes deeply while his eyes started to become teary.
"I won't be asking you to defend or convict me anymore because right of this moment, in front of everyone close to us, and even with the billions of stars above and the moon along with the celestials as our guardians, I am officially asking for your heart to be mine and be as one, with mine, always."
He looked in my intently and he turned serious.
"They say forever doesn't exist, but my love, we will create own..."
And he opened a small box and everyone giggled.
"Marry me, Attorney..."
THE END.