30. DECISIONS

[COURTROOM]

The room is filled with wild chatters from the journalists who squeezed themselves on seats to be able to get updates from the coming trial. Director Lim will be presented today as well as witnesses for the defense that can guarantee the man's freedom.

The director was not incarcerated and was allowed to bail by the judge which gave the defense hope that they will win the case against Director Lim.

The trial had more people than the first day. Zhang Wang Xiu's family sits behind the plaintiff's chair with the addition of Ms. Bao Hwei Ru and the surprising appearance of her twin brother Mr. Bao Jiang Ru on the next row behind Li Jun.

Wang Xiu turns to stare at Honey who didn't bother to veer around to take a glimpse of her ex-boyfriend. She closes her lips tightly to stop herself from giggling while peering at her best friend's face to take a glimpse of her reaction.

"Stop smiling," Honey nudges the woman's shoulder.

"I'm not." Wang Xiu turns her face to the bench in front of them. "He looks good though." She added.

At the defense side, Mr. Yang stares at the white-haired woman sitting at the corner at the last row of seats on his side. His furrowed brows are threatening but the Silver Fox simply snickered as a reply to him.

Sheng Zheng knows her mother met with the woman, as his investigator said when he asked him to follow her mother. If he loses the case there's only one person to blame, the woman who continues to use her mother, Zhang Wang Xiu.

He turns his face and glances at Ms. Zhang on the other table. He catches the woman's gaze with fierce eyes bringing his heart into an odd pulsation. He hates the woman more and he will do everything to make the woman stop using her mother.

When the judge came out of his office, everyone in the courtroom stood up from their seat. He strikes his gavel to signify the start of the trial of the case.

The cross-examination with the Director was done first as a continuation from the last trial. He was first questioned flawlessly by the defense attorney Mr. Yang Sheng Zheng. Telling every detail according to what happened except the consent that Wang Xiu gave. Their reason for the erratic behavior of the woman was the head injury from the fall in the bathroom with witnesses from the crew collaborating about the incident that the defense gathered.

Hwei Ru realizes the defense is going to use the incident at the bathroom, implicating her in the crime against Ms. Zhang. The lawyer immediately pleaded her rights not to tell details of their conversation until the defense has to drop their questions.

Intoxication is not an alibi for consent and the jury knows it, while a prior injury in the head can be used to make Ms. Zhang Wang Xiu unstable which the defense wants to emphasize and use against the woman.

Like what CEO Yang warned them, the defense will try a mistrial by giving excessive information to the jury. Confusing them about the case. They called a neurologist to testify on what can cause delusions which Honey easily confronted with evidence to dispute the accusation.

Honey showed the judge and jury a copy of Wang Xiu's MRI brain scan and gave it to the neurologist on the stand.

"Can you please read the result of the brain scan, doctor?" Ms. Tang requests the man sitting in the square enclosure beside the arbiter.

"It's a perfectly healthy brain with no sign of internal hemorrhage from a concussion. No formation of a blood clot that can cause hallucinations." The doctor studies the scans carefully and announces his conclusion.

"Thank you, doctor," Ms. Tang smiles after the doctor's long deliberations, "This brain scan was taken on the day of the sexual assault against my client." She declares.

Ms. Tang smiles while strutting back to her table. She studied every angle that the defense will use against her client. CEO Yang doesn't have to give her a warning, she can read Mr. Yang's strategy. The male counselor might be his senior and have more experience compared to her but Honey's parents are both lawyers and they train her well about the court.

"Doctor, does being intoxicated add a factor to hallucinations?" Mr. Yang stood up from his seat and buttoned up his suit, a mannerism he acquired as a lawyer wearing tailored suits.

"Yes, but to have symptoms of mental instability, there should be a severe trauma in the head," The doctor explains leaning over the mic in front of him.

"Will the severe trauma be visible with a brain scan, doctor?" Mr. Yang's voice reflects calmness and confidence from not changing his position.

"Yes, it should be. If there are any hallucinations and erratic behavior maybe it didn't come from the concussion. Maybe something the person took that day," The doctor implies, staring at the lawyer who has instructed him to suggest looking into drug-induced hallucinations if the prosecution finds a way to dispute their claim for the woman's concussion.

"You mean drugs, doctor?" The male counselor inquires to let the jury have a clear notion of what the defense wants them to believe.

"Yes." The doctor nods and turns to face the judge. His forehead sweats and fingers start to fidget knowing he referred to the idea without proper reference.

"Objection your honor! The defense is inciting that my client is using illegal substances on that day when we have proven it from the test that she wasn't.' Honey steps towards the bench and gives the defense and the judge a copy of Ms. Zhang's drug test. "This shows the plaintiff is clean from any drugs that can cause erratic behavior or hallucinations."

The judge stares at the paper and reads the result and turns to the male counselor who looks displeased by the abrupt display of evidence at the court, "The prosecution is prepared, Mr. Yang. Do you have any other evidence to produce against Ms. Tang's client?"

"We can gather more evidence, your honor." Mr. Yang's jaws are clenched tight replying to the arbiter who asks for his plan.

"Your honor, the defense is gathering evidence in a haystack. They don't have anything to submit anymore, I suggest we close the presentation of evidence and let the jury give out their verdict today." Ms. Tang confidently proposes with a wide grin. Her devilish smile made the counselor on the other table feel more irritated by the situation.

"Your honor—"

"No, Mr. Yang. The prosecution is right. I see no relevance to the evidence you presented today and if I allow more of it, it might result in a mistrial," The arbiter concludes, he straightens his back before giving out his decision, "The jury will present its verdict after lunch. I will give them three hours of deliberation. Until then, the court is adjourned."

The judge raises his gavel and strikes the board. The loud "bang" echoes throughout the four corners of the room. The journalists take notes of the result and try to ask Ms. Tang and Ms. Zhang about the outcome.

A female journalist running straight up to Mr. Yang asks about his insight about the trial, "Are you still confident that you will still win this case?"

"Yes," The man proudly announces.

π - π - π

Wang Xiu stares at the mirror and ponders at their decision not to call CEO Yang on the stand. The judge has now ordered a ruling for the case within three hours and they only have an hour before the jury declares who won.

"I-I'm sorry… " A soft voice of a woman rings through the tiled room.

Wang Xiu didn't have to turn her face. The mirror reflects the woman's humble eyes staring at her through the mirror.

"You don't have to say sorry. No one expected that to happen." Wang Xiu replies, knowing it was her fault to have an accident in the bathroom. She didn't expect the director to use it to take advantage of her.

"I feel partly responsible." The woman peers down at her feet, like a kid admitting her mistake.

Wang Xiu gazes at the woman's gesture. It reminds her of Li Jun whenever he has done stupid things and admits his stubbornness. "Have you talked to Li Jun?"

"D-Do you... l-love him?" Hwei Ru asks as her voice trembles from fear of knowing the truth from the woman.

"You want my honest answer?" Wang Xiu swivels around to face the young lawyer.

"Yes." Hwei Ru replies.

"I do," Wang Xiu confesses, "I love him because he's the only man who protected me since we were young. Against all odds, he still believes in me, he trusts me." Her eyes moisten from admitting her feelings. Deep inside her heart, she loves Li Jun. Knowing they were not related grants her a chance to express her feelings but her dream comes first and part of that is hurting Li Jun.

"I love him." Hwei Ru confides, her eyes convey determination to fight for the one she loves. 

"I know," Wang Xiu swallows the quivering feeling from her throat, "Don't hurt Li Jun. I'm the only woman allowed to do that," She adds.

Wang Xiu walks out of the lady's room and leaves Hwei Ru, with her knees shivering from her emotion of revealing her deepest love for Li Jun.

She wipes the corner of her eyes with the back of her finger. There is no use crying over a love that can never happen. Acknowledging her feelings for her cousin was hard enough for the first time. It was forbidden. Taboo. She will be kicked out of her uncle's house if they know.

Wang Xiu moved on and fell in love with someone else. A woman who made her feel significant like Li Jun. Cared for her warmly. Taught her to be tough and soft at the same time. But broke her heart like she was another garbage.

"Are you alright?" Honey asks with a low voice filled with concern, noticing her best friend's misty eyes.

"I-I'm o-okay," Wang Xiu's voice shivers, she wasn't able to hide the emotion enveloping her.

"Don't worry, Xiu, we will win this. Trust me." Ms. Tang caresses the woman's back to console her. She understands her best friend's sentiment.

'No one likes to be in court unless you are a lawyer,' Honey tells herself.

Wang Xiu and Honey stride back inside the courtroom. They were greeted by photographers at the door that the court security didn't allow to come inside the hall. The visitors who were sitting at the chairs are already there, waiting for the judge and the jury to arrive. They have less than an hour to endure at the court and every one of them is excited to know the decision. 

The jury walks in first and fills the box where twelve seats are given for each one of them. Their faces convey profound confidence to their conviction. Then the judge arrives to give power to the verdict of the jury. The leader of the group stood up to announce their judgment.

"We the Jury find the defendant, Ang Lim, guilty with the charge of attempted sexual assault and assess a punishment of five years imprisonment with fine of one million renminbi."

The uproar of the crowd begins when the jury announces the verdict. The prosecution side expresses their overwhelming happiness for winning the case while the other mourns the failure of their strategy to defend the director.

Honey gazes at her best friend whose eyes are overflowing with tears of joy. She wipes Wang Xiu's cheeks with her fingers as her happiness makes her choke.

"Stop crying!" Ms. Tang demands her best friend, resisting herself from expressing her emotion. She let out a wide smile on her face, "It's over now. We close this case."