Strict Proof

I can tell you how I felt about all of that. Everyone was anxiously watching my trial. My mother and brother couldn't attend, but Sandra and Tiago were there, as promised. I don't know how I feel about their presence. Sometimes I feel happy and welcomed; sometimes I feel embarrassed and ashamed. It feels like I'm no longer part of that relationship they have. I know why and I accept that it's my fault.

The judge asks everyone to stand and begins the trial. The first to speak is the prosecutor, who repeats everything that the newspapers have already reported exhaustively:

— The defendant had, demonstrably, an intimate relationship with the victim. What's more, he was blackmailed, which gives him motivation for the crime. — He pauses briefly. — In addition, the defendant was seen breaking into the victim's house in an attempt to destroy the video that everyone knows about.