This Is How We Do It
After everyone is in the courtroom, the judge arrives.
When the bailiff briefly announces the case, she presses her lips together. She expresses her need to hear today, the motive of the two henchmen as to why they assisted Clairy.
First, Dale takes a seat on the witness bench.
From the questions asked, he confesses that he knows Aziel, having first met him in Saint Lucia. He turned out to be the boyfriend of a lady he had coveted one night. Later met him in Barbados again in the company of his boyfriend, with whom he had a dispute at the time that he wanted to settle. He suspected that Aziel had a relationship with that boyfriend and that he was the reason the guy no longer wanted to see anything from him. But a few months ago, he met Aziel again with this same boyfriend and a boy. He became furious because he assumed the boy was his since he called that boyfriend Daddy. That was proof to him that the man was also bisexual, something he had accused him of so many times and eventually left him for that reason. So he decided to get revenge when Clairy approached him with her plan.
After his statement, a sigh of disbelief flows through the courtroom, where only students and lawyers are present. "He sacrifices someone who has nothing to do with his problem to get satisfaction, what a beast!" someone tries to whisper. Andre, sitting behind Aziel in the public chair, overhears all this and presses a hand over his mouth to calm an outburst of emotions. The guilt that had previously gnawed at him is now coming back in full force, after hearing from Dale. The rape, miscarriage and disappearance of Loraine, in everything he sees himself as the reason that it has come to this.
Aziel, hearing his friend's muffled cry, turns and slaps the man reassuringly on the back. All eyes are now on Andre who has his head on his lap. The judge's attention has also shifted to him as a result. "I assume you're the boyfriend he was talking about," she addresses Andre. “If it's guilt that overwhelms you, please get rid of it. Criminals will do anything to excuse their actions. You are just the excuse, the decision to commit the act is part of the person he is, you have no influence over that.”
Everyone in the courtroom nods in support. Also, Kenjal, although he doesn't realize yet that the man all eyes are on is Andre. The interrogation continues, Dale has meanwhile realized that he has cut himself nicely in the finger. When he leaves the witness stand, he is immediately handcuffed and escorted to the detainee's waiting room.
Elena Fellogan standing outside the courtroom doors is ignorant of what is going on.
When she is called in, she proudly enters the room on her expensive stiletto. She looks confidently at the judge, trusting that beautiful women will help each other in every aspect. But she soon becomes unbalanced when lawyer Monsanto presents her with the results of the investigation and her part in the whole case. Also, the video where she makes the payment to Clairy and her clear words that she wants to teach Loraine a lesson.
Panic spreads to her face when she finds herself on her own with little experience in defending herself against a well-equipped justice system and overwhelming evidence. “You consciously accommodated and financed my client's downfall just because your husband had an extramarital affair with his wife five years ago. Five years ago! The woman moved on far from your household, but you could not, because she has a son with your husband, the heir to the Fellogans,” Monsanto points an accusing finger at Elena. “Aziel's wife has returned, has saved your husband's company from total bankruptcy so that you can still enter the courtroom today in expensive clothes and adorned with the most exceptional jewels. And her son will see to it that you are cared for, for the rest of your life, when you are old and gray. He is your life insurance policy. And this is the thanks you give back.”
There is no sign of the gravity with which Elena entered.
On her face, her emotions are changing by the seconds. "It's not true! She came back to hook up with my husband again. I've seen them together before, he begged to go back to their love nest," she now shouts across the room. She has completely forgotten the act of martyr she was supposed to perform and rehearsed several times last night.
“Meet again?”. Monsanto pulls out a paper.
"Look, this is the transfer document where your husband transfers all gifts to Miss Windrug, including the penthouse to his son," he counters to her horror. “And for rekindling the relationship, how do you rhyme that Miss Windrug, three days after her return to New York, appears with an engagement ring at Mr. Renegade door? If she wanted your husband back as much as you claim, tell me how a very emotional Loraine, almost begged my client for forgiveness and asked him to marry her a few days after her arrival.”
You could hear a pin drop, it was so quiet in the courtroom.
“Mrs. Fellogan, I'm also going to add to this case, that you are all held accountable for Miss Windrug's miscarriage. Due to the stress of this case on her relationship and pregnancy, Mr. Renegade and his fiancé have lost their twins.” A general moan of disbelief runs again through the room at Monsanto's words. Everyone knows that in any other US state this is close to the death penalty. “I have the doctors' statements here with me. It all went downhill for my client's wife right from the first phone message Miss Clairy sent to her mobile until the day he sat here in court. We are all witnessing the impact to his emotional state here in the room, we need not call in an expensive expert to explain anything to us.”
At these statements, Lawyer Kenjal jumps up to defend his client. “Don't push things to a rush, colleague. It was only a youthful rash. Let's not involve ordinary women bickering in the case," he tries to prevent the merger. Twins are double homicides, and if Loraine was in mortal danger during the miscarriage, there would be another attempted murder on top of that indictment. In his head, he already sums up how much prison time Clairy would end up with.
But Monsanto is merciless.
“Mr. Griffith, I'm completely human especially compared to some of the people here in this courtroom," he sneered. “I could also have demanded that we take this second case to Texas because when Miss Clairy felt it necessary to send the message, she was in Texas at the time. Here is the proof.” He hands Kenjal the plane ticket and hotel booking in Clairy's name in Texas.
Kenjal turns red. The judge also received a copy of the evidence. “And then I would’ve shown you and your client how we in Texas, deal with double homicide and attempted murder,” he says sarcastically...
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