"My father is eighty-three years old, and he's suffered like this, and you people still refuse to own up to it. How can anyone be this shameless!"
Even the judge furrowed his brow and looked at me.
"Defendant, I suggest you disclose your grandfather's whereabouts immediately."
The plaintiff's attorney submitted each piece of evidence with an air of absolute confidence, then turned to offer me a few words of counsel.
"Defendant, the evidence is overwhelming. Do you really intend to keep obstructing these proceedings?"
Even Mr. Finch shoved me impatiently and sneered.
"They've already presented two pieces of evidence. What else is there to say? Just cooperate and let's wrap this up."
I let out a cold laugh and pointed at the evidence in the attorney's hands.
"Every last piece of it is fabricated. Why would I be afraid?"
A gasp rippled through the gallery. Michael's face flushed crimson.
A six-foot man, eyes turning red in an instant, drawing stares from every corner of the room.
"Are you saying my father's injuries are fabricated too? Do you even hear yourself? You think I'd risk my own father's life to frame you?"
After shouting those words, he swiped roughly at the tears on his face and glared at the judge.
"I have one more piece of evidence. Enough to prove that car was driven by her grandfather!"
He clapped his hands, and within moments a woman was escorted in.
The instant I saw who it was, my brow furrowed. I never expected Michael to bring her as a witness.
The woman stepped forward, glanced around the courtroom, and the moment her eyes landed on me, she looked away.
"I'm the one who registered the plates for that car."
"On the day in question, the defendant's grandfather came to my office to get the plates processed."
"I could tell he was getting on in years, so I even reminded him to drive carefully on the road. Who could've imagined..."
Sharon Lambert trailed off, but the gallery had already erupted.
The crowd cursed in fury, convinced the case was settled, heaping every ounce of blame onto me.
"There you have it! Witness testimony AND physical evidence. Is she still going to deny it?"
"That old man must've gone straight out on the road after getting his plates, and that's when he hit the poor guy."
"Old fool should've stayed home instead of going out and ruining someone's life!"
The insults came in waves, but I wasn't fazed in the slightest.