Chapter 9


    On getting to the back of the crowd, someone cried out.


    ”Isn that Jeslyn? What is she doing here? ”


    At those words, the reporters rushed to her and pointed their cameras at her while others shoved their


    mics into her face.


    ”Miss Jeslyn, tell us. Is it true you killed your grandfather? ”


    ”Miss Jeslyn, why did you kill your grandfather? ”


    ”Miss Jeslyn, what can you say for yourself? ”


    ”Miss Jeslyn, how could you cheat on your poor fiance and abandon him at the altar? ”


    ”Miss Jeslyn, don you think you are too heartless to remain a celebrity? ”


    ”Miss Jeslyn, say something. The people wants to know.


    ”Miss Jeslyn…. ”


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Jeslyn grabbed her messy hair tightly as she felt a throbbing pain in her head. Just when she thought


    the reporters would be the death of her, a loud sound rang in her ear apanied by a stinging pain


    on her right cheek.


    She turned her gaze to see who it was and came face to face with her sisters teary eyes mixed with


    rage.


    ”You monster! Ill kill you! ” Christine yelled and was about to attack Jeslyns face with her long nails


    when Ray rushed forward and grabbed her by the waist, preventing her from going physical.


    ”C–Christine? ” Jeslyn called as she held her stinging cheek.


    ”Don call me, you devil! What did grandfather do to you? Grandfather loved you so much and saw only


    you as his granddaughter, yet you paid him back with this? You killed him! What kind of heart do you


    have? You devil!! ”


    She flung her hands in the air in an attempt to fight Jeslyn but Ray wouldn let her go further.


    ”Christine, I didn do anything, I– ”


    ”When has a thief ever agreed that they stole anything? Even when they are caught red-handed, they


    would say they were just about to keep the stolen goods in its right ce. ”


    Hearing that voice, Jeslyn shifted her gaze to Rays older sister who just spoke, and returned her gaze


    to her sister. It doesn matter if the world doesn believe her, but her sister has to.


    ”I didn do anything. Grandfather was poisoned and he– ”


    ”Stop lying! Grandfather was healthy. He was pushed and hit his head on the coffee table. Maya and


    the guards witnessed it all! ”


    ”W–what are you saying? ” Jeslyn looked lost and immensely confused.


    ”Maya and the guards gave their testimony to the police, which included video clips of how you and


    grandfather argued over what you did to brother Ray.


    Then you disagreed with grandfather and he pped you.


    You got upset and started to yell at him. Realizing his mistake, he tried to pull you for a hug like he


    always did and you pushed him, you pushed him! ” Christine yelled.


    By now, all the guests were gathered and most of them were already jeering at her and pointing


    fingers, while the others were loudly cursing her and calling her names.


    ”Christine, thats not true, thats a lie! ” She yelled as she held her head to block off all the noises in her


    mind.


    ”Shove the evidence in her face. She will never cry until she sees the coffin. ” Someone said from the


    crowd.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Rays older sister pulled out her phone. She scrolled through it and brought out the evidence. She


    started ying the video before literally shoving the phone into Jeslyns face.


    Jeslyn subconsciously rescued the phone from falling while coincidentally seeing the footage.


    What drew her attention was her old man. Teardrops slowly fell from her eyes and dropped on the


    screen.


    All that was being said or scripted in the video didn get to her. She wasn even hearing any of it as all


    her attention was focused on her old man.


    She brushed the phone with her fingers, outlining his figure and suddenly she jolted when thedy on


    the screen that looked like her pushed the old man who fell back and hit his head on the side of the


    coffee table.


    ”Grandfather! ” She screamed, at the same time, dropping the phone to the floor.


    ”Officers, arrest her! ” Christine said to the policemen that just walked over.


    ”Miss, pleasee with us to the police station. ” Said one of the policemen.


    ”I didn kill my grandfather, he was poisoned, ask the doctors. Christine, I did nothing to grandfather. ”


    Christine chuckled in rage. ”What doctors? Is it the ones you bribed? Unfortunately for you, the doctors


    testified against you. They told the police that you urged them to cremate grandfather the minute he


    was pronounced dead to hide what really caused his death and you also forced him to diagnose you


    with fake mental health issues… ”


    ”Thats not true! Stop lying! ”


    ”I didn lie against you, sister, those were the doctors statements in the station. ”


    ”Where are the doctors, tell me, they– ”


    ”Its unfortunate because the two doctorsmitted suicide out of guilt. ”


    ”W– w– what are you talking about? ” Her heart dropped to her stomach when she heard that. How


    was she going to prove her innocence now?


    ”You heard me. You killed two innocent workers too! Officer, take her away. ” Christine turned her face


    away in disgust as the policemen tried to force the resistant Jeslyn out of the crowd.


    ”Let her go. ” The voice wasn loud, nor was it low. However, it was able to stop themotion.


    The people turned to look at him. He pulled the policemans hand away from Jeslyns wrist and said: ”Ill


    bring her. ”


    Jeslyn raised her misty eyes to look at the man in front of her and slowly recalled he was the man she


    got married to.


    She wasn the only one who remembered who she was. Those present that attended the weddingst


    week knew this man because of his outstanding appearance and the suppressed air around him.


    ”I–its you? ” Jeslyn asked like she didn expect him to be here.


    ”What are you doing here?! ” Ray, who hasn said anything since finally spoke up when he saw this man


    again, his enemy.


    The groom ignored everyone else and held Jeslyn by the wrist as he walked her out of the crowd with


    the policemen following behind them and camera lights shing after them.


    The crowd watched as the man and Jeslyn got into a ck inconspicuous car parked not far away and


    Ray suddenlyughed.


    It wasn clear why he wasughing, but he murmured: ”Thest time he wasn wearing custom-made,


    nor branded clothes. This time also he is still wearing an unknown brand and even a rickety car. I was


    right, he only has that superior air and nothing else. ”


    ell more lies and opened her mouth. ”Im guilty, please close the case and sentence me ordingly. ”


    She looked at Christine after that, but Christine had her face turned and refused to look at her. Jeslyn


    smiled bitterly. This was the sister she loved and cherished so dearly.


    She looked around the courtroom and saw her father and his wife sneering at her.


    Ray had aplicated look on his face and his sister was all smiles. Maya had no visible emotions on


    her face but she didn look like she was being forced.


    ”Is that your decision? ” The judge asked her.


    ”What else can I say or do to prove my innocence? Those who want me to be hanged won give up, and


    neither will you and the court believe that Im innocent without sufficient proof.


    The world hates me now and even my fans must have thought I did it too, after all, my dear sister didn


    believe me. To please you all, Ill take the me. Its the death of my grandfather. Since I cannot give


    him justice, then what good would I be in living freely? ”


    She threw the questions at the judge who stayed silent for a while before dering his judgment.


    ”On the 15th of October, Jeslyn Lee was charged with first-degree murder. The court finds Jeslyn Lee


    has no prior criminal history and has no health issues. Although there are cases of her taking hard


    drugs as some leftovers were found in her blood.


    The court finds the evidence presented by the defendant to not hold substantial proof of her innocence


    and hereby sentence Jeslyn Lee to life imprisonment without parole for the murder of her grandfather,


    Mr. Lee. ” The judge struck the gravel to finalize his words.


    Jeslyn looked from the judge to her sister who had a deadpan expression and then, to Ray and


    everyone else she knew, including her father and stepmother.


    ”Are you happy now? Of course, you will. ” Then she looked at the cameras and smiled bitterly. ”Thank


    you everyone for ruining the life of an innocent person. I don wish you to be in my shoes one day, but


    when you eventually do, you will understand how it feels to be condemned when you are innocent. ”


    She doesn take drugs, but they were miraculously found in her system. She knew it was from that drink


    she had before her wedding.


    She stretched her hands out to the police officer who wasing towards her with handcuffs.


    Once the handcuffs were ced on her, she followed the police officers as they escorted her out of the


    court and shielded her from the angry mob standing outside the court, ready to tear her into shreds.


    Meanwhile, the judge was seen in his office, sitting there in deep thought, wondering if he had


    wrongfully sentenced a person. Then he shook his head. The evidence against her was too enormous


    and real.


    So many people testified against her, including her family members. From her stepmother to her sister,


    friends, ex-fiance, assistant, and even her grandfathers workers, so it can be a lie, but why was he


    feeling restless after her parting words?


    The judge couldn help feeling frustrated with this case he just concluded.