30 Days Till I Divorce My Husband

Chapter 100

As Estrella’s interview/video concluded, even she found her eyes welling up with tears. It was a stark reminder of the grim reality that even in today’s enlightened society, there

were

still places shrouded in darkness and mired in backward thinking.

The judge nodded. “Let’s hear the closing argument from the defense.”

Estrella stood up, her presence in the courtroom commanding as she addressed the judge and jury, “Ladies and gentlemen, through the testimony you’ve just heard, I believe you now understand the environment my client grew up in. You can see why he felt the need to flee the Manning household. It’s evident that his actions, however regrettable, were shaped by an upbringing in a wholly unhealthy environment beyond his control.”

“Considering the evidence presented during the previous session and today’s testimony, I urge Your Honor to consider a sentence that offers my client a chance for redemption, and a chance to start anew.”

After she finished, the judge looked to the plaintiff’s side, “Does the prosecution have any further questions?”

“No, Your Honor.”

you have anything to

by the memory of my mother’s brutal death. My desire for vengeance kept me going. I admit my guilt. I confess to taking lives, so no matter the court’s judgment, I accept responsibility and will

for treating me with respect. And thank you for your encouragement and your dedication. You’ve been the first person, apart from my mother, to show me kindness in this

and tears streamed down his face. Perhaps his ‘forever’ would be short-lived. He may never experience the life Estrella spoke of, and never savor the

brought tears to Estrella’s eyes too.

and jury concluded their discussion and delivered the verdict, “Under Article 232 of the Criminal Law, the defendant, Ryan, is

the judge looked at Ryan, “Don’t give up on yourself, Ryan.”

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Chapter 100

out immediately. Normally, homicide did not allow for a reprieve, but Ryan had turned himself in and had shown genuine remorse from the start. His troubled upbringing and his psychological state, which had begun to normalize only after several conversations with