Liam's POV

We were all outside, waiting in the lobby for the doors to be opened. I stood just in front of the crowd with my head bent.

I could hear the chattering of the people behind me but nothing they said seemed to cross my mind as my hands shook in anxiety. I didn't know what will happen the minute the doors were opened, but I was sure that I won't give in so easily.

The doors swung open and we all trooped in, one by one everyone took a seat behind us. Liz and I sat in front with a barricade separating us from the rest. To our right were two men dressed smartly in suits, the plaintiff representing A&A company and his barrister.

I began to sweat even though the room was fully air-conditioned. My hands shook once more as I looked at Liz who was just seated calmly arranging her papers.

This was the first time of me being in this room but not for Liz. She could eat and sleep here without breaking a sweat. She'd been here countless of times and I understood why she was so calm.

Like she read my thoughts, she looked at me and squeezed my hand with a small smile spread across her lips. She didn't have to say it for me to understand what her eyes were telling me.

"All rise!"

On cue, we stood the moment the judge came in wearing his black long cloak and a wig. It still beats me to understand the concept as to why lawyers wear that wig anyway, does it give them a special kind of knowledge or does it help them in finding out who's guilty or not?

They said a bunch of things which I couldn't process because my mind was travelling in different directions.

What would be the final verdict? What'll happen if they find me guilty?

I know Liz found a piece of evidence but what if it just isn't enough? What will happen with Kendra? She will keep on living with the thought that I'd abandoned her.

I never wanted to leave her, I just wanted to save her the trouble of shedding a tear for me. She wouldn't have been happy if she saw what I was passing through which will in turn, make her devastated everyday until it was over. That's why I had to sacrifice my relationship and my love for her, to carry that burden all to myself and to ease her from my plight. 

But what is the essence of all this, when being away from her and ending things the way that I did was causing her that pain which I try so hard to take away? 

"Will the defendant please step into the witness box."

Liz looked at me, she took my hand again in hers and squeezed it, this time a little harder. I walked into the box as I said a little prayer in my mind. They brought a bible for me to swear against lying and then the questions began.

I was confident in my reply as questions were thrown at me. Liz had given me an insight into the kind questions that might be asked in order for me not to be caught unaware. Some questions were exactly the way she'd phrased it and I thanked God for that.

After a few more questions, I was ordered back to my seat.

"You did good." Liz whispered to me the moment I sat down.

They brought up the plaintiff to the witness box and asked him a bunch of questions concerning the accounts. Liz and the other barrister took turns to ask their questions but he had answers to everything. The judge asked for the paperworks which had the A&A company's accounts.

Time stood still as she examined the papers brought to her, the courtroom fell silent in anticipation. I could hear the sound of my heart beat loudly in my chest, skipping a beat everytime the judge looked my way.

Liz was asked to bring forth her evidence for examination and once again, silence. After a few minutes, the judge looked up and said a bunch of legal terms which I wasn't able to decipher.

"Will the defendant please rise."

I gulped and gathered my courage as I stood to my feet.

"How do you plea Mr Bates?" the judge asked.

It had come down to this, my sister had told me that everything that was being asked would lead to this one question.

"Not guilty, your honour."

She had no expression on her face as she turned her attention to the court.

"The court will adjourn to review this case and will resume in half an hour, then shall I give my final verdict."

"All rise!"

*       *      *

"How do you feel?"

Liz had asked me the minute we stepped out of the courtroom. We walked in the waiting area passing the crowd of angry faces staring at me with daggers in their eyes. Apparently Liz had been right about the people being under A&A company.

Many of them showed up at the court to spite me. It felt like they actually came to watch me be punished for the crime I'd committed. If only they knew.

"I honestly don't know Liz, I hope this goes well." I rubbed a hand at my temple, trying to ease the ache in my head.

"It will, especially with the final evidence we got," she stopped walking and turned to face me. "Call it a sixth sense but that sixth sense of yours gave us the evidence that we needed, so be cheerful."

I had always created a backup for my accounts and after every account had been balanced, I'd save them in my backup. But that devil's spawn didn't know that.

After Matilda sabotaged the A&A accounts and sent them, she did not save it in the backup which would've overwritten the other saved file.

I had the idea at the last minute to check my backup and thankfully, the answer to saving me was there. The accounts were in a correct order, different from the one that caused such ruckus. I provided Liz with what she needed to help my case which she'd  submitted to the judge as evidence, so hopefully I wouldn't end up in jail.

"I know." I said with not so much enthusiasm in my voice.

"What is it Liam? Is it Kendra?" Liz read the blank look on my face, she knew that my thoughts weren't on my fate at the moment.

I couldn't answer her, I'd spoilt any possible future that I might've had with Kendra. Because of my anxiety I broken it off with her, because I didn't want to see her in pain.

"I don't know what to say Liz, she would never forgive me." I pursed my lips in a tight line.

"Maybe she will."

"It's been eight months already and I doubt that she'll forgive me for abandoning her."

"You didn't abandon her."

"Then what do you call what I did even after I found out that she was involved in an accident." I was getting frustrated, frustrated at myself.

"Liam you're beating yourself up, let's finish with this race and see where it takes us. After everything's taken care of, then will we face Kendra and deal with it too."

I fell silent and took a seat, hoping that this trial was soon to be over and I can get back to my life.

"The court will resume now."

A guard came out to inform everyone present for the trial.

"Come on Liam, let's go."

The intensity of my heartbeat increased once again. I had no clue what the judge's verdict will rule. Will she find favour in my evidence or will I spend the next few years of my life behind bars for a crime I did not commit?

"All rise!"

We watched her walk back to her box with the documents in hand. She placed it gently in front of her and put her glasses on the brim of her nose.

She made some remarks about the A&A accounts, the penalty for the crime of tax evasion and the documents that were presented to her.

"Due to the evidence provided by barrister Jeffers, it is clear that the submitted accounts had been a mistake. However, it is a mistake that cannot go unpunished, therefore, Bates enterprises will reimburse A&A company for any loss they might've incurred and Mr Bates will have his license suspended for nine months. Within those nine months, he will be on community service for six months to the small business owners that were under A&A company. This is my final verdict."

She said as she hit the gavel on the sound block.

* * *

"Liam! Liam! Wake up!"

I could hear Liz call out to me.

"W... what is it?" I struggled to open my eyes.

"You left your door unlocked Liam. Have you been drinking?" she picked up the bottle on the floor and gently placed it on the coffee table.

"I'm fine Liz, you can go back home." I was in no mood to have visitors, not even Liz.

"This isn't like you, what's happened to you?" her voice held a bit of concern as she stood in front of me.

I sat up and ran a hand across my face.

"It's Kendra!" my mouth was dry like I'd swallowed dry cement. "You were right you know, I should've listened to you and now she's getting married." I drank the rest of the contents from the bottle in my hand.

"Kendra's getting married?" her eyebrows shot up.

"I'm sure I didn't mumble when I said it." I didn't mean to sound rude to Liz but I was so irritated.

"Does she know you are back?"

"Yes. We ran into each other at the coffee shop and she doesn't want to have anything to do with me."

"And you're just going to give up?" she waved her hands in the air.

"What am I supposed to do?! I left her Liz! I broke her heart! She won't forgive me and it's all my freaking fault!" I smashed the bottle that was in my hand.

"Clean yourself up Liam, I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" I watched her walk to the door.

"I'm going to do something which you can't."

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A/N: Hi guys, forgive me for the court scene, I don't really know legal terms but I did my best so now you know what happened in court. I hope you like this story because I'm putting my heart into it and don't forget to vote and/or comment. Thank you. 💖