A'ishah's POV

The courtroom was suffocating. It wasn’t just the sheer number of people crammed into the gallery, their whispers like waves crashing against the walls. It was the weight of their stares, the silent judgment, the anticipation. Everyone wanted to see what would happen next.

But no one wanted it more than me.

I sat at the prosecution's table, my hands clasped tightly together to keep them from trembling. The air felt heavy with a mix of stale coffee and tension, and the sharp click of the gavel moments earlier still echoed in my ears.

“Counselor Alvarez.” The judge’s voice broke through the haze, pulling my attention back to the case at hand. I forced myself to meet her gaze, ignoring the way my chest tightened when I heard my name.

“Yes, Your Honor.” I said, my voice steady, though my insides churned.

“Are you prepared to proceed?”

I nodded, glancing briefly at the opposing table. My heart twisted painfully at the sight of her. Maxine sat there, her once red hair now dyed in black was tied back, her shoulders hunched as if the weight of the world rested on them. Her once sharp, commanding presence was dulled now. Like a star that had lost its light. She looked up then, and for a moment, her gaze locked with mine.

There it was again. That look. The same one from the night Nicole died. The pleading, the desperation, the quiet anguish etched into her features.

I hated it.

Hated that it still had the power to unsettle me, to make me doubt, even for a second.

But then the memories flooded back, washing away any trace of sympathy. The blood. Nicole’s lifeless body. The sound of Maxine’s voice breaking as she whispered, “I didn’t mean to…”

I tore my eyes away from her and focused on the judge.

“This is not personal.” I reminded myself silently, as if saying it enough times would make it true. “This is about justice. This is about Nicole.”

But it was personal.

It was personal the moment I saw Maxine standing there after killing my best friend. The moment she shattered everything we had built together.

The trial began, but the words around me blurred into a distant hum. Witnesses were called. Evidence was presented. And all the while, I sat there, keeping my mask firmly in place, refusing to let anyone see the cracks underneath.

Until Maxine was called to the stand.

She stood slowly, the sound of her chains dragging against the floor sending chills down my spine. Denise, her lawyer, guided her to the witness box, and as she raised her hand to swear her oath, I caught the faint glint of something on her wrist—the handcuffs marks.

I shouldn’t have cared. I shouldn’t have noticed. But I did.

Maxine looked fragile yet defiant, like a bird trapped in a cage but refusing to let go of its will to fly. She glanced at me again, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something, but no words came. And in that moment, I saw her for what she truly was. Both the woman I had loved and the one who had destroyed me.

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

She hesitated, just for a heartbeat, before answering. “I do.”

Her voice was steady, but I could see her hands trembling. The same hands that once held mine so tenderly. The same hands that had ended Nicole’s life.

As the questioning began, I leaned back in my seat, my heart pounding. There was no turning back now. Whatever came next, it would decide both of our fates.

Because no matter what Maxine said on that stand, one thing was certain: I would never forgive her. Not for Nicole. Not for the betrayal. And certainly not for the part of me she still refused to let go.

I felt the anger bubbling up, threatening to spill over. The woman I had once trusted, no, the woman I had loved had murdered my best friend. She had taken Nicole away from me.

I shook my head, trying to push those thoughts aside. I couldn’t afford to let my emotions cloud the truth. I was here for Nicole. I was here for justice.

“Counselor Alvarez.” The judge said, pulling me back to the present. “You may proceed with your cross-examination.”

I stood up slowly, feeling the eyes of the courtroom on me. My heart pounded in my chest as I made my way to the stand. I could feel Maxine’s gaze on me, but I refused to look at her. Not yet. Not until I was ready to face her.

I turned to the judge, then to Nicole's family, and finally, I faced Maxine.

“You swore an oath to tell the truth, Ms. De Luna.” I began, my voice steady. “So I’m going to ask you, once again: did you kill Nicole?”

Maxine flinched, her face paling slightly. “No.” She replied, her voice trembling. “I didn’t kill her. I didn’t mean to—”

“You didn’t mean to?” I cut her off, my voice sharp with accusation. “But you still pulled the trigger. You still shot her in cold blood.”

“That’s not what happened!” Maxine’s voice cracked, but there was a fire in her eyes. “I didn’t kill Nicole! It was an accident, A’ishah. You have to believe me! I never meant to hurt anyone—”

“You’re lying!” I snapped, unable to hold back any longer. “I saw my best friend die because of you. You killed her. And now, you’re standing here, trying to lie your way out of it.”

Maxine’s eyes welled with tears, her face a mask of regret and sorrow. “A’ishah, please… I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. You have to believe me. You know me… You know I would never hurt Nicole. I love her too, you have to—”

“You love her?” I scoffed, my voice dripping with bitterness. “You love her, and yet you killed her. How does that even make sense, Maxine? You can’t say you love someone and then take their life away in an instant.”

“Stop!” Maxine’s voice cracked, her fists clenching at her sides. “You don’t understand! I was scared. I didn’t know what I was doing. It wasn’t supposed to go that way. I didn’t want to kill anyone, least of all Nicole!”

“Enough!” I snapped, my anger boiling over. “How many times do I have to hear you say that? You took her life, Maxine. It doesn’t matter how many excuses you make. The truth is you killed her. And nothing you say is going to change that.”

Maxine opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get another word out, her lawyer stood up quickly, interrupting.

“Objection, Your Honor.” She said firmly. “The prosecution is being overly hostile. This line of questioning is unprofessional and inflammatory.”

The judge turned her sharp gaze toward me. “Counselor Alvarez, please remain professional.” She reminded me sternly. “This is a court of law, not a personal vendetta. Keep your emotions in check.”

I clenched my jaw, nodding stiffly. I could feel the fire inside me burning, but I knew I couldn’t let it take over. Not now. Not here. I had a job to do. I couldn’t let my anger cloud my judgment.

I took a deep breath, willing myself to calm down, before I returned my focus to Maxine.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. I turned away, my mind racing. I had done what I came here to do. I had confronted Maxine, forced her to face the truth. But as I walked back to my seat, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t enough.

Nothing would bring Nicole back.

And nothing would ever fix the broken pieces of my heart.

~~~

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