The Scars Of Her Disdain

too well, but it felt different this time, wrong. It

auma" and "critical condition" floated past me, but they didn't stick. All I co

purple and blue bruises. A tube ran down her throat, a m

hings on a canvas, were now swollen and bandaged. Someone had don

billionaire, a name that dripped with money and power. They called

Sarah Jenkins. She was a prosecutor, a rising star in the DA's offi

ice clipped and distant over the p

er. They left her for dead.

hesitation that felt like

he Thornes are a powerful family

report. There were witnesses.

n's lawyers are already claiming Lil

n my chest. "You know Lil

ice hardening. "And I know what it takes to

, her ambition, always came first. I hung up, th

the small courtroom, watching as the system I once beli

iendly with Brandon Thorne's father, presented a sanitized version of the ev

e a mask of professional neutra

ive suit and a smirk that never left his face. He caught my eye once and

e quiet room, "has a history of... emotional instability. We ha

ely drank. She was focuse

messages from Lily's phone.

ve me alone. Brand

eave but his friends

han, I'm

l evidence directly to

ller's phone. The messages in question appear to have been de

She had deleted them. My own wife had de

ng, sharing a light laugh. The pieces clicked into place, a horrifying picture of a conspiracy I w

s were there. She had been so eager to talk to them, laughing at their jokes, her hand resting on

dull roar around me. When she finally came out, flanked by

t are you d

Sarah. You d

talking about. The evidence wasn't there. Yo

, my voice rising. "I put my sister's life in

ng around to see who was watching. "The evidence di

rah? For you? For

. "And right now, the evidence points to a tragic accident, not a crime. In fact, Mr. T

I couldn't let it end lik

ease. This

th contempt. "Don't touch me. You are embarra

s surrounding him like a shield. He saw us, and that arrogant smi

der, a gesture of casual inti

bothering you?" Brandon asked, his

. She gave him a small, reassuring smile

t me and the broken girl lying in a hospital bed. They were laughing at me without making a sou