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Chapter 2
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In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 3
I didn't know how to respond to Marie's question. My resentment over Zachary's lack of trust in me intensified.Mustering a forced smile, I replied, "Zachary's working, Mom. He can't get away."I wasn't sure if Marie believed me. Her smile seemed to have faded slightly. She gestured for me to come closer. Doing so, I noticed that her eyes were red."I know Zachary has done you wrong, Annie. I know what's going on. He has never been home whenever I've gone over to your house recently. How can a person be that busy?" Marie said.She spoke with strength, and her cheeks looked flushed. My heart clenched at the sight of that. I knew patients often showed signs of improvement before taking their last breath. Seeing this now, I felt even more anguished.Marie noticed my sorrow. She used her hand, which felt extremely cold to the touch, to wipe my tears away."Once I'm gone, there won't be anyone to help you teach him a lesson. You're a lovely person, Annie. You should be happy. Stop all
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 4
Marie's relatives and I organized her funeral. Perhaps I had cried my eyes dry already, for even when I saw the large grayscale portrait of her, I couldn't shed any more tears.During the funeral, some of the relatives asked me why Zachary wasn't in attendance. This time, I didn't cover up for him. I told everyone that he was busy helping Gigi, his beloved first love.John Palmer, Marie's younger brother and Zachary's uncle, was so outraged that he called up Zachary and questioned, "Where are you, Zachary? Why aren't you here after what happened to your mother?"After a long silence, Zachary finally asked, "Uncle John, is Annette with you?"John glanced at me before humming in acknowledgment."Can you pass the phone to her?" Zachary requested.John hesitated for a moment before handing me his phone. I accepted it with a frown as I wanted to hear what Zachary had to say."Yes?"Immediately, Zachary lashed out at me."Can you get any more shameless, Annette? You paid my uncle to
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 5
I sneered at the mention of the culprit who hit Marie. That person never showed up, not even once. It was only when I went to the police station to deal with the case that I found out the perpetrator, a woman, had been bailed out by a friend.Before leaving, the two said they would settle the matter in court.Outraged, I got in touch with a friend of mine who was a lawyer and asked him to help file a lawsuit against the culprit. Bewildered, he asked me why I wasn't asking Zachary for help. After all, Zachary was considered one of the best lawyers in town. If he handled the case, there was no doubt he would ensure that the culprit got sent to prison.Smiling bitterly, I scrounged up an excuse by saying that Zachary was busy with another case. I didn't tell him that I couldn't even get in touch with Zachary, nor did Zachary even believe that something had happened to Marie.However, when the court proceeding took place three days later, my friend and I ended up running into Zachary a
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 6
As my elbow slammed against the floor, my face contorted in pain. However, Zachary didn't even look at me. He was only concerned about Gigi's condition. Despite all the disappointment I felt for him, I still felt saddened by this.He didn't even know the full story, but he still did his best to get Gigi acquitted of all charges. He was an excellent lawyer who rarely failed to win any of his cases.This was my first time witnessing his prowess in public, but alas, I was the person he was up against. He rebutted everything my lawyer said.The most crucial problem was the lack of evidence that Gigi had hit Marie.It just so happened that Gigi's dash cam and the security cameras located at that junction had all broken down that day, so there was no footage from the scene of the crime. Even the previous eyewitnesses changed their statements.Clearly, Zachary had done something."I already made it clear it was just a scam. That woman was just trying to file a fraudulent claim against m
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 7
Clenching my fists, I fired back, "What evidence do you have to say that it's my mother who's trying to file a fraudulent claim?"Snorting, Gigi replied, "So what if we don't have any evidence of that? We're not here to prove your mother's guilt today."Frowning, the judge warned us to maintain order in court.When it was time to read the verdict, I felt as though my heart was being squeezed. Alas, Gigi was declared innocent due to insufficient evidence.As we were leaving, I saw the smiles of joy on Zachary's and Gigi's faces. That felt like mockery to me. All of a sudden, I wondered if Zachary could keep that smile up once he found out who Gigi had killed.They happily walked out of the courtroom, only to find me standing at the entrance with an unpleasant expression."Why are you still here, Annette? I'm warning you. You'd better not do anything rash!" Zachary declared.He stood defensively in front of Gigi and eyed me warily as he continued, "If you do anything to harm her,
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 8
I glanced at Gigi, who was standing behind Zachary. From the moment I mentioned the word divorce, she couldn't keep the smile off her face.Zachary tracked my gaze. Noticing the joy in her expression, he froze, but he quickly acted as if he hadn't seen a thing. He simply stood there in silence.After a while, he said, "Are you sure you want to get a divorce? You should know that with your family background, it won't be easy for you to marry someone like me again."My heart stung when he mentioned my family background.When we first got married, I asked him multiple times whether or not he cared that I came from a family that favored my brother over me. If he told me he did or even hesitated when he answered, I would've reconsidered my relationship with him. However, at the time, it didn't seem like it mattered to him.The last of my feelings for him finally vanished, but he tried to salvage our marriage by saying, "You should give this more careful consideration, Annette. Think ab
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 9
"No. That's impossible. How could this be? You're just trying to trick me, right, Annie? These invoices are all fake, right?" Zachary cried out.Sneering, I replied, "Yes, of course. I'm just trying to trick you."Exhaling in relief, Zachary protested, "How could you joke about something like that? That's too much! But you know, now that I think about it, it's been a while since I last saw Mom. Let me drop Gigi off, and we can visit Mom together."Gigi probably never expected Zachary to refuse to get a divorce. In fact, it even sounded like he wanted to patch things up with me. Her smile was frozen on her face.However, Zachary droned on without paying any attention to her. While speaking, he even got his phone out to call Marie.Alas, when he heard the robotic voice informing him that the number he called wasn't in service, he became well and truly agitated."The number's not in service? How is that possible? Did Mom do something with her number?" Zachary asked, anxious to get a
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 10
The more John said, the more choked up he got from his emotions."In order to get custody of you, Marie didn't take a single thing from your cheating father in the divorce settlement. You know very well all the hardships she went through! But what did you do when she passed away? You didn't even bother attending her funeral!"You helped Gigi get away with her crime, didn't you? It was you, right?"John had gone red with fury. I was worried he would get a heart attack, so I quickly approached him and said, "Calm down, Uncle John. Don't waste your anger on someone like him. I'll file an appeal."After slowly composing himself, John sighed and patted my shoulder. "Thank goodness we have you around, Annie. Even after you've divorced Zachary, I'll still consider you my niece."Smiling, I agreed to that. Meanwhile, Zachary looked utterly dazed. He kept mumbling, "How could it have been my mother? How could it have been Mom?"Gigi carefully walked over to try and comfort him, but she ba
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In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 13
Thanks to the release of this footage, the public's opinion of Zachary improved. Some thought he had merely been hoodwinked by Gigi. They even considered him a fellow victim.I saw their comments, and they made me laugh.I didn't know if Zachary was purposely trying to achieve something. Nevertheless, neither John nor I—not even Marie—would forgive him.Gigi was deplorable, but Zachary was far more reprehensible. He was part of our family. He should've been on our side, but he wasn't. There was no way for such hurt to ever be forgotten.No one showed up on the day of Zachary's sentencing. It served as a kind of punishment for him as well. Later on, I heard from John that Zachary took his own life while in prison. With his dying breath, he continued to apologize to Marie, John, and me.Once I heard that he was dead, the last of my anger dissipated. I still resented him, of course. How could I not? I resented him for betraying me and our marriage, for not trusting me, and for indire
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 12
Someone went online and posted about the incident at the courthouse entrance. The news was quickly shared by many accounts with massive followings.In today's society, a shocking headline would certainly get a lot of attention, and this one about a lawyer who helped his mother's killer get acquitted undoubtedly fitted the bill.Soon, many people in the comments had unearthed information about Zachary and Gigi. Just like what happened at the courthouse, everyone piled onto the two of them.Gigi remained as arrogant and indifferent as ever, probably because she assumed that Zachary had done away with all the evidence that could've incriminated her. As the news went viral, she even started a livestream."Yes, I was driving the car, but who's to say I hit her? She was just trying to scam me by faking an accident and claiming compensation from me! How can you say such things about me without any evidence?"I was just speeding and driving while drunk. The only punishment I got was havin
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Zachary went home in despondence, but awaiting him there was the "surprise" I left for him. Not for a second did I ever intend to forgive his arrogance, mistrust, and mockery of me so easily.As soon as he opened the door and turned on the lights, he saw the familiar-looking jar I left on the dining table. It was the one Marie brought from her place. I even left a note on it."These are the pickles Mom made and brought over immediately after you mentioned them during your call with her. Do you think she would've died if she hadn't come over to deliver this that day?"Zachary fell to his knees. Tears streamed uncontrollably. He looked like an anguished beast, howling in despair."Mom! Mom! It's all my fault! I know I did a terrible thing. I'm to blame for everything!"I witnessed the whole thing through the security footage from my phone, and I sneered at his reaction. What was the use of regretting everything now? There was no way to bring Marie back.Once Zachary calmed down som
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 10
The more John said, the more choked up he got from his emotions."In order to get custody of you, Marie didn't take a single thing from your cheating father in the divorce settlement. You know very well all the hardships she went through! But what did you do when she passed away? You didn't even bother attending her funeral!"You helped Gigi get away with her crime, didn't you? It was you, right?"John had gone red with fury. I was worried he would get a heart attack, so I quickly approached him and said, "Calm down, Uncle John. Don't waste your anger on someone like him. I'll file an appeal."After slowly composing himself, John sighed and patted my shoulder. "Thank goodness we have you around, Annie. Even after you've divorced Zachary, I'll still consider you my niece."Smiling, I agreed to that. Meanwhile, Zachary looked utterly dazed. He kept mumbling, "How could it have been my mother? How could it have been Mom?"Gigi carefully walked over to try and comfort him, but she ba
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 9
"No. That's impossible. How could this be? You're just trying to trick me, right, Annie? These invoices are all fake, right?" Zachary cried out.Sneering, I replied, "Yes, of course. I'm just trying to trick you."Exhaling in relief, Zachary protested, "How could you joke about something like that? That's too much! But you know, now that I think about it, it's been a while since I last saw Mom. Let me drop Gigi off, and we can visit Mom together."Gigi probably never expected Zachary to refuse to get a divorce. In fact, it even sounded like he wanted to patch things up with me. Her smile was frozen on her face.However, Zachary droned on without paying any attention to her. While speaking, he even got his phone out to call Marie.Alas, when he heard the robotic voice informing him that the number he called wasn't in service, he became well and truly agitated."The number's not in service? How is that possible? Did Mom do something with her number?" Zachary asked, anxious to get a
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 8
I glanced at Gigi, who was standing behind Zachary. From the moment I mentioned the word divorce, she couldn't keep the smile off her face.Zachary tracked my gaze. Noticing the joy in her expression, he froze, but he quickly acted as if he hadn't seen a thing. He simply stood there in silence.After a while, he said, "Are you sure you want to get a divorce? You should know that with your family background, it won't be easy for you to marry someone like me again."My heart stung when he mentioned my family background.When we first got married, I asked him multiple times whether or not he cared that I came from a family that favored my brother over me. If he told me he did or even hesitated when he answered, I would've reconsidered my relationship with him. However, at the time, it didn't seem like it mattered to him.The last of my feelings for him finally vanished, but he tried to salvage our marriage by saying, "You should give this more careful consideration, Annette. Think ab
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 7
Clenching my fists, I fired back, "What evidence do you have to say that it's my mother who's trying to file a fraudulent claim?"Snorting, Gigi replied, "So what if we don't have any evidence of that? We're not here to prove your mother's guilt today."Frowning, the judge warned us to maintain order in court.When it was time to read the verdict, I felt as though my heart was being squeezed. Alas, Gigi was declared innocent due to insufficient evidence.As we were leaving, I saw the smiles of joy on Zachary's and Gigi's faces. That felt like mockery to me. All of a sudden, I wondered if Zachary could keep that smile up once he found out who Gigi had killed.They happily walked out of the courtroom, only to find me standing at the entrance with an unpleasant expression."Why are you still here, Annette? I'm warning you. You'd better not do anything rash!" Zachary declared.He stood defensively in front of Gigi and eyed me warily as he continued, "If you do anything to harm her,
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 6
As my elbow slammed against the floor, my face contorted in pain. However, Zachary didn't even look at me. He was only concerned about Gigi's condition. Despite all the disappointment I felt for him, I still felt saddened by this.He didn't even know the full story, but he still did his best to get Gigi acquitted of all charges. He was an excellent lawyer who rarely failed to win any of his cases.This was my first time witnessing his prowess in public, but alas, I was the person he was up against. He rebutted everything my lawyer said.The most crucial problem was the lack of evidence that Gigi had hit Marie.It just so happened that Gigi's dash cam and the security cameras located at that junction had all broken down that day, so there was no footage from the scene of the crime. Even the previous eyewitnesses changed their statements.Clearly, Zachary had done something."I already made it clear it was just a scam. That woman was just trying to file a fraudulent claim against m
In Defense of a Murderer Chapter 5
I sneered at the mention of the culprit who hit Marie. That person never showed up, not even once. It was only when I went to the police station to deal with the case that I found out the perpetrator, a woman, had been bailed out by a friend.Before leaving, the two said they would settle the matter in court.Outraged, I got in touch with a friend of mine who was a lawyer and asked him to help file a lawsuit against the culprit. Bewildered, he asked me why I wasn't asking Zachary for help. After all, Zachary was considered one of the best lawyers in town. If he handled the case, there was no doubt he would ensure that the culprit got sent to prison.Smiling bitterly, I scrounged up an excuse by saying that Zachary was busy with another case. I didn't tell him that I couldn't even get in touch with Zachary, nor did Zachary even believe that something had happened to Marie.However, when the court proceeding took place three days later, my friend and I ended up running into Zachary a
