Friend or Foe

JAMES

Finally, after what felt like an excruciatingly long period spent confined in the dimly lit holding cells at the police station, they finally led me down a narrow corridor to face the magistrate. The air was heavy with the scent of stale coffee and musty paperwork, making it difficult to breathe. The sound of echoing footsteps and hushed whispers filled the cramped space, amplifying the tension that hung in the air.

As I stood there, anxiously awaiting my fate, the absence of an attorney to represent me weighed heavily on my mind. I had to concede; the outcome looked bleak, even to someone without a law degree. The weight of the murder charge, though it was an accident, pressed down on me like a suffocating blanket.

The arresting officer had painted a picture of the events leading up to this moment - Jenna's violent attack on me and her attempt to murder my wife. According to him, I could have acted differently, using my strength as a man to deter her, labeling her as a weaker w