Chapter 131

• As Andrew's voice droned on, I found it increasingly difficult to focus on the words spilling from his lips. The stares and murmurs from the courtroom observers began to amplify my despair; I could see their expressions of disgust, and it felt as if my world was crumbling around me. My head throbbed incessantly, and I rubbed my temples absently, struggling against the pounding agony that seemed to consume me. I sensed my attorney nudging me, a discreet signal for me to preserve my composure, but I seemed detached from his concern at that moment. I focused instead on my breath, in and out, attempting to regain my center amid the chaos.
• However, soon I found myself caught in a fog. The sharp pains in my head had faded, but my vision swam in a thick haze. I strained to listen—there was Andrew again, his nasally tone irritating my nerves to an unbearable degree, but I couldn't grasp the essence of his words. Regardless, I knew they were likely laced with deceit.
• Then, as if in some dramatic twist of fate, a scream erupted from the back of the courtroom. Panic set in, and I could feel the room shift as the observers jolted to their feet. A familiar voice reverberated through the air, tickling the edges of my memory, but I couldn't place it. An unease gripped me, and I felt a chill run down my spine. I desperately tried to focus on the voices swirling around me, yet it felt as if I was standing beneath a relentless waterfall—able to hear but not really comprehend.