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The screen froze, and Olivia shot to her feet, screaming: “Judge Williams, these memories have obviously been tampered with! Charlotte has been mentally unstable for years–her memories are completely scrambled!”
Nicole struck her gavel sternly: “Order! Memory extraction technology is classified federal technology. Memory content cannot be altered.”
Benjamin frowned, his gaze shifting between the screen and my corpse. He slowly turned his wheelchair, facing Nicole: “I request access to the bank transfer records from that year.”
Benjamin frowned, his gaze shifting between the screen and my corpse. He slowly turned his wheelchair, facing Nicole: “I request access to the bank transfer records from that year.”
Nicole nodded in approval. Court staff quickly pulled up the transfer records from seven years ago. The projection clearly showed that the three hundred million dollar disaster relief fund had been split into two accounts, with signatures from Lily and Olivia as recipients.
“This can’t be…” Benjamin muttered to himself. Watching his dazed expression, I found it laughable.
When I was locked up, my family happened to be facing
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financial ruin from stock market losses and desperately needed money. Olivia seized the opportunity to contact Lily and embezzle the disaster relief funds, then pinned the blame on me. But when I desperately tried to explain, Benjamin thought I was having a breakdown and had me committed to a psychiatric hospital.
The audience whispered among themselves: “Memories can’t be faked. Has Mr. Kingsley been deceived all these years?”
The audience whispered among themselves: “Memories can’t be faked. Has Mr. Kingsley been deceived all these years?”
“Exactly. One incident might be a coincidence, but so many things…”
“So what? Don’t forget Mr. Kingsley is disabled—that can’t be fake, can it?”
Olivia rushed to Benjamin’s wheelchair, sobbing: “Benjamin, I only did it for my family back then. Besides, Charlotte really did have mental problems–otherwise your legs wouldn’t have…”
Benjamin lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his empty pant leg.
Seeing this, Olivia quickly turned around: “Hurry up and show what happened when Benjamin was hurt. That incident alone is enough to convict her!”
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Benjamin panicked for a moment, then forced himself to appear calm as he tried to soothe her: “Forget it, it’s in the past. I don’t want to relive it. I’ve already forgiven Charlotte.”
But Olivia remained relentless, urging Nicole: “Benjamin is too kind–hearted to pursue this, but as a judge, shouldn’t you uphold justice?”
The surrounding audience nodded in agreement: “Mr. Kingsley is too good–natured. This demon can’t be easily forgiven!”
Before Benjamin could speak again, Nicole had already switched the screen to a rainy night. The courtroom audience held their breath, staring at the screen.
With bloodshot eyes, I rushed onto the hospital rooftop.
njamin grabbed me from behind.
“Charlotte, are you insane? This is the seventh floor!”
In the distance, Olivia clutched her bleeding wrist, tearfully confronting me: “Charlotte, Benjamin and I came to visit you— why are you trying to kill me?”
My hair disheveled, I held my head and kept muttering: “No, I
didn’t…”
Benjamin tried to pull me back. Lightning suddenly flashed
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across the sky, illuminating my pale face. The next second, I broke free from Benjamin’s grip and ran toward the edge of the rooftop without looking back.
Benjamin, caught off guard, stumbled and fell straight toward the ground below.
Olivia jumped to her feet, excitedly saying: “See? I wasn’t lying! Benjamin and I kindly went to the psychiatric hospital to visit Charlotte, but she had a psychotic episode and tried to kill me! She was acting crazy all over the hospital, then pretended to commit suicide just to push Benjamin off the building! Judge Williams, Charlotte isn’t innocent at all–she’s a genuine lunatic!”
The courtroom atmosphere reached a fever pitch, with some audience members red–eyed and ready to throw my remains
out.
“Wait!” Prosecutor Mason Hill, who had remained silent, suddenly said sternly: “Judge Williams, I request access to the deceased’s memory footage from one hour prior.”
Olivia’s face went pale: “No! The evidence is conclusive–there’s no need for that!”
Benjamin stared intently at the screen as all eyes focused on him. Looking at my bewildered and helpless face on screen, he finally said after a long pause: “I agree to the request.”
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The screen rewound. One hour earlier, I was curled up on the hospital bed, trembling. Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Olivia entered with several orderlies: “Charlotte, are you okay?”
She wore a fake smile on her face but held a syringe in her hand.
I recoiled in terror: “What are you doing?”
“Benjamin is coming to see you. I’m afraid you might hurt him, so I came to give you a sedative.”
Olivia smiled sweetly, signaling the orderlies to hold me down. I could see the contents of the syringe weren’t the usual sedatives I was given and struggled desperately, accidentally scratching her arm in the chaos.
ia’s eyes turned vicious. She jabbed the needle into my neck. out a piercing scream. She chuckled softly and shoved me back onto the bed.
“Benjamin will be here soon. I’ll tell him you nearly killed me during an episode!”
I shook my head weakly, feeling my mind grow foggy: “Olivia, why are you doing this to me…”
Olivia’s expression suddenly became twisted: “Why? Because all my life, everyone has only paid attention to you! You were the
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family’s precious daughter, the piano prodigy, New York’s darling… And me? What was I?”
She leaned down and grabbed my chin, sneering: “Now you have nothing. Your child, your womb, your reputation–you’ve lost it all. Soon, I’ll be Mrs. Kingsley.”
Benjamin’s wheelchair toppled over as the courtroom erupted in chaos.
Mason’s expression grew grave: “Judge Williams, I request Charlotte’s psychiatric evaluation report.”
A medical record immediately appeared on the large screen.
[Patient Charlotte Adams, diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, caused by prolonged psychological abuse.]
[This patient shows no aggressive tendencies. During
hospitalization, the patient has not harmed any visiting medical staff.]
[This patient shows no aggressive tendencies. During
hospitalization, the patient has not harmed any visiting medical
staff.]
[This patient shows no aggressive tendencies. During
hospitalization, the patient has not harmed any visiting medical staff.]
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[This patient shows no aggressive tendencies. During
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hospitalization, the patient has not harmed any visiting medical staff.]
[This patient shows no aggressive tendencies. During
hospitalization, the patient has not harmed any visiting medical
staff.]
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