"This is twisted."
"Unbelievable. Is this court rigged?"
"Elena deserves to rot in hell."
The judge had to restore order.
Then the trail continued.
The next charge was that I had abused my son.
The memory shifted to three years after I married into the Morris family.
I had just given birth to my son.
In the delivery room, I weakly opened my eyes and saw Jake and his family, all beaming.
My mother-in-law, Dana Morris, held the baby joyfully. "Elena, you've given our family a big, healthy boy. Thank you."
Jake squeezed my hand. "Honey, thank you."
His sister, Nicole Morris, chimed in sweetly, "Elena, don't worry about a thing. I'll handle all the housework while you recover."
Everything seemed harmonious.
But the moment I laid eyes on the baby, my expression darkened.
"This isn't my child. Where's my baby?" I demanded.
The courtroom gasped in unison.
On the screen, Dana and Jake exchanged a nervous glance.
"What are you talking about? This is your baby," Dana stammered.
I grabbed her hair, screaming, "You witch. This isn't my child. Do you think I wouldn't recognize my own baby?
"Give me back my child."
My shrill voice seemed to tear through the courtroom ceiling as I yanked several strands of hair from her head.
Dana cried out in pain, and Jake hurriedly led her and Nicole out of the hospital room.
Later, after I was discharged, I remained distant from Billy Morris.
I rarely held him, and we never bonded.
In the next scene, Billy was crying, burning up with fever.
But I barely glanced at him before slinging my bag over my shoulder and walking out the door.
Jake called me, his voice sharp with accusation. "Our son had a fever, and you just left? Where are you?"
I answered coldly, "If he's sick, take him to the hospital. Don't call me."
Without another word, I boarded a plane and flew out of town.
My indifference, mixed with the sound of Billy crying, echoed through the courtroom.
The audience's fury reached a fever pitch.
Jake and his family looked more victorious than ever.
But just then, the judge received the next verdict.
The audience held their breath.
"How could she deny her own child?"
"She's a monster in human skin."
"Judge, convict her already. I can't stand it."
Everyone raised their voices.
Jake and his family grew even more complacent.
The verdict for this session was then delivered.
I was still found not guilty.
The audience below began to shout, claiming the trial was unfair.