Chapter 2
My assistant rushed off with the security guard to check the surveillance footage. I sat alone at my desk, not moving for a full five minutes: That key piece of evidence was the core material I had spent half a year visiting multiple places and investigating. Even if it was refuted by Rachel Wilson in advance, we absolutely cannot give up this opportunity easily. I opened my computer and started browsing through countless interview recordings with the client. When I opened the seventh video, I froze: The detention center surveillance showed that in the last few months, every time I went to see the client, Rachel Wilson was also there. Her timing was always perfect. Just an hour after I finished meeting with the client, she would go to visit. Why? Rachel Wilson was from the prosecution. Unlike me as a defense lawyer, she didn’t need to contact the suspect so frequently. Could it be that she knew in advance when I was going to see the suspect? An even stranger point was: In Rachel Wilson’s rebuttal document, she clearly mentioned “the climate conditions of the rainy season”. Rachel Wilson and my fiancé grew up together in the north as childhood friends. How could she possibly understand that unique damp texture of the south? Inspiration struck. My whole body shook as I stared at her gentle smile on the screen. Ethan Cole had said countless times in front of me: ”Rachel is the person I’m most grateful for in my life.” She was Ethan Cole’s “orphanage sister” during his childhood, and also his benefactor. Back then, Rachel Wilson sponsored Ethan Cole all the way through school. Later, when Ethan Cole became the CEO of a multinational company, he in turn sent Rachel Wilson abroad for further studies. After she came back, he even helped her all the way to becoming a prosecutor. My one-sided love for Ethan Cole seemed like a joke. Loving too humbly and fearfully, even though I was sour and choked up inside at how much he cherished Rachel Wilson, I didn’t know how to object. My assistant sent a message: [Ms. Shaw, I’ve checked all the surveillance footage and found no one copying the materials.] I couldn’t figure it out: If there was no mole in the law firm, how did Rachel Wilson know about my evidence in advance? Gritting my teeth, this time I went all out, locking myself in the office for three full days without leaving. Phone off, computer disconnected from the internet. I completely scrapped the old draft, rewrote the defense plan, and retrieved over 5,000 pages of materials. At dawn on the fourth day, I handed the evidence to my assistant: ”Use this version. Submit it immediately.” My assistant sent a string of praise: [This version is amazing, Jennifer my legal goddess!!] [There’s been no new move from prosecutor Rachel Wilson’s side, not even supplementary materials submitted.] [We’re definitely going to win this time!] I finally felt a weight lift from my heart. But just as I was about to take a nap on the couch, before dawn, the door was banged so hard it shook: ”Ms. Shaw, something terrible has happened!!” ”Prosecutor Rachel Wilson’s side quickly submitted a new rebuttal this morning, and even applied to change the court hearing to a live broadcast!” The moment my assistant rushed in, my mind went blank. I suddenly stood up, turned on my phone, and notifications from various platforms flooded in. [Shocking! Beautiful prosecutor personally applies for live court broadcast, justice to be open and transparent!] [Justice will not be silent, how many dirty secrets are hidden behind the death row inmate?] Someone must have bought trending topics for Rachel Wilson. With this series of operations, the heat directly surpassed all entertainment news that day. Internet users cursed even more viciously than in my previous life.