Making their way back to the dining room where the laptop was set up, the other guys chuckled as she tenderly sat in the chair.
Y/n sat in the chair , basically collapsing from the little strength remaining in her legs. The men in her life all chuckled at her expense, knowing the activities that made her so wobbly. She wondered what Jongho had told them in their private group chat.
A countdown timer on the screen showed ten minutes remaining until her trial was set to start. Mingi, sensing her distress, leaned over her shoulder, speaking deeply into her ear.
"Baby, don't watch the time. Look at me." Gently pinching her chin between two of his long fingers, he turned her head until she caught his espresso gaze. "We've got you. You are in control. We all know the truth and the evidence backs you up. What is there to be stressed about?"
Y/N's head began to run on a panic treadmill as she realized it wasn't the trial or seeing Melody again. Not even the publicity of everything. It was seeing her family again. Specifically them airing all the awful things they thought about her.
Realizing his plan backfired, Mingi pulled her into a hug, her cheek resting against his stomach. She relaxed into his hold and sighed deeply.
"I was free of them. They had no interest in me. They wanted nothing to do with me, but the first opportunity to bring me shame they jump at the chance. What have I done so wrong to have them hate me so much? I know that they are awful and I shouldn't take their opinions seriously, but it is hard not to when they are supposed to naturally love you, you know?"
Mingi pet her hair very softly in reassurance. "They ARE awful, especially to be so cruel to someone as amazing as you are. You know what I think it is? It is envy. You have more brains, beauty, and potential than they have in their big toes." Y/N giggled.
Suddenly, Yunho cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt but the countdown is down to a couple of minutes."
Y/N cleared her throat, delicately wiping the tears from under her eyes while attempting to not ruin her mascara. Pulling away from Mingi, she saw an impression of her face on his crisp black shirt.
"Oh god! Mingi I am so sorry!" He looked confused until he looked down and then began to giggle. Stepping away, surely to change to a different shirt, Wooyoung followed him down the hallway with his signature cackle echoing behind him.
Just as Y/N turned back towards the computer, the timer faded away and what was before her now was a stark courtroom filled with equally stark faces. The point of view of the camera was from where the defense table would be. Her lawyers had prepared her for what to expect with the video call but experiencing it in reality was a different matter.
The judge, a middle aged black man, looked over it before the trial even started. With a deep sigh, he stated, "This now begins the trial or Melody Pickens vs Y/N. Charges include assault in the second degree and defamataion." Y/N how do you plea?"
Y/N cleared her throat before responding, "Not guilty."
The judge nodded and continued. "Melody Pickens, YOU are also being charged with the defamation of Y/N and Hongjoong Kim as well as assault by threat. How do you plea?"
"Not guilty and this whole trial is a SET-UP! Melody looked crazed as she slammed her hands on the prosecutor's table.
The judge sighed yet again. "Miss Pickens, if you cannot contain yourself you will be held in contempt. Where are your attorneys?"
"They are no longer representing me as of this morning. They didn't know what they were talking about so I am representing myself."
Wooyoung chortled softly from the hallway, containing the laughter in his hand.
"If that is your wish Miss Pickens. The only reason you are both being tried simultanously is due to the singular event in all charges as well as the exorbitant fees the lawyers for Miss Y/N would have to pay flying here from Korea twice. You agreed to this initially so you could, and I quote, 'get this over with.' Is this still your stance Miss Pickens?"
"Yeah sure whatever." Melody then threw herself dramatically into her chair.
The next couple of hours were spent with various friends of Melody's praising her character and letting the jury know what they were told second-hand regarding the incident. After the fifth vapid airhead stepped off of the stand, Y/N's mother took the stand.
Nose in the air, she had an air of self-importance, and then her eyes locked with Y/N through the screen and a small smirk rose upon the corner of her mouth.
After being sworn in, Melody began their line of questioning.
"For the court, can you state your name and your relation to Y/N Y/L/N?"
"I am Miranda Oliver. Y/N's mother."
"You are her mother yet you are a witness against her?"
"Yes. I thought that the truth needed to be known about her, blood or no."
"Well then we will get right to it. Thank you for your time Mrs Oliver. You are here as a character witness, so please, describe your daughter's character for the court."
As her mother clears her throat, Y/N finds herself squeezing Mingi and Wooyoung's hands. Mingi runs his other hand gently across her thigh.
"My daughter has always been difficult, unruly, and unwilling to conform. She writes pornography. She has a harem of rich lovers, makes good money herself, and refuses to support her family with her success. We took great care of her despite her moral and academic setbacks and she continues to be ungrateful. The last time I saw her she screamed at us for trying to see her."
Y/N's face remained a stoic mask but under the desk her leg was bouncing from the barely contained rage.
"I am sorry you had such a difficult time, Mrs Oliver. Motherhood is said to be the hardest job."
"My other child is everything a child should be. Loyal, finished her education, and sweet to her family. This is how I know it wasn't due to my parenting."
"So though you were not there during the incident in question, based on what you know of Y/N, would you think her capable of the charges against her."
"I would not be surprised. She has always been morally questionable and being a criminal would be her final step away from God."
"Thank you for your time Miss Oliver. No more questions."
Melody sits down and one of the team of Y/N's lawyers approaches her mother. Mr. Lim was a no nonsense older lawyer who Y/N appreciated having on her team. He stood confidently in front of the witness stand, allowing for a good 20 seconds of silence before proceeding.
"Mrs Oliver, from what I heard in your testimony, you have neither supported your daughter's career, interests, or her soul bonds. Also you expect a payout for being a parent. Is that correct?"
"Her career is writing smut books and being a DJ! What kind of parent would support that? Also 8 soul bonds is just more proof of a life of sin. Even that proved how much of a selfish whore she is. God marked her as the demon she is."
"There is only one demon I see here, and it is not my client. Isn't it true that you did not even really raise her at all? That her grandmother did, and after her passing, you can crawling back to your daughter after years of no communication to demand an inheritance?"
"The child fled to her grandmother who let her do whatever she damned well pleased. I was tired of fighting her."
"So since you had not seen her, and didn't raise her, how could you know her character at all? No more questions."
Before any more objections to be made, Mr Lim waved his hand to dismiss her mother from the stand. Scoffing, she left the stand and stormed back to her seat.
Y/N took a deep breath in relief that that was over with. She had hear all of these things from her mother before, but now a courtroom of people saw what a monster she is too. Thank goodness this was a private hearing. Due to her "celebrity status", it was decided that was best.
The judge shook his head in disbelief as if he was clearing the bullshit from his ears. "Miss Pickens has chosen not to testify in her own defense. Now we present the first defense witness, Alexis. "
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I know it has been months and I am SO SORRY! Also sorry this chapter is kinda boring but it is a trial. Not much I can do with that haha. Also I am moving in a month but going to try my nest to wrap this story up before then. Thank you for the love and the patience.
Taglist: @vtyb23, @nuggiesnuggetdog04, @mygsis, @tyungelic, @mrsminseochoi
