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墨書 Inktalez
Lisa followed the Guard down the dimly lit, narrow corridor, preparing to enter the visitation room. The prison walls were mottled, the lighting was dim, and a damp smell permeated the air, creating an oppressive atmosphere. The sound of footsteps echoed in the tight passageway, each step resonating like a drumbeat in her heart.
Although this was not Lisa's first visit to the prison, her emotions were particularly complex this time. The tension within her grew stronger, and her palms began to sweat. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but the turmoil inside her could not be quelled.
Perhaps it was because she hadn't seen Claire in so long, or perhaps it was the changes in Claire that might shock her. Lisa recalled Claire from high school, that strong and artistically gifted girl, now accused of murder. This thought stirred a complicated mix of feelings within her.
She silently reminded herself to be strong and calm. No matter how much Claire had changed, she needed to fulfill her duty as a lawyer, helping her uncover the truth and fight for a fair trial.
Finally, they arrived at the door of the visitation room. The Guard opened the door and gestured for her to enter. Lisa took a deep breath and stepped into the small, bare room. Claire sat behind the table across from her, handcuffed, with a look of fatigue and wariness in her eyes.
Lisa's heart skipped a beat; she could hardly recognize this former friend. Claire's face was etched with weariness and helplessness, but deep within those eyes, Lisa could still see a glimmer of familiarity. She knew that no matter what Claire had gone through, she was still that same friend.
"Claire..." Lisa said softly, her voice trembling with concern.
Claire looked up, and in that moment of seeing Lisa, surprise and complex emotions flickered in her eyes. She didn't speak, but those eyes seemed to tell countless stories of pain.
Lisa approached the table and sat down, trying to soothe Claire with gentle words. "We will face this together; I will help you find the truth and fight for a fair trial. You are not alone; we will work hard together."
Lisa nodded at the Guard behind her, hoping to give them some space. The Guard glanced at Claire and assessed that she posed no threat due to her handcuffs. He then looked at his watch and coldly stated, "Only five minutes." With that, he left the visitation room and closed the door.
Lisa quickly took out paper and pen, her expression turning serious and focused. "Claire, I need you to concentrate," she said as quickly as possible. "Why did you do this? You know very well that there is too much evidence against you; it’s clear you killed him. We need to find another angle to reduce your charges—your motive!"
Claire lowered her head, her gaze flickering as if struggling with whether to reveal the truth. Her voice trembled as she whispered, "Lisa, I really don’t know how to explain... I didn’t kill him; I truly didn’t..."
Lisa took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her tone was firm yet gentle as she said, "Claire, this is not the time to avoid the issue. You must tell me the truth; only then can we find a way to mitigate your guilt. Motivation is important, whether it was coercion or self-defense, these can serve as our defense arguments."
Claire spoke incoherently, "I... Mark... I hate seeing Mark so happy... especially after... I'm gone..."
Her voice trembled more and more, filled with anger and pain. "I hate it, I hate it!" Claire suddenly lost control and shouted, her emotions completely breaking down as her eyes fiercely stared at the illusion of Mark standing nearby.
The illusion of Mark grinned and said, "Hey! That's right..."
Lisa was startled by Claire's sudden emotional outburst. She felt the long-suppressed anger and pain deep within Claire's heart. Quickly reacting, she tried to soothe Claire: "Claire, calm down; this isn't helping us. I know you're in pain right now, but we need to be rational and clarify your story."
Claire's eyes were still filled with anger, her body trembling from the emotional turmoil, but Lisa's words seemed to have calmed her slightly. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure, but the pain in her eyes remained unmistakable.
"Lisa, you don't understand. Every time I see Mark so happy as if nothing ever happened, it's like my heart is being cut with a knife. He abandoned me yet lives so joyfully; I... I really can't stand it..." Claire's voice became hoarse, tears welling up in her eyes.
Lisa nodded, feeling Claire's inner struggle and pain. "Claire, I understand how you feel. This kind of suffering is unbearable, but we need to find a way for the court to understand your situation. This is our only way out."
Claire replied angrily, "There is no way out; my way out is a dead end. Damn it!" She then leaned over the table, her voice trembling as she said, "Everything... everything is over."
Lisa furrowed her brows as she looked at Claire's state, realizing how fragile she was at that moment. Claire needed an escape route now more than ever; clearly, she did not want to admit that she killed Mark and was consciously avoiding this fact. Lisa took a deep breath, knowing she had to find a breakthrough.
She glanced at several plans prepared in her notebook and decided to give them a try. "Claire, I know you're in pain right now, but we still have options. You need to trust me; we can find a way for you to be treated fairly."
Claire did not lift her head; her voice was low and despairing: "You don't understand, Lisa; none of this matters. I have no hope left."
Lisa opened her notebook and quickly skimmed through the pages before calmly saying, "Claire, listen to me. We can approach this from several angles. First, we can try to prove that you acted under extreme fear and pressure, which could serve as a basis for mitigating your culpability. Second, if we can find evidence that you were threatened or subjected to violence by Mark, we can argue that you acted in self-defense."
Claire remained slumped over the table, unresponsive, but Lisa knew she was listening. She continued, "I know you don't want to face all of this, but right now we have no choice. You need to stand up and fight for your chance. You're not alone; I will always be by your side."
Lisa pulled out a page from her notebook that listed possible defense strategies. "Claire, here are a few steps we can take. You need to tell me more details so we can find the most favorable evidence. For example, what threats did Mark make to you, or did he ever lay hands on you? These details are very important."
Claire suddenly sat up straight, murmuring to herself, "Threats... violence..." A flicker of realization crossed her eyes as if she was beginning to recall some past details.
Seeing this, Lisa quickly seized the opportunity and nodded, saying, "Yes... whether it's in your daily interactions or... during intimacy... um, all of that counts. Any information you have is valuable... I can help you!"
Claire's gaze began to focus, her expression becoming more serious as she seemed to struggle to remember those repressed memories. "In our daily interactions... Mark would sometimes become very volatile, especially when he was drunk. He would yell at me and even hit me. He often threatened me that if I dared to leave him, he would..."
Her voice trembled, and a glimmer of fear and pain flashed in her eyes. Lisa felt her starting to open up and quickly took out her notebook to jot down these crucial details. "Claire, this is all very important. We can use this evidence to show that you acted in self-defense, which would greatly benefit your case."
Claire nodded and continued, "Also... during intimacy, sometimes he would become very rough. He said it was how he liked it, but I felt very scared. I begged him multiple times to stop, but he never listened."
Lisa struggled to remain calm; although she felt a shock inside, she knew this was not the time to show emotion. "Claire, this information is extremely important. We can use this evidence to demonstrate that you were living in fear and under pressure for a long time; these are strong grounds for mitigating your culpability."
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