"And, lastly," said the plaintiff's lawyer, "I would like to call Mr. Donald Ceive to the stand.
Everyone there turned towards the table where the defendant was. There, Donald Ceive (who was better known by the media as D.Ceive, because most people considered him a swindler and, also, that was how he wrote his signature every single time) stood up and, after receiving some advice from his lawyer, went to the stand. He had a long, light-brown and well-groomed beard (and that was because of the All Men Are Kings™ treatment for facial hair, which includes a 30 ml beard tonic and an 80 g beard balm, and which is available at alive.com at $399.99.) His eyes were light-blue, and his glasses, black and with a hard frame (produced by Third Eye Eyewear™ and distributed exclusively by alive.com at $899.99.) His hair was long, silky (because of All Men Are Kings™ hair treatment, which includes a 250 ml shampoo and a 200 ml conditioner, and which is available at alive.com at $299.99,) lightly darker than his beard, and in a man bun. He wore a beige linen suit (from Antonio Samsara's spring-summer collection, available at alive.com at $2,499.99) with no tie and an open white linen shirt (produced by Veil of Maya™ and distributed by alive.com at $899.99.) He had a buch of fragments of quartz, lapis lazuli, amethyst, topaz hanging from his neck (the necklaces were made with hemp rope, and were available at alive.com at $249.99 USD each,) and he had a bunch of handmade bracelets on his wrists (the bracelets were made by the community of Tanchumilpia, and were distributed by alive.com at $199.99 USD each). He also wore a pair of dark brown faux leather (available at alive.com at $299.99 USD.)
D.Ceive, swore to say the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth and took a seat.
"Mr. Ceive," said the plaintiff's lawyer while strolling through the court, "you're alive's CEO. Is that correct?
"Yes," D.Ceive replied plainly.
"And alive," the lawyer continued, "is a company that sells and distributes either health supplements, homeopathic and self-care products, clothing and lies. Is that correct?"
This accusation caused that some of the people there to get up from their seats and applaud, as they completely agree, while others, scandalized by this, started booing and yelling insults towards the lawyer.
"Order! Order!" the judge yelled while hitting a wood base with a wood hammer.
Everyone there kept silent.
"So, tell me, Mr. Ceive," the lawyer continued while staring at a D.Ceive who had remained undaunted all the time, "is that correct?"
"With the exception of the lies part, yes, it's correct," replied D.Ceive plainly.
"Are you sure?" the lawyer asked. "According to my client, Mrs. Sanz," whose full name was Nubia Sanz, but D.Ceive called her Nui, Nui Sanz, "your company gave her a homeopathic treatment and some health supplements for her liver cancer, which was detected two years ago as a stage I cancer, and now is stage IV. Obviously your treatment wasn't any helpful for—
"Objection!" D.Ceive's lawyer exclaimed and stood up. "Mrs. Saiz's lawyer is making allegations without any evidence or proof. We don't know the role alive's treatment played in the progress of Mrs. Sainz's disease."
"Besides," said D.Ceive, "as we already told you, before receiving her treatment, we explained her it would improve her well-being and her quality of life, but no improvement in his state of health was guaranteed."
"So," Nui Sainz's lawyer pretended to be both surprised and outraged. "Are you telling me alive is giving treatments that doesn't really cure diseases?"
"We never mentioned the word 'cure,'" explained D.Ceive, "we simply emphasized the treatment would alleviate any discomfort, both physical and psychological, and any symptoms of the disease, such as weight loss, loss of appetite, feeling full after eating little, nausea or vomiting, liver enlargement, spleen enlargement, pain in the abdomen or near the right shoulder blade, swelling or accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, itching, jaundice."
"So that means you never treated the actual disease. Is that correct?" Nui Sainz's lawyer asked.
"Well, as I said," D.Ceive insisted, "we explained the patient about the treat—
"Answer the question, Mr. Ceive," Nui Sanz's lawyer interrupted D.Ceive. "Did your treatment actually treated my client's cancer?"
D.Ceive stared undaunted at Nui Sanz's lawyer.
And sighed.
"No, it never did," D.Ceive said.
"No more questions," Nui Sanz's lawyer said and went back to her seat.
The jury withdrew to deliberate, and soon returned.
"We find the defendant, Donald Ceive, guilty."
Some of the people there got up from their seats and, while others, scandalized by that decision, started booing and insulting the jury, Nui Sanz and his lawyer.
"So," the judge stood up, "by the power of," yada yada yada, "Donald Ceive, you have to pay $25,000,000," yada yada yada, and the judge hitted a wood base with a wood hammer.
In D.Ceive's office, both he and various board members and investors whose names D.Ceive had never bothered to learn were chatting. D.Ceive was sitting in one of the couches in the corner, near the bookshelves full of self-help books that his company promoted so much and that he had never read and nearly empty Rivas Cheagal bottles that he replaced constantly.
"And what do we do now?" One of the investors asked. "That fucking cunt is gonna cost us 25 million."
"Don't worry," D.Ceive said after taking a sip of whiskey, "she's going to give me that money. I guarantee it."
"How?" Another investor asked.
"Trust me," D.Ceive said and headed for the exit. "Now excuse me that I have to make a withdrawal."
D.Ceive left the alive offices and walked to his car. He opened the pilot's seat and got in. He started the car, started it, and dialed a number on his cell phone.
"Hi. Gully? This is Ringo," D.Ceive, whose real name was Ringo Jones (although his friends called him Swindle Jones, which is why he never mixed friendship with business,) said. "Hey, I'm going to need some money. I have some big investments in mind and… What? Do you want us to meet? Okay, but let me tell you, you won't recognize me. I even dyed my hair..."