The courtroom became as silent as the cemetery, with everyone waiting for Efua to prove that indeed, Amanda was at her house on the day of the incident. Efua on the other hand was throwing dagger gaze at Abigail making it difficult for Abigail to look at her.
"Miss Amanda here says she was at your house with her friend on the 25th of November. Is that the truth?" Amanda's lawyer asked.
" That's not true, I was with my parents all day, and even the friend she's talking about has been out of the city for months now. " As clear as glass, Efua spoke to the hearing of everyone, leaving both Amanda and Abigail shock.
The lawyer asked his question again in several different ways, but in all Efua's answer was still the same, saying Amanda had not been to her house. Either she was telling the truth or not, it was good for Abigail, but Amanda couldn't understand anything.
Amanda had expected Efua to lie on her behalf, knowing the enemity between her and Abigail. Aside from that, she was indeed in her house just that it wasn't on that same day. "Why are you doing this Efua? I was in your house and I came with Esther, your friend." Amanda shouted from where she was sitting.
" Really? And was it on the 25th? I don't remember seeing you, because I was with my family and there was no friends around." Efua said in response to Amanda's question.
" Order! Order!!" The judge said loudly. At that, Amanda's lawyer knew there wasn't any need for him to ask Efua any more questions, knowing she'll just speak against his client.
" I have no more questions for her your honor." He said and took his seat, giving way for Abigail's lawyer to question Efua.
" I have no questions for her your honor, but I'll like to call Miss Abigail to take the stand." Abigail's lawyer said as he got to his feet. Efua took her seat as the victim of the incidents was called to the box.
"Would you like to tell the court what happened to you on the 25th of November?" The lawyer asked after Abigail swear with the Bible and introduced herself as well.
Abigail told the court what happened to her on that day, making the people murmur again. "Do you have any one in mind apart from miss Amanda, who would want you dead?" The lawyer asked after.
" No. I can't think of anyone but her." Abigail said simply.
" There would be no more questions your honor." Abigail's lawyer said.
" But I have questions for her." Amanda's lawyer said and walked to the box Abigail was standing in. "The men that attacked you, did they say it was my client who sent them?" He asked strictly.
" Not really but.... " Abigail tried to talk.
" Then why do you think my client is responsible for the attack on you?" He asked again, not giving Abigail the chance to speak.
" Because I have all the reasons to..... " Abigail couldn't complete her statement as she was interrupted again.
"To believe she's the one, because she's the only one you've offended in your life? Is it because she noticed you were trying to steal Her man?" The lawyer asked again.
" No, that's not true... " Abigail said.
"No? Then what is the truth? Can you tell us who the other suspect is?" The lawyer asked sarcastically.
" No I can't, because I wasn't the one who said she was a suspect." Abigail said boldly.
The lawyer kept asking Abigail dozens of questions, some which wasn't even related to the case and making his questions so sharp that Abigail found it difficult to answer most of them. "I have no more questions your honor." Finally Amanda's lawyer said, leaving Abigail to take her seat.
Abigail almost cried, knowing she ruined her own case after all that her lawyer did to make sure she wins. She sat quietly as sad tears dropped onto her lap. " Dose anyone of you have another witness?" The judge asked.
" Yes your honor, I'll like to call to the stand Mr Andrew and his friend." Abigail's lawyer was fast to answer first. The judge gave his permission and the two were called.
Andrew and Henry work to the box in hand cuffs, with prison officers escorting them. They were asked to swear with the Bible which they did and introduced themselves, after which Abigail's lawyer begin to question them.
"Can you tell the court why you attacked my client." He asked the two men.
" We were making plans on killing her later, but on that particular day my brother Hanson had no choice than to attack her because his girlfriend was insulted because of miss Abigail." Andrew spoke up.
"Why were you making plans on killing her?" The lawyer asked.
" Miss Amanda asked my brother to kill her, because she suspected Miss Abigail was going after her man, but Hanson refused. Our sisters Esther asked him to do so because, miss Amanda was a relative and her friend.
Hanson was giving it a thought when he got a call from his girlfriend, and we had to do as she asked, else she'll leave Hanson." Andrew spoke calmly as he tried to hide his anger.
" Can you tell us what Hanson's girlfriend asked him to do and who she is?" Abigail's lawyer asked.
" She asked Hanson to punish miss Abigail, by raping hair in public. She's Miss Gina the one there." Henry was the one to speak, and the police arrested Gina immediately he pointed to her.
The case continue with the men telling the court everything that happened on that day and why Hanson run away from the cell to meet Amanda. They were question by Amanda's lawyer, but nothing good came out for him, so the men took their seat.
At that, Enoch would've been the next to be in the box, but he was still not back. The judge asked if any of the lawyers had more witness to call, but both of them seems to have lost their last witnesses.
"Your honor, my witness was here but he had to leave bue to an emergency. So that would be all." Abigail's lawyer said and took his seat.
"Your honor, due to some reason, my last witnesses couldn't get here so that would be..." Amanda's lawyer said and he was interrupted by a new commer.
"Am here. Sorry am late." A manly voice said from behind, making everyone turn to see who he was. Abigail and Amanda on the other hand, got frozen by the voice, doubting if they heard it right.
Slowly, both of them turned to face each other, before turning to the direction of the voice. "What is he doing here?" Was the first question that came to the minds of both Amanda and Abigail, and everyone who knew who he was.
Elegantly, a dark skin man in a black pants and a pair of black leather shoes, with a hand behind him and the other in his pocket worked to the box and took his stand. His lips were full and pink, with the brightest white eyes who's balls were as dark as the night. His short hair made him look handsome with the white shirt he was wearing brighting his face.
"Can you tell the court who you are?" The lawyer asked after making the man swear with a Bible.
"Am Edward lunq, the man miss Abigail is engaged to, the one Amanda has been dating, and the reason Amanda wanted to kill her." Edward said calmly, making everyone wonder if he was there for Abigail or Amanda.
"Why would you say my client wanted to kill Miss Abigail?" The lawyer asked.
"Because she confirmed it to me. I called Miss Abigail to inform her I'll be returning this month, but she was too angry to speak to me and told me what Amanda had done. I called Amanda and thank God I recorded her voice, she confirmed to me that she was indeed the one who tried to kill miss Abigail and if I don't get back with her, she's going to kill Miss Abigail with her own hands."
Edward said and handed his phone to the lawyer, which he took and handed to the speaker. The voice on it was played to everyones hearing and indeed, Amanda has confessed being the one who sent the men to kill Abigail. At that Amanda's lawyer took his seat as he had no clue how to turn things around, knowing he had lost the case.
"Would you like to tell this court why you left my client after your engagement?" Abigail's lawyer asked, knowing Abigail would want to know his reason.
"I know it's late, but I still want to tell Miss Abigail that am sorry for leaving her, and am also sorry for everything I did to her. Am sorry if I can't explain in details, but leaving her was the only way I could protect her." Edward said and Abigail wished she didn't know his reason at all.
She thought she was done with the man in front of her, but upon seeing him and hearing him speak on her behalf, she felt like the man in front of her didn't do anything wrong with her, and even if he did it wasn't intentional.
"No, he can't be telling the truth, it's another one of his tricks." Abigail said to herself as she forced her sight off Edward. She hasn't been able to look away since he walked in, and memories she didn't want to remember found it way into her mind.
"Miss Amanda, you have been proven guilty once again, and I sentence you to 30 years in prison with hard labor. And Miss Gina you'll serve in the prison for ten month, for taking the law into your own hands." Abigail heard the lawyer speaking but non of that mattered to her,
Most of the people in the courtroom came to her side and congratulate her before leaving the courtroom, but even though almost everyone was out, Abigail still kept seated thinking of why Enoch wasn't at the hearing.
It took a while before the lawyer could convince her to go home. But she wished she didn't listen to him. Just when she was at the entrance of the courtroom about to step out, an ungodly strong hands of a man rapped her from behind, making her stop suddenly.
"Am sorry I left you my love, but am here now, I'll make everything right." A voice said to Abigail and forced her to turn
Without a second thought, Abigail gave the man a dirty slap, which sounded loudly in the courtroom.