~ Suit ~

“As the above remains as it is, the judges unanimously agree to dismiss the appeal.” Followed the loud bang of the Lord Justices' hammer against the desk.

. I let out the breath I had been holding in. My shoulders dropped down low in disappointment as if the Lord Justice had personally hit it with his hammer.

22 months. This was 22 months of time and effort I have put in.

We all got up from our chairs in respective of the Lord Justices as they got up to leave from their respective places. I took a quick glance at the opposing team of Prosecutors. ers. I was ready to climb over all the obstacles between us and erase those smugly grins off their faces. And it hit me, if I was feeling this way, how would my client, sitting next to me, in cuffs, feel? I turned to her. She had no expression on her face. Her eyes were blank. She just sat still. She wasn’t shouting “I am innocent” and throwing around things. I think that’s what I came to love about her during the time we have worked to fight for her cause.

What was her cause, you might be wondering. This woman felt desperate enough that she felt she had the need to kill her own new-born child.

Oh no, not just killed. She tried to fit the poor soul through her toilet drain, like that’d pass through sewage pipes. Yup. Like that’d pass through sewage pipes. Now, doesn’t it sound wonderful that the Lords ruled in favor of the State?

no. You listen to two sides. I don’t go around defending every murderer I find around the corner. I choose carefully and I chose her for reasons. She was . She got pregnant because she was . Now, that’s no excuse to go and kill your baby minutes after giving birth to it, but listen. You have no idea what kind of that s you up in the head after you go through something like that. That’s still no excuse right?

She understands. She understands that she was wrong. I am not fighting for her crime. She doesn’t even want me to. What am I fighting for then? Simple. Her rights. Her rights for a fair trial. To be treated as a person who was mentally unstable while committing her crimes.

Death sentence. That’s what they gave her. It’s 2017 and life seems to hold little meaning in the eyes of justice yet right to life was a human right. Ironic, huh?

I let out a sigh. Two police officer came to take her away. She turned to me and smiled before she obediently followed them. Subsequently, when I was done gathering my documents a Court Officer saw me out of the court room and led me to lockers to gather all my belongings which were not allowed inside the Courtroom.

After thanking the officer I just stood there, leaning against the locker. This was the much needed time to let the verdict sink down, time to explore my thoughts into the remaining options.

We could appeal to the Supreme Court. Fight all over from the top again. The end result is highly likely to be the same but we could still put up a fight. A good fight. The next would be to give up. She could wait for her cruel fate caged behind bars. Third is where-

Party! Lei’s housewarming party.

Oh . I had forgotten all about it. She had even called me earlier today to remind me about it.

“Wear something formal.” I recall her emphasizing. Currently, it was 07:45 pm. I was to be there at 08:00 pm Sharp.

It was at least a 45 minute drive to Lei’s new apartment from the Court. I had yet to buy her a gift. So, let’s suppose a suit is formal enough for a housewarming party.

After grabbing my belongings I dashed towards the exit, blazing through the floor. The noise of my heels echoed on the high walls of the foyer from their clatter on the marble floor.

Security officers stared towards me whilst looking all grim but they cannot stop me with their "No running around on the main floor" bull.

It was 09:05 pm when I had reached the driveway of Lei’s new apartment.

09:05, because I had driven to Zwadz on the way to pick up some tiramisu to enlighten the housewarming party and obviously loads of brownies to keep a Lei happy for being an hour and five minutes late.

That and also because of the uncountable calls from her during those one hour and five minutes that I had quite innocently ignored.

After finding a free parking spot near Yixing’s car, I went up to the door and knocked. Lei greeted me whilst yelling nonchalant profanities at me for being late. What I saw next did not amuse me at all. AT ALL.

Formal she said.

FORMAL.

But hey half of the people here are dressed casually. Most sitting on the floor. Eating pizza off boxes. Drinking wine from mugs? Mugs???

What the , Lei!

I take a look around.

Unpacked boxes. Ripped up wrapping papers. Bubble wrappers. God, this place was a mess. My OCD senses were tingling already.

“Pizza. Wine from mugs. Messy house. I want you to explain to me what part of this is formal Wang Lei.”

Lei awkwardly laughs.

“Your suit? Eheheheheh.”

“Great suit. Suit suits you.” Tao follows.

“Nice .” Yixing remarks with a smirk. God, how do I survive with this hormonal freak?

There is a girl, I am assuming Tao’s friend, sitting next to Yixing (sitting would be an understatement, I’d probably call that cuddling) just gawking at me. Yixing notices it.

“Don’t worry baby, her may be nice but yours is out of this world.” He pulls her even closer and winks at her. I am pretty sure I am not the only one who wants to throw up right now.

Sighing, I walk towards the couch where Renée sat along with a guy, again assuming he is Tao’s friend, they had an unsurmountable gap between them. The guy awkwardly moved even further