The Judge, The Fiancée, The Frame-up

The judge' s voice was a flat, impersonal drone.

"Guilty."

My fiancée, Olivia, a vision in her tailored business suit, didn' t even flinch.

Her eyes, once so full of love, slid away from mine, landing on my half-brother, Liam.

He covered her hand with his, a small, intimate gesture that screamed a truth louder than the verdict.

They were abandoning me. My parents were gone, killed in the very accident I was now convicted of causing.

Seven years I spent in hell, every appeal denied, every lead a dead end.