She combed his bangs gently with a comb, then began to trim
the hairs on his forehead bit by bit. All of her attention was
concentrated on the task at hand.
Jason watched her. The way she studied him, so focused on her
task.
That singular focus had served her well in her life-first with her
education and graduating top of her class at University and later
at Law School. And then in surviving prison.
Guilt stabbed at him.
He saw how shed been abused in the time that he knew her.
What must her life be like behind bars, with no one to champion or protect her, and countless criminals coming after her all in the hopes of pleasing him?
She sucked in a breath and he hung on to that little sound.
Her mouth was pretty. Full lips, a bright smile.
She didnt smile enough, he realized.
Her skin was still red, likely from the wind and cold, and though it
pinkened her cheeks and nose, it only enhanced her beauty.
If he looked hard enough, he could see that shed been beautiful
once.
Her features carried symmetry and character.
But it wasnt the outward appearance that drew him, but rather
what came from within.
This woman shed been the one to fight for him. To sacrifice so that he could have a roof over his head, warm clothes, and something good to eat. Shed asked for nothing in return.
And knowing that she appreciated him for him awakened something inside him.
Its done. After an unknown amount of time, her voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
Oh, already? he asked. It was as if time spent with her passed extremely quickly.
Mmm. She smiled, took two steps back, and carefully looked at him for a while. My skill isnt too bad. In fact, its rather good, and weve saved twenty dollars.
She smiled as she spoke. Then, she took out a dry towel and flicked off the fine strands of hair that were stuck to his face, neck, and on his clothes.
Alright, go take a shower, Grace said.
Jason took the change of clothes and walked into the narrow bathroom. Knowing that she wanted to conserve energy and keep their bills low, he didnt set the shower to hot as he normally would. Warm water rushed over his body as he stepped in and lowered his head to rinse away any shorn hairs. As he glanced down, he saw the scar on his chest.
With time, this scar had grown very shallow. However, every time
he saw it, he would think of that woman.
The woman who had abandoned him and his father.
Perhaps this wound was the only thing he had left of her.
He recalled her pushing him away as he knelt and begged her not to leave, and not to abandon him and his father.
The woman had shaken her head and pried his hands free.
When she shoved him aside so she could leave, hed fallen on a
bit of rebar. Jasons memories didnt remember the construction
or the details of the day, aside from what she wore, how her
beautiful smile had transformed into a snarl, and how hed been
unable to breathe when the metal he fell on pierced his chest.
The doctors had said that the metal had gotten very close to his
heart. He was lucky, a centimeter to the left and they would not
have been able to save his life at all.
At that time, he had told himself that that woman was no longer
his mother.
He walled himself off.
After his fathers death, he stopped having expectations of
anyone.
As long as he did not have expectations, he would never be disappointed.
It was just that
Jason turned off the tap, wiped his body dry with a towel, and put
on his clothes. When he walked out of the bathroom, his eyes fell
on Grace. She was sitting at the table and seemed to be looking at
something.
Since when had he started having expectations of her? He
was looking forward to seeing her smile, looking forward to her
happiness.
He lived for those moments when she looked at him with gentle
eyes and smiled. Her smile lit up the whole room.
Jay.
Even the sound of his name on her lips brought him joy.
Jay, youre done washing up? Ill help you blow dry your hair, she said as she stood up to get the hairdryer.
He walked to the side of the table and saw some documents
placed on the table by her side. They were copies of the record
of her original case.
His eyes flashed. What are you looking at, Sister? he asked, even though he already knew the answer.
Some of the related information from my case back then, she
said. Lina helped me collect them.
Why are you reading this again? he asked.
Yes, why? Grace had asked herself the same question.
It had been three years, and she could not reverse the verdict. She
did not even know where the witnesses from that year were now.
What else could she do just based on her status as a sanitation
worker?
But could she really give up and accept her false conviction?
She knew what the evidence said, but she also knew it wasnt
true. She had not been drinking. So there must be some kind of
mistake. It simply wasnt possible for her tests to have shown a high level of alcohol in her system. Because she hadnt consumed a drop.
Chapter 42
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Perhaps this case, there are still some things that I dont understand, Grace mumbled.
And she was determined to get to the bottom of them
She also did not understand why Jennifers car had been rushing
toward her.
What made her even more confused was why those witness statements were all targeted at her.
She could not explain. All the witnesses and evidence at that time had proven that she was the perpetrator.
Admittedly, the accident had been traumatic and some of the details surrounding the investigation that followed were still murky. Shed been in shock.
But she couldnt for the life of her understand how there was so
much security or camera footage. Almost every street in the city had some kind of traffic camera. And the people whod been
witnesses, theyd all had the exact same version of events.
But as an attorney, she knew that rarely happened either. People always had different perceptions, based on their physical position in relation to a crime, their age, sx, and perspective.
Even something as simple as running a traffic light could be interpreted in different ways, depending on who you asked.
Could it have been something else entirely?