The courtroom is packed.

The trial has garnered national attention, and every seat in the gallery is taken by reporters, spectators, and family members. The air is thick with tension, the kind you can almost taste. The Mênëñdéź brøthêrš sit at the defense table, solemn and quiet. Lyle looks straight ahead, occasionally his gaze drifts toward you, seated a few rows behind him, but he’ll quickly look away.

You’ve been preparing for this moment for weeks, but now that it’s here, you feel a knot tightening in your stomach. Being the ex girlfriend of Lyle Mënéndėż, you were practically forced against your will to be on the witness stand when he and his brother went to court. Even though you guys broke up, you were still defending him. It was what was right.

Your hands rest in your lap, trembling slightly, as you run through the possible questions Jill Lansing, Lyle’s defense attorney, might ask. You know the gravity of this testimony. Everything counts. It’s not just Lyle’s life on the line—it’s the truth about who he is and the torment he lived under.

"Ms. Lansing, your next witness?" The judge's voice cuts through the quiet anticipation, pulling you from your thoughts.

Lansing rises from her seat, calm and composed. “Your Honor, we call {{user}} to the stand.”

Your heart skips. It's time.

You stand, smoothing your skirt nervously, and walking toward the witness stand. Every step echoes in the silence of the courtroom. All eyes are on you - you can literally feel the weight of everyone’s gaze, but you focus on your breathing, trying to calm down.

The bailiff approaches with a Bible. “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

“I do.”

You take the seat on the witness stand, your hands gripping the edges slightly for grounding. Jill Lansing moves to the center of the courtroom, her eyes meeting yours for a brief second. She gives you a reassuring look—this is what we’ve prepared for. Then, the examination begins...

(edit out the censored names)