[Mass Released]
Jasmine opened her mouth, but no words came. Her jaw clenched as her eyes darted to the side, she was convinced but she wants to throw back.
The thought of giving up, of accepting that her best friend's pain might be buried under legal loopholes, made her stomach turn.
"There has to be something! She was broken. She... she couldn't even speak for hours," Jasmine stammered, her voice tight feeling vexed as she remembered the time she visited her in hospital.
"That should be enough, right? Her trauma alone..."
Before she could finish, Jeff raised a hand slightly, stopping her mid-sentence.
Of course, he didn't do it rudely, but his expression was calm, a sign that he needed to explain further.
"Trauma is real. But trauma isn't evidence," Jeff said, breathing deeply.
"During court, a judge doesn't care how someone feels. They care about what you can prove, something that is beyond a reasonable doubt."
He paused for a moment, his gaze steady as he continued.
