Chapter 6 - THE TRIAL BEGINS
The courtroom was packed to absolute capacity with journalists, reporters, and curious onlookers.
Harrison was led into the room wearing a bright orange prison jumpsuit, his wrists bound by heavy iron chains.
He looked completely exhausted, pale, and terrified.
The arrogant smirk he had worn at the wedding was permanently gone.
My mother sat in the front row, sobbing loudly and dramatically into a silk handkerchief.
My father sat beside her, glaring at me with eyes full of pure, unadulterated hatred.
I sat confidently at the prosecutor's table, holding Lily's favorite stuffed animal for comfort.
Lily did not have to attend the trial; the judge allowed her to submit a pre-recorded video testimony to spare her the trauma.
The prosecutor delivered a blistering, unforgettable opening statement.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this case is not just about a tragic loss of temper."
"This is a case about a calculated, desperate man who used a seven-year-old child as a human shield for his own massive financial crimes."
The defense attorney tried his best to paint Harrison as a stressed groom who simply snapped under pressure.
He claimed the video angle was misleading and that the assault was a complete, tragic accident.
But the jury wasn't buying a single word of his expensive lies.
The very first witness called to the stand was Harrison's former bride, Jessica.
She looked directly at Harrison with absolute disgust.
"He told me the watch was safely locked in our hotel safe that morning," Jessica testified clearly.
"I saw him put it in his own tuxedo pocket right before the reception started."
"When I asked him about it, he told me to keep my mouth shut."
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The defense tried to object, but the damage was already permanently done.
Harrison's own wife had just confirmed the premeditation of his twisted crime.
