Simply Claire

Chapter One

A cold but sunny winter hits South Korea at the end of November, a month that should be full of tranquility and prosperity, perhaps students are already at home enjoying their vacations with their family.

Meanwhile, I am going with my parents to the Seoul High Court to face a lawsuit against someone I thought I knew, who when he came into my life brought happiness but with the passage of time everything turned into disgrace.

This is the third trial we face in the year and we hope it will be the last, the press is not aware of our legal problems, and it is better this way since it would defame the company associated with my family only for acts of that monster.

The South Korean Supreme Court upheld the 40-year prison sentence for his participation in drug trafficking that led to his displacement in his parents' company, where he was stripped of all family inheritance.

Later; The ruling confirms the July ruling of the Seoul High Court, reviewed by his lawyers, which convicted him of drug trafficking, r**e, murder, consumption of illicit substances, abuse of power among other charges, and which also includes a fine of 18,000 million won. (13.4 million euros / 16.3 million dollars).

That July sentence in turn reduced the prison sentence from 40 to 30 years in prison, after the Supreme Court ordered in August to repeat the trial for a series of technicalities, which worries us too much since more and more they have lowered the penalty and you are only paying with money.

Once inside the establishment we walk quickly to the room where everyone is waiting for us, upon entering I feel nauseous because just thinking that I am in the same room as him terrifies me.

— Take your place — the judge speaks when he sees us enter

I feel that someone is looking at me but I don't bother looking for that person since I have him a few meters from me, handcuffed and in his prison uniform.

—Everything will be fine, darling.— Says my father, taking me by the hand

—We are here with you, okay? —Now my mother is speaking

In response, I nod several times and take a deep breath before getting up to direct my step toward the witness room (for the third time).

— You can speak, Miss Lee — the judge tells me.

I begin to tell my version of events, the only version since that is what really happened, what I suffered, what those people who tried to help me suffered.

Such a monster should not roam the streets with so much power at its disposal to take advantage of other people since at the end of the day we are all human, we should not believe ourselves more than others and less cause such suffering.

However, when I give my testimony, in each word that comes out of my mouth is marked the stamp that it left in me, fear, it is really something terrible and desperate, it prevents you from doing anything, including speaking.

I feel that the more I speak, the deeper he stares at me with his damn twisted smile, I don't know what he's thinking, and that's where the fear is mixed with the intrigue.

At the end of giving my testimony, his lawyer comes up and begins to say nonsense and endless lies, and among them are the "evidence" that all our accusations are totally false.

— I have taken a decision —Says the judge, drawing our attention

I look askance at the person who is a few meters from me, he has a bright smile and that cannot be good.

—The Seoul High Court has ruled that all the accusations against the defendant are totally false, except for the use of illicit substances and for that reason he will be given 3 years in prison plus the fine of 18,000 million won and 2 months of community service— at the end he sounds his hammer to retreat

I feel that everything has collapsed, all the effort, everything that we went through because of that monster was not taken into account in the eyes of justice. My parents are very angry, frustrated and outraged, while I can only feel fear taking over every part of my body.

I look up and see him approach me still with his hands cuffed and police officers at his side.

— Despise me, but I will always be living in you, even if you try to forget me, I will be there, right behind you. —She whispers close to me with a serene voice

— Stay away from my daughter! — My father says alerting the officers to take it away

—See you in three years, love.— He says walking away

Three years, only three years for committing all those crimes, but that is justice sometimes, it has a price that criminals like him are willing to pay to escape unscathed from all their crimes.

But all this happened because of me, I was the one who made the mistake by giving my trust to a Monster...