Rita looked as though she'd been thrown a lifeline.
"You heard him! He loves me! If Alma hadn't been in the way as Mrs. Ward, we would've been together long ago!"
Neil looked at her.
"That's why I made excuses for you, writing off every hurt you caused as something you had no choice about.
"You told me you'd grown up without parents, so I thought everyone should make room for you. You said the crash was an accident. I didn't even dare look closely at the evidence.
"I thought I truly loved Alma and only felt guilty toward you."
Rita stared at him.
"Now you're pretending to be the devoted husband? Before the mudslide swept her away, you chose me regardless of her!"
Neil didn't defend himself.
"I did."
The trial lasted 2 days.
The prosecutor presented further evidence that after t
