When the judge looked up and sentenced me to life imprisonment, I watched my mother burst into tears.
My friend Anna cried in agony.
My lawyer kept fighting — still holding on like there was a chance left to win.
On the other side, I saw the disgust in people's eyes.
"It serves her right," some of them said.
Others didn't think a life sentence was enough.
They looked at me like: What happened to death by hanging? What happened to stoning her to death?
But I couldn't even cry.
My eyes… they were like a dried-up riverbank.
When I did it, I already knew it might end this way for me — so no, it didn't shock me.
It wasn't my fault, though.
I never planned to kill anyone. Not at first.
Not even in all of my 24 years of living did I ever imagine I'd become a killer.
But love…
Love has a way of turning soft hearts into weapons.
Everyone sitting there was judging me.
Saying things like, "It serves her right. She deserves a punishment more than that."
Are you judging me too?
Don't be quick to judge.
It would be better if you knew what I did — and why I did it — before judging me.
You should know what happened, and what pushed me to that point.
Stay with me while I take you through the journey of my life.
It all started long ago.
Way before he broke my heart.
Before he destroyed me…
Before he turned me into a beast.
Before he made me the villain and played the victim.
Back then, I was just a young, pretty girl.
So pretty that there was no way I'd pass your side and you wouldn't turn your head to look back at me again.
I was twenty-one when I first walked into that building.
The name Wardstone Corporation shone brightly in front of me.
Wardstone Corporation was one of the biggest corporate names in the city.
They built everything from luxury towers to billion-dollar infrastructure projects across the country.
Getting hired there felt like stepping into the big league — like breathing in the air of the powerful.
I stepped in.
My heels clicked against the polished marble floor, my résumé clutched tightly in my sweaty palms.
"Azaria Quinn?" the receptionist asked, glancing up.
I nodded, heart pounding.
That day, I had no idea if I was stepping into my future — or into the arms of a man who would one day ruin me.
She pointed toward a seat in the corner, where a few other applicants were waiting.
"Go and sit over there."
I walked forward and sat down, heart thudding so loud I thought others might hear it.
I watched as they called people in one by one.
Some came out looking miserable — like they'd blown the interview.
Others came out smiling, hopeful.
I just sat there, hands sweaty, palms wet, my heart racing so fast it felt like it might leap out of my chest.
Finally, it was my turn.
I walked into the HR office, sweating like a Christmas goat.
I handed over my file and sat down across from them.
The HR manager reviewed it, nodded, and handed it over to another staff member.
"Your qualifications are great," she said, "but we'll have to consider your lack of work experience."
Then she gave me a soft smile.
"Don't worry, though. We might still give you a chance."
They asked a few more questions — I answered as best as I could.
They ended it by saying they'd get back to me.
I went home happy — hopeful.
Praying they'd hire me.
If they did, it would be my first real office job.
I was just a young, bright girl trying to make Mama proud.
And trying to make myself proud.
Days later, I got a message from the HR office.
I was hired. I could start on Monday.
I was so happy I felt like my heart would explode.
I rushed to my mum, breathless, to break the news — and she was just as overjoyed as I was.
If only I knew what I was walking into.
If only I knew that Monday morning would be the beginning of my end.
But back then, I was just a girl with big dreams and blind hope.
And like all tragic stories…
mine started with a smile.