The courtroom was silent. Every breath held, every eye fixed on the judge as he cleared his throat and spoke:
"Due to lack of evidence," his voice echoed, "this court finds the defendant, Ned, not guilty of the crime of rape."
The gavel cracked against the wood with finality. A wave of hushed murmurs rippled through the room.
The second time. The second time he walked free. Maybe justice doesn't exist. Maybe the system truly is broken.
My fingers tightened around the cold metal in my purse. I stood. And in one swift motion, I pulled out the pistol and fired.
Once. Twice. Over and over. My vision blurred with tears, but I didn't stop—not until the gun clicked empty.
No one moved.
The security guard just stood there, silent. Not shocked. Not rushing to stop me. It was almost as if… they understood.
But when the final shot echoed, they moved in—grabbing me, pinning me down. I didn't fight. Not against them.
I broke, but not from their grip—
I broke from everything I had held in for far too long.
As they dragged me out, reporters surged forward like vultures, cameras flashing, questions flying.
But I had no regrets. He killed my baby. He stole my life. And now, there's nothing left… or so I thought.
*8 August 1995.*
A child was born in the city of Phoenix.
A beautiful baby girl, with eyes that held light—before the world ever had a chance to dim them.
She came into this world with joy in her lungs, laughter waiting in her chest...
But life—this cruel, merciless world—had other plans.
*When did it all begin?*
From the very first day I opened my eyes.
Dad worked for a small company—barely enough to feed mouths, let alone dreams.
When the company expanded to another city, he left… and took my three brothers with him.
At first, he sent money. Then the money stopped. But Mom… Mom never gave up.
She became everything—provider, protector, warrior.
I was the fifth child. My sister, Eva—the eldest—loved me the most. She shielded me from what she could.
But love wasn't enough.
We didn't survive…
We simply didn't die.
My life has been a path of silence, pain, and abandonment. A road paved with shadows no child should walk.
And when Dad left for good, *the abuse began.*
One scar after another—violence, after violence. Every blow, every scream carved something out of me.
What's left behind isn't just pain.
It's fury.
And now…
The world must answer for what it helped create.