Judge Thompson cleared his throat into the microphone, hushing the jabbering voices present in the courtroom.

“With this guilty verdict,” his deep voice bounced off of the wooden walls, “Ms. Vendel do you have anything you would like to say to the victim’s family and friends?”

Freshly convicted Annika Vendel stood from her seat with a satisfied smile. She clasped the button on her grey blazer and smoothed her hands down her torso. “As a matter of fact, your honor,” her smile then meeting her blue eyes, “I do.”

“Please join me at the stand,” Judge Thompson gestured to the box adjacent to him.

Annika gathered a small stack of papers from the table in front of her before using them to shield her mouth from any witnesses. She whispered something to her lawyer. Whatever she said earned her a pitiful expression before the man nodded and gestured toward the same place as the judge. Annika tapped her papers twice on the desk to align them before smoothing her blonde ponytail and taking her spot on the stand.

The hum of the air conditioner was the only sound filling the courtroom, but the tension felt like a blanket of smoke contaminating the air. Annika spread the papers out across the desktop and stared into the crowd. After a long moment, the judge piped up, "Anyday now, Ms. Vendel."

Without looking away from the first row, where her deceased lover's family sat, Annika spoke. "I would like to issue a formal apology to all who knew Jasper." Her former mother-in-law sobbed into her husband's shoulder as he held her against him. The convict noted the far-away look in Jasper’s brother’s eyes and the dark circles under his sister's. "Jasper is--was, sorry," she corrected herself with a small smirk. "Jasper was seemingly a flawless son, a perfect partner, and a genuine friend. My husband commanded the attention of every room he walked into. There was a reason that he was the star quarterback, the prom king, the town's prince." Nods of agreement rippled like a wave through the crowd. "There was always a reason for everything that he did. He was a well-thought-out man, and he was _so_ careful." Annika allowed a moment of silence for the audience to soak in the words, probably missing their double meaning.

Judge Thompson's sharp inhale was heard through the speakers, but Annika held her hand up to cut him off. "Your honor, I am not done."

"Proceed."

Ms. Vendel nodded before continuing, "His reasons for hitting me, for example, were always because I 'didn’t know when to shut my goddamned mouth.'"

Whispers and gasps erupted from the audience as the plantiff's lawyer stood to shout, "Heresay, your honor!"

"Sit down," the Judge demanded. "Language, Ms. Vendel."

"I apologize, your honor." She batted her eyelashes at the man and turned back to her audience. "And I apologize to all of you. Jasper was a perfect man because he was a manipulative narcissist, and he was damn good at it. He fooled all of us into believing he could do no wrong, and I’m sure many of you will believe it.”

Annika honed her sights on her ex mother in law. “Mrs. Lacoste, I am sorry that your favorite son grew up to be a rapist who refused to accept the word ‘no’ from his wife. Mr. Lacoste--" His hand shot up in an attempt to silence Annika's speech. "I am sorry that your oldest son used all of those years in boxing classes against his wife. I apologize that you had to turn a blind eye to my constant bruises inflicted by your son." Annika took a sip from the untouched glass of water in front of her before continuing.

“Peter,” she looked at the victim’s brother and he now looked at her. “I’m sorry that you never had a proper male role model. I hope that you never become the abuser that your brother was nor the coward that your father is.

“And Lena,” she addressed her former sister-in-law, “I wish for you to never fall into a spider’s web the way that I did. Jasper cocooned me and fed on me then apologized when I said it hurt. After I’d believe his apologies, he’d do it all over again. Someone who loves you does not intentionally hurt you.”

For her final apology, Annika allowed the tears in her eyes to fall. “Lastly, I am so, incredibly sorry to seventeen-year-old Annika Vendel. I am sorry that you fell for a web of lies. I’m sorry that he made you promises that he never kept. It isn’t your fault for believing him when he claimed he was sorry. I am sorry for the six years of hell that you were forced to endure.” Annika paused to gather her papers that she did not glance at once.

“What I am not sorry for is cutting myself from the deadly web of Jasper Lacoste. He got what was coming to him."

Judge Thompson's gavel slammed against its sound block as his voice commanded order. Police officers blocked audience members from spewing profanities at the convicted killer. The sheriff met Annika at the entryway to the stand with handcuffs. She rose from her chair, wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled at the man. Annika clasped her hands behind her before walking backward towards the officer.

“How do you feel knowing that you further damaged a family,” the man asked while clasping the metal cuffs around Annika’s wrists.

“I feel free,” the blonde woman sighed.