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At my sister’s wedding, she threw her drink straight into my face and laughed, “Relax—it’s just a joke.” Minutes later, my skin began blistering. I rushed to the ER. Three days later, police showed up at her door. / Chapter 4 / 10

Chapter 4 - The Plea Deal TrapTwo weeks later, I sat inside the office of Assistant District Attorney Sarah Lin in downtown Charleston.

My physical recovery was progressing, but the left side of my face and neck remained covered in tight, pink scar tissue that required daily compression creams and specialized silicone sheets. The doctor warned that permanent scarring was likely without expensive laser resurfacing procedures.

ADA Lin set a thick legal folder onto her desk.

"Claire, your sister’s defense attorney, Arthur Vance, just submitted a formal plea offer," ADA Lin explained, adjusting her glasses. "They are offering a guilty plea to a reduced charge of reckless endangerment. In exchange, Lauren would serve six months of home confinement, three years of probation, and perform two hundred hours of community service."

I leaned forward, my hands gripping the edge of the desk. "Six months of house arrest for throwing acid at someone's face?"

"Vance is arguing that Lauren has no prior criminal record, that she was under extreme psychological distress, and that the text messages were 'exaggerated hyperbole' rather than proof of intent to cause severe bodily harm," Lin said, her expression grim. "He's also claiming that you are seeking financial leverage for a civil lawsuit."

I let out a harsh, bitter laugh. "I haven't even filed a civil lawsuit yet."

"I know," Lin said gently. "And as the victim, you have the right to reject this plea bargain. If you reject it, we go to a grand jury for a full indictment on Class A Felony Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Substance. If convicted at trial, she faces six to fifteen years in state prison."

"Reject it," I said without a single second of hesitation.

"Claire," Lin warned softly, "a full trial will mean your family's personal life will be dragged through the media. Your mother will testify for the defense. They will try to tear your character apart on the stand."

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I reached up, touching the edge of the bandage covering my collarbone.

"My sister tried to permanently disfigure me because our father thanked me for helping our mother survive cancer," I said, looking Lin straight in the eyes. "Let them try to tear my character apart in front of a jury. We go to trial."

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Chapter 5 - The Civil Counter-AttackIf Lauren and her defense attorney thought I was simply going to wait quietly for the criminal trial, they severely underestimated me.
Chapter 6 - The Digital EvidenceTwenty-four hours after Greg surrendered the cloud drive link, forensic digital analysts from the Charleston Police Department verified the authenticity of the files.
Chapter 7 - The Trial BeginsSix months later.
Chapter 8 - The Witness StandOn the third day of the trial, I was called to the witness stand.
Chapter 9 - The VerdictThe jury deliberated for less than four hours.
Chapter 10 - The Beauty in ScarsOne year later.

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