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Well, this is my first ever story for a contest - in particular, this is for Kasarberang's fourth contest, and I'll post the link at the bottom. Anyway, without further ado, welcome to the show! - Chapter One: Sentencing - Ferne Beliveau had presented her closing arguments this Sunday of the capital murder trial with confidence, poise, and the expertise of a long-time professional - which was shocking, since she was the youngest (and newest) District Attorney in the history of Louisiana (all of Louisiana, not just New Orleans, her district) at the tender age of twenty-nine, having been in law school since she was seventeen. She was certain the man before her would be convicted by the jury, who had finished deliberations and were standing before the judge. “Have you reached a verdict?” Judge Anderson, a tired old man with little shock-white hair remaining on his nearly bald head, asked. “We have, Your Honor,” the forewoman said. “What say you?” “We the jury, in the case of the State of Louisiana vs. Hedges, find the defendant unanimously guilty on the charges of capital murder and armed robbery in the first degree.” Ferne looked at Tevin Hedges, a Black teenager, who mouthed, “I ain’t done nothin’,” in disbelief, tears pouring from his eyes, the defense attorneys bowing their heads in shock and guilt. She loved every moment of it. Crushing the hopes and dreams of these men was sweet nectar and ambrosia to her. So what if they were innocent? It looked good on her record. Besides, they deserve nothing less for being criminal scum. “Thank you, Jury, for your service today. Court is adjourned.” Ferne left with the various legal documents in her hands, a bounce in her step, her heels clicking on the floor, as she strode towards the exits. She had almost reached it before she was bumped into, a foul-smelling liquid spilling on her expensive white pantsuit. “Watch where you’re going!” she spat at the offending party: a tall middle-aged woman with long straw-blonde hair and green eyes that were glaring at her coldly. “Perhaps you should be more careful, young lady,” the older woman said in a dialect that was clearly Irish, the glare not leaving her eyes, a familiar look. Ferne huffed a bit, ignoring the woman (had she seen her before? No matter; she had more important things to worry about.) as she went to the restroom to clean up. Whatever liquid (probably liquor) was spilled on her had absorbed itself into her skin, and yet…it wasn’t wet. Definitely going to shower after this, she thought furiously, as she washed her hands, peering into the mirror to see her beautiful light brunette hair smartly tucked in a bun, her twinkling ice-blue eyes, the smug look on her face like the cat who ate the canary. The only thing she hated about her appearance was her size: she was barely 4’10” with a small bust to match. “Hello, Ferne,” a voice said next to her. She was joined by her, well, nobody was exactly a rival to her, but her closest competitor, Taneka Stevens, her ebony complexion, long braids, and still-heavyset figure and giant bust from a very recent childbirth contrasting sharply with Ferne’s toned alabaster skin. The other woman was already washing her hands. “Well, hello, Tannypack,” Ferne replied snootily. “Glad I could have your help on the Hedges case, for what little you did.” Stevens didn’t back down, annoying the younger woman. She was the only one who didn’t back down from her “Bitch-mode” amongst her subordinates - something she was going to have to change. “You know the kid was innocent, right?” Stevens said with a sigh. “We’re not the ones to decide guilt; that’s the job of the jury,” Ferne chided. “Maybe having a kid sapped a bit of your brain in the process?” “Why are you the way you are?” She brushed off the question, ignoring how much it hurt inwardly. “You mean a successful head District Attorney in Louisiana’s biggest parish? Maybe you should try it sometime, Tannypack; it might make you less stupid.” “Never mind. I see how you’re choosing to act.” Stevens left, leaving Ferne to her thoughts. What a stupid whore, choosing to get knocked up over the opportunity of being District Attorney. Her phone buzzed in the pocket of her ruined pantsuit, and she looked at the text. Her stupid ex, Mae Jung-Sook, was the guilty party. Hey, I need you to come to court for child services. Urgent, much love! She rolled her eyes and responded. Did you drink bleach? We’re both women, and there was no child. Fuck off. The next text quickly showed up. It’s about guardianship, power-of-attorney. If you back out now, they’ll assume the child isn’t old enough to be their own legal guardian and POA falls into my hands. Please, dear, last chance to back out. Ferne rolled her eyes. Classic manipulation tactic. You can do whatever the fuck you want with your brat, bitch. For the last time, fuck off! It’s over! In fact, I don’t think there ever was anything between us! Goodbye! She blocked the number on her phone. If Mae was going to be manipulative, she didn’t need her in her life. What a fucking day… Ferne decided to go back home to change; she couldn’t exactly go out for a night on the town in a dirty pantsuit. She saw the Irish woman standing outside the bathroom, her stare making the DA feel a bit uncomfortable, and once again, she had the strangest feeling she had seen her before. Doesn’t matter where I saw her. She’s not my type, anyway. She strode confidently into the parking lot, heedless and uncaring of the other people who were in her way, no matter who they were, as she got out her keys. Her Lexus was ready to go, the front door automatically opening for her (thank God for the money from her job). Ferne sidled in and closed the door, opening her purse that she had hidden in the backseat. It would be the biggest mistake of her life. She checked the open purse, making sure everything was there, seeing an odd canister spewing an odorless gas, barely feeling her eyes droop before everything went black. - Well, here's the link, as promised. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter: