The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 208

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The air in the courtroom crackled with tension as | watched Sarah, Beth, and Faith, my former colleagues, storm into the room. Cameras flashed and the crowd stirred in wonder as they paused in the center of the room.

Jasper snorted, waving at them. “What is this? There weren’t cited as witnesses, last | checked!”

Mr. Erickson seemed just as stunned. He eyed each of the women, then leaned toward them. His voice was barely a whisper as he hissed at Beth.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snapped. “Now you three are going against me?” d tome

Beth cast a glance in his direction, but she might as well have been looking through him. She then turned and gavea quick nod. “We figured showing up in person would make more of an impact, given the circumstances.”

“You can’t be serious!” Erickson ran a hand through his thinning hair and shook his head. “After all I've done-” “Exactly,” Sarah cut him off with a sneer. “After all you’ve done.”

She then turned to the judge and tucked in her chin, her hard expression giving way to something soft and demure. “I can assure you that our willingness to testify was inadvertent on Ms. Sinclair’s part. This is our doing.”

The judge, still disgruntled, peered down at her and adjusted his glasses. “I see. As long as you remain relevant, the court will hear your testimony.”

As Sarah took her place in the witness stand, | felt a surge of gratitude and admiration. | didn’t think they would make it at all, let alone show their faces for all to see. Honor,” Sarah began, her voice unwavering, “I worked alongside Ms. Sinclair at Erickson and Co., and | can

attest to the toxic environment perpetuated by Mr. Erickson. The abuse of power, the harassment-it was pervasive, and it extended far beyond one isolated incident.”

| observed the jury, the judge, and the spectators, their attention drawn once more by Sarah's words.

As Beth followed with her testimony, the details of her own ordeal spilled forth. The weight of her words, the emotional toll etched on her face, seemed to grip the cameraman. | heard a few reporters instruct them to pan

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Faith, the last to testify, spoke with a quiet strength that | just knew the media was eating up. “Your Honor, I, too, experienced harassment at the hands of Mr. Erickson. The fear, the shame-it’s something that no one should have to endure in a professional setting.”

The judge listened attentively as they spoke, the skepticism that had lingered in the early stages of the trial withering away.

Jasper leered at Faith, his face red with fury. Mr. Erickson looked just as affronted, as if he’d believed that never in a thousand years would his other employees rat him out. Up until then, he had appeared confident enough, but that mask as starting to slip.

The jurors, once skeptical, now appeared contemplative, their faces reflecting a dawning awareness as they looked down on Mr. Erickson. The spectators, a mix of reporters, lawyers, and concerned citizens, listened with a collective solemnity.

“Any more surprise witnesses up your sleeve, Ms. Sinclair?” Jasper growled, shootinga glare. “Any more revelations you've conveniently kept hidden?”

| felt the anger bubble within me, but | kept my tone even. “Our commitment is to the truth, Mr. Morgan. If the court requires further testimony, we will cooperate fully. The truth has nothing to hide.”

Jasper’s expression tightened, his confidence momentarily shaken. There was a murmur amongst the crowd. People aimed their cameras in his direction, curling their lips in disgust.

Mr. Erickson seemed to lose his composure then. His face contorted with anger as he stood abruptly and slammed his fists against the table. “Lying whores, all of you! This is a setup! A conspiracy!”

The courtroom erupted in chaos, the outburst causing unrest among the spectators. The judge, with a stern expression, banged his gavel, demanding order. “Mr. Erickson, you will maintain decorum in this courtroom. One more outburst, and you will be held in contempt.”

“But this is ridiculous!” he continued, almost kicking over his chair. “All this ‘girl power’ bullshit so they can knockdown a peg. | worked hard to get to where | am, and I’m not going to let stramp who can’t handle a little flirting destroy that!”

The anger withinflared at the repulsive words he was hurling in our direction. | clenched my fists, determined not to let his tirade undermine what | sensed was a tide turning in my favor. | looked over at my friends, who were at the edge of their seats at that point.

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Timothy caught my eye and gavea meaningful look with a gentle smile. | smiled back, wondering how much freer | would be after this was all over. Perhaps | wouldn’t have to hide anymore.

The judge, regaining control, turned to the jury. “I apologize for the disruption. Please disregard any outbursts and focus on the evidence presented. We will proceed with closing statements before deliberations.”

As the judge addressed the jury, | could feel Mr. Erickson’s eyes burning into me. | exchanged a brief glance with Jane, a silent understanding passing between us. He may have just given us a win.

Jasper, seemingly attempting to salvage the situation, approached Mr. Erickson with a hushed conversation. Their exchange was intense, punctuated by gestures and hushed tones. | strained to hear their words, but the

courtroom noise and the hum of conversations obscured their discussion.

The judge, now addressing the jury, dismissed them for deliberation.

As the jury filed out, the judge turned his attention to Mr. Erickson. “Control yourself, Mr. Erickson. This court will not tolerate any further disruptions. If you wish to continue, do so in a manner befitting this setting.”

The judge’s words seemed to have a sobering effect on Mr. Erickson, who reluctantly nodded, a simmering frustration still evident in his eyes. As the jury deliberated, the tension in the courtroom reached a fever pitch.

Jasper, now free from the constraints of the jury, turned his attention back towith a smug grin. “Ms. Sinclair, you may have swayed the jury with your theatrics, but it won’t change the fact that this trial is based on shaky ground. You're clinging to straws, and when the jury returns, you'll soon realize that.”

| met his gaze with a determined glare. “Il wouldn’t speak too soon if | were you. It was embarrassing the last tyou did it and lost miserably.”

Jasper’s grin faltered, replaced by a flash of irritation. Before he could retort, the jury returned. The room fell silent as they took their seats.

The judge, his expression stern, addressed the foreperson. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?” The foreperson, a middle-aged woman with a solemn demeanor, nodded. “We have, Your Honor.”

The anticipation in the courtroom was palpable as the foreperson handed the verdict to the court clerk. The clerk, with deliberate precision, read the words that would determine the outcof this hard—fought battle.

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“We, the jury, find in favor of the plaintiff, Ms. Evie Sinclair.”