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Coming Through a Storm
Mar. 18th, 2023 02:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
innitmarvelous_og"I will always remember the day that could've changed my life forever," Dr. Gillian Foster thought as she sat on the witness stand. She had spent years as a deception specialist for The Lightman Group, using her expertise in reading body language and microexpressions to help solve some of the most challenging cases. But this case was different. This time, she was the one on trial.
Gillian had been accused of tampering with evidence in a high-profile case, and the prosecution was using every trick in the book to try to prove their case. The pressure was intense, and Gillian felt like everything she had worked for was on the line.
As she sat on the witness stand, Gillian felt a wave of panic wash over her. She had always prided herself on her ability to read people, but now she was the one being scrutinized. She tried to keep her cool, but she could feel her hands shaking and her heart racing.
Then her eyes met those of Cal. He was sitting in the back of the courtroom. He knew how to read her better than anyone else in her life, her ex-husband included. He had always been her mentor and friend, and the small nod along with smile he gave her that said "You've got this." gave her a sense of calm. She knew that he believed in her, which bolstered her belief in herself and that was all she needed to find the strength to continue.
Over the next few hours, Gillian answered questions, explained her methods, and defended herself against the accusations of wrongdoing. It was one of the most grueling experiences of her life, but she refused to back down. She knew that she had done nothing wrong, and she was determined to prove it.
After short deliberations, the jury came back with a Not guilty verdict. Gillian couldn't help the relief that washed over her when she was vindicated. After the verdict, the judge told her all charges were dismissed against her, and she adjourned the court.
Cal was waiting for her when she walked out of the courtroom. As she joined him, and they started to walk out of the courthouse together, she said, "Thank you... for being there every day during this whole ordeal."
He smiled again, a real smile, and said, "Nothing you wouldn't or haven't done for me in the past, love."
"I will always be grateful to you," she said, tears in her eyes. "You gave me the strength to get through this."
"Still, I don't know how I would have gotten through it without you there."
"No problem, love. Now, what do you say to us heading back to the office, and getting the dreadful surprise party that Loker and Torres felt the need to organize."
"Surprise party?"
"Yeah, surprise. Or rather it was supposed to be. Do me a favor and act surprised when we get there?"
Gillian smirked, "You want me to act surprised in a roomful of human lie detectors?"
Cal shrugged, "On second thought. Go ahead and tell the truth. It'll drive them crazy."
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