Web Fic
Chapter 264
Autumn reluctantly agreed to Jason’s proposal for a Saturday get-together with a forced smile, despite her reluctance. “Sure, Saturday it is.”
And just like that, plans were made.
No sooner had Jason left than Estrella noted Autumn’s discontent. “I’ve told you before not to make promises you can’t keep. Now you’ve gotten yourself into a pickle.”
Over the past few weeks, each time Jason dropped them off, Estrella never invited him inside, despite his inquiries about when he might come in for a visit. Estrella always deftly changed the subject. It wasn’t the right time.
But this time, Autumn had done the inviting herself, and Estrella felt it wasn’t her place to comment. She didn’t make the invitation anyway.
Hearing Estrella’s words, Autumn sulked, “How was I to know Jason would be so presumptuous?”
Estrella replied matter-of-factly, “He’s never been one for pleasantries.” With that, Estrella retreated to her bedroom.
Not long ago, her father had suggested that Isaac should start sleeping in his own room to foster independence and give Estrella a break. Estrella couldn’t bear the separation, so mother and son continued to share a room. Upon entering, Estrella found the nanny had already bathed Isaac and tucked him into bed.
The nanny whispered with a smile, “Miss, little saac is such an angel. Slept through his bath just like you used to.”
“Thanks, Judy,” Estrella said, approaching the crib and gently stroking Isaac’s peaceful
face.
After a brief chat with Judy, Estrella took her own shower and finished up some work before finally settling into the large bed next to Isaac’s.
Come Friday, the day of the third hearing for the Glimmering Lake case, Estrella woke up early, had breakfast with Isaac, and then drove to the courthouse. Upon her arrival, Jason was already there.
The roadblock incident involving Estrella and Keegan, along with the alarming number of Glimmering Lake villagers falling ill, had captured public interest, drawing a sizable crowd of onlookers to the courtroom.
As Estrella stepped out of her car, Jason approached her, tucking away a stray lock of her hair and straightening her coat’s collar. “Just do your best and don’t stress,” he encouraged.
Estrella appreciated his acknowledgment of her hard work. After a brief exchange with
Jason, Estrella entered the courthouse.
Some Glimmering Lake villagers had arrived, and seeing them, Estrella’s mind shifted completely to her work, pushing thoughts of Jason aside.
The hearing commenced shortly after, with the judge and ChemiSphere’s attorneys taking their places. The villagers seethed with anger at the sight of ChemiSphere’s
representatives, especially after the company’s attempts to pacify them with offers of compensation.
The judge called the session to order and turned to Estrella, inquiring about new evidence. Estrella stood up from her position representing the plaintiffs, “Your Honor, in addition to more medical reports of poisoning among the villagers, we’ve secured new evidence from a ChemiSphere employee.”
The opposing counsel blanched at the mention of an employee’s testimony, cursing the failed attempt to silence the workers.
With furrowed brows, the judge prompted Estrella to present the new evidence, leaving the opposing counsel no choice but to listen.
Estrella calmly laid out her case, “The new evidence reveals that although ChemiSphere purchased wastewater treatment equipment, it was merely outdated machinery discarded by another company.”
“Leaving aside the efficiency of this machine in treating sewage for now, from these testimonies and data, it is clear that ChemiSphere has not used or operated the machine for sewage treatment since its purchase. The high operational costs meant that Chemisphere only acquired this outdated device as a facade for compliance.”
The opposing counsel rose to rebut, “Your Honor, while it’s true that the equipment was acquired from another company, it’s not the obsolete product the plaintiff suggests.”
“This wastewater treatment device, purchased from a sister company within our conglomerate, is nearly new and fully meets national emission standards. It has been operational since acquisition, and we welcome any inspection by the court.”
Estrella countered, “ChemiSphere was established a decade ago, but this wastewater processor is a 20-year-old model, long outdated by current standards. As for your claim of its near-new condition, one must question whether it was ever properly utilized by its previous owner, or was it merely a showpiece like at ChemiSphere?”
The opposing counsel’s face darkened, “Ms. Estrella, your assumptions are baseless and slanderous towards other companies.”
Estrella responded, “Let’s not speculate on the history of the equipment. Surely, counsel, you’re well aware of the operational costs and consumption of using such a machine.”
Estrella rifled through her briefcase and pulled out a set of graphs and charts, which illustrated the power consumption history of ChemiSphere. With the confidence of a
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seasoned attorney, she addressed the presiding judge, “Your Honor, according to our extensive research, it’s evident that ChemiSphere’s power usage doesn’t even come close to half of what’s typical for factories of its size and industry.”
“The energy consumption data for ChemiSphere simply cannot support the operation of that wastewater processor, let alone the entire factory’s activities, as well as the processor itself. If there’s any doubt about this assertion, we could compare it with the recent energy figures from Big Breeze’s new wastewater treatment facility.”
As it turned out, the machine in question was a relic from years past-an antiquated behemoth that was not only costly to run but also incredibly complex. Because of this, ChemiSphere never once put it to use.
Estrella noticed the opposing counsel’s expression sour and continued her assault, “Your Honor, beyond these findings, we also discovered that after we initiated the lawsuit against ChemiSphere, they
swiftly and surreptitiously filled their wastewater discharge channels with concrete grout, hastily constructing an alternate channel. This new channel supposedly leads from the treatment plant, but whether the water it processes meets regulatory standards remains to be seen.”
“The concrete used to seal the old discharge channel has been analyzed, and the report confirms it’s fresh grout, poured in the last two months. Excluding the sealed segment, the pollution levels in the accessible parts of the channel are consistent with one another. “We can now state with certainty that for the past decade, ChemiSphere has been discharging untreated wastewater directly into Glimmering Lake, leading to varying degrees of fluoride poisoning among the residents and rendering countless acres of farmland and the water supply utterly unusable.
“Your Honor, these are photographs documenting ChemiSphere’s workers filling in the discharge channel overnight. There are even villagers who’ve been hospitalized due to severe poisoning. We implore the court to deliver justice for the people of Glimmering
Lake.”
As the judge took the new evidence from Estrella, a murmur arose from the gallery. A villager stood up, his voice breaking through the courtroom’s tense silence, “I was one of the workers ChemiSphere hired to plug the old channel and dig the new one. I can attest that everything being said here is the truth.”
“I can also confirm that the machines at Chem Sphere were never operational.”
Estrella had made countless trips to Glimmering Lake, and she had even taken the initiative to ensure the villagers had access to clean water and food. Her dedication and compassion had won over the hearts of the community, and those who were once hesitant now stood ready to bear witness. NôvelDrama.Org © content.
The judge, listening to the villagers’ testimony, struck his gavel, bringing a semblance of order, “Please, everyone remain calm. We will call upon witnesses as necessary.” With the
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judge’s words, a hush fell over the crowd.
After reviewing Estrella’s additional evidence, the judge and the jury conferred briefly before delivering the verdict, “Pursuant to Article 338 of our Penal Code, ChemiSphere is found guilty of environmental contamination. Given the severity of the offense, including the loss of fertile land and the pollution of a vital waterway, we hereby sentence the legal representative of ChemiSphere, Jace, to 10 years of imprisonment. Additionally, Jace is to cover medical expenses of 600,000 yuan per villager severely afflicted by the contamination, with additional compensation of 60,000 yuan per villager affected by fluoride poisoning, amounting to a total of 46.82 million yuan.”
Hearing the sentence and the staggering fines, Jace’s legs buckled beneath him. He turned to his lawyer in a panic, “Say something! Aren’t you supposed to be the best? How could you let us lose to this young woman? I can’t go to jail. I have a family to take care
of!”
The villagers of Glimmering Lake, who filled the gallery, voiced their indignation, “Your family’s lives matter, but what about ours? Don’t we count for anything?”
Jace, too distraught to register their anger, clung to his lawyer, “Do something! What good is hiring you if you can’t fix this?”
The attorney first stared at Estrella for a while and then turned to Jace, saying, “Jace, I’ve done my best.” Despite his best efforts, the attorney had to admit defeat. The misdeeds of the past could not be
erased, and ChemiSphere’s actions had left far too telling a trail.
After the judge declared the case closed, noting Estrella’s further requests, he advised, “Counsel for the plaintiff, regarding the quality inspection of ChemiSphere’s discharges and other related issues, you may file a separate case for investigation.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Estrella replied.
The trial had come to an end, and Glimmering Lake had won. As the courtroom emptied, the villagers surrounded Estrella, shaking her hand and offering heartfelt thanks, “Ms. Estrella, we can’t thank you enough.”
Estrella, returning their handshakes with a warm smile, reassured them, “It’s all part of the job. Now that the case is over, the water utility will soon extend new pipelines to your village, addressing the drinking water crisis.”
“As for the land, the authorities will conduct tests to determine which areas can still be cultivated. Rest assured, every issue will be addressed. Concerning employment, I’ve already discussed with the local leaders setting up some workshops in the area to help
with livelihoods.”
Having been proactive in addressing the villagers’ post-trial concerns, it was no surprise that Estrella had lost a few pounds from the stress and hard work.
“Ms. Estrella, you’ve been our guardian angel, the savior of our children,” said a group of
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women, attempting to kneel in gratitude.
Estrella quickly steadied them, “Please, don’t do that. If you keep this up, I’ll be too embarrassed to ever visit Glimmering Lake again.”
“Ms. Estrella,” the first villager who had dared to come forward clutched her hand, tears streaming down her face. She had seen firsthand all that Estrella had done for them, and the weight of their collective gratitude was palpable.
Estrella soothed everyone present with a gentle smile, “I can’t take credit for all this. It’s the robust framework of our laws and the soundness of our policies that deserve the praise. I’m just a bit luckier than others, having had the chance to learn about these matters. So, in truth, I’m just leveraging that fortune to act as a conduit between you all and the laws and policies of our country, ensuring everyone knows that each citizen is equal and protected under the law.”
Her humility didn’t go unnoticed. A young juror, gathering his papers to leave, whispered, “Miss Estrella sure is a class act, as sweet-tempered as they come.”
The judge, moved by the scene, expressed a wish aloud, “If only there were more lawyers like her.”
In the back of the spectator seats, Jason watched Estrella being surrounded by a throng of grateful villagers. He didn’t approach to interrupt; he simply admired her from a distance, his Estrella who sparked with an inner light.
This was his Estrella, the one he took immense pride in, and the one he held up with the highest esteem.
Jason’s gaze didn’t waver from Estrella, his eyes gleaming with admiration and affection. Suddenly, Grayson appeared beside him, a smirk playing on his lips. “Such an amazing Estrella,” he teased, “Got any regrets about not cherishing her when you had the chance?”
Jason replied with unwavering confidence, “She’s mine, always has been, always will be.”
Hearing this, Grayson’s smile grew wider.