Casting Off into the Ocean

In 2013, a piece of news shocked the small Willow City.

A daughter of a local well-known entrepreneur, Elizabeth, who had been missing for ten years, was found. Elizabeth was only eight years old when she disappeared, and it was rumored that she was kidnapped. The one who took her away was a sixteen-year-old boy named William.

It was supposed to be heartening news that a wealthy merchant found his missing daughter after ten years. However, it was strange that when William was arrested, Elizabeth, during her police record, stated that she was not kidnapped but asked William to take her away because she could not bear her fathers domestic violence.

For a while, Richard was caught up in a "domestic violence gate." Prior to this, as an entrepreneur who often appeared on local TV screens and took photos with various leaders, Richard had a good image in Willow City, being enthusiastic about charity and sincere in conduct. His daughters record undoubtedly brought him a lot of gossip and rumors. Many people speculated that children do not lie, and Richard is probably such a person.

The "Elizabeth Disappearance Incident" continued to ferment, and rumors about Richard were all over the place, not only enriching the after-dinner talks of ordinary people but also many waiting to see Richards joke.

Today, Williams child abduction case officially went to court.

Since both parties involved were minors at the time, the court did not hold a public trial. However, because of the significant impact of the case, there were still several local media in the gallery.

Elizabeth sat next to Richard, and she was already eighteen years old, a very pretty girl. She wore a simple and generous blue plaid dress, with a slender figure and a fair face, and she was very beautiful. She had inherited Richards good looks well.

As a successful person, Richard, along with his wealth, was also a topic of conversation due to his appearance - he was tall and handsome, and every time he stood with the big-bellied leaders, he was always eye-catching.

It seemed that rumors did not affect him. Dressed in formal attire, Richard sat calmly next to his daughter, occasionally whispering a few words to her, looking like a loving father figure.

Compared with Richard, Elizabeths spirit was not good, her bright eyes were a bit swollen, her expression was a bit anxious, and she kept looking up at the door - the suspect William had not been brought in yet.

"Dont be afraid," Richard comforted her in a low voice.

Elizabeth did not speak, still nervously looking at the door.

Here it comes, William was brought in by the bailiff!

He had been shaved bald, wearing an orange vest prison uniform, and now he is a 26-year-old young man.

Different from the sly image that everyone imagined, William looked very energetic, even very handsome. He had a healthy honey-colored skin, distinct facial features, and dark eyes and strong eyebrows. Especially his eyes were very black, very bright, and it was not too much to say that they were as bright as the stars. However, his legs and feet seemed to be a bit problematic, and he was dragging when walking, with a feeling of unevenness.

Reporters flocked to take photos, and they all frowned, and it turned out that he was still a person with leg and foot problems.

As soon as William was brought in, his eyes looked at the front row of seats, as if he was looking for someone. Until he saw Elizabeth.

Elizabeth also stood up abruptly, staring straight at him, her hands tightly gripping her skirt, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Sit down," Richard said in a low voice.

Elizabeth seemed not to hear, watching William being taken by the bailiff in front of her, watching him look back at herself. Until he was taken to the defendants dock, and she was pulled by Richard, she slowly sat down. But she still looked at William, her eyes were red, and her throat moved, and it was obvious that her emotions were very excited.

Richard patted her back gently, leaned over her ear and said something, seemingly comforting her.

The trial began.

The judge conducted the trial according to the process, but the two parties seemed to be a bit absent-minded.

William didnt say much, and he answered whatever the judge asked, concisely and to the point, and his gaze never left Elizabeth, even smiling at her shallowly.

Elizabeths eyes were red, and she also smiled at him with difficulty, tears welling up in her eyes.

It seemed that this was not the trial site, and there were no judges, media, or Richard around, only the two of them.

Until Elizabeth stepped onto the witness stand.

The distance between the defendants dock and the witness stand is only a short distance, but there is a big difference. One is a criminal suspect, and the other is a witness.

The lawyer began to ask: "According to the record you made at the police station when William was arrested on April 18th, you said that on June 25, 2003, you were not kidnapped, but asked him to take you away, right?"

Elizabeth did not answer immediately, but stared at William blankly, and William also looked at her.

If someone observes carefully, they will find that Williams eyes are very gentle and tolerant when looking at Elizabeth, and Elizabeths eyes are not the eyes of a person who looks at a kidnapper when looking at William.

Elizabeth looked at him, opened her mouth, and said something silently, which seemed to be the word "brother." She looked at Richard again, lowered her eyes, and finally said, "No, its not. It was me, I lied."

The audience was in an uproar, and the media were excited, Elizabeth actually changed her testimony in court!

Including the public officers present were stunned, and Williams eyes were full of disbelief.

Only the lawyer continued to ask: "Lying? Why did you lie?"

"It was William who taught me to say so. He said that if one day it was discovered, if I said so, he would not have to go to jail. Moreover, I was very angry. These ten years, I have been waiting for my father to save me every day, but he only found me after ten years. When I saw my father that day, I was particularly resentful of him, hating why he didnt find me earlier, so I lied..."

This time, Elizabeth spoke more fluently, lowered her head, and said it like reciting a script.

Sitting in the seat, Richard, who had been very calm, also had some guilt and sorrow in his eyes when he heard his daughters words.

"Then you admit that you were kidnapped back then?"

"Yes."

The lawyer continued to ask, and the two answered questions and answers, just like they had already set the lines, and Elizabeth did not look at William again.

Williams face was a bit pale, but he still looked at her. Strangely, his eyes were still very gentle when looking at her.

"Before you were kidnapped, did you know William?"

"Yes, he was my mothers student."

"When did you know each other?"

This time, Elizabeth raised her head. She looked at William, and the tears that had been held back finally fell, and she said in a trembling voice, "Ten years ago, at Deerfield High School..."