The Ingrateful Frame-Up

At sixty, I was a legend in my field. After a lifetime of achievement, I returned to my homeland to accept a lifetime professorship at a top university.
But my husband and son dragged me before the Tribunal.
The charges: treason, intellectual theft, and a betrayal of the nation that had raised me.
If found guilty, the sentence was summary execution.
They pleaded with me, their voices dripping with false concern, urging me to see the error of my ways. All I had to do was surrender my patents to the "true victim," and my sentence would be commuted to a mere twenty years in prison. After that, I could return to a "normal life."
I looked at them, at the faces of the two men I loved most, and shook my head with unwavering resolve.
"I accept the judgment."

1
At sixty, my hair was already streaked with silver. Looking at my husband, no longer a young man, and our son, on the cusp of adulthood, a wave of guilt washed over me. I had been so consumed by my work, so absent from their lives. That, combined with a deep, gnawing homesickness, had made my decision for me. It was time to bring my family home.
My return was heralded as a national event. Armed with countless patents and a lifetime of accolades, I was immediately appointed a tenured honorary professor at Archwood University, the country's most prestigious institution.
I thought, finally, I could rest. I thought I could enjoy the quiet twilight of my life with my family. Instead, my husband, Richard, and my son, Leo, filed a formal accusation against me at the Tribunal.
【Once a trial begins, it cannot be stopped. If the accused is found guilty, they will face unspeakable torment before the final sentence is carried out.】
【Accusers Richard and Leo Reed, do you formally charge the defendant, Dr. Evelyn Reed, with the crimes of treason, intellectual theft, and betrayal of the state for personal gain?】
I was seized and brought to the stand, exposed under the glare of a thousand lights and a million watching eyes. The Tribunal had existed for nearly a decade, but it was rarely convened. Its purpose was to judge only the most monstrous of criminals. The news of a new trial had drawn a massive crowd, and the global livestream had already surpassed ten million viewers.
Across from me, Richard looked at me with a pained, loving expression. "Evelyn, my love. Just admit your mistake. Sign over the patents you stole from Catherine Kane. That's all you have to do. You don't have to go through this."
My son Leo’s gaze was pure venom. "How could I have a traitor for a mother? You make me sick," he spat. "You'd better give the patents back to Aunt Catherine and divorce my father. You've already lived a life of luxury on the back of your country. Don't be so greedy. Twenty years in prison is more than you deserve."
A shocked murmur rippled through the crowd.
"I knew it! The Tribunal only ever tries the worst of the worst. A traitor who sold out her own country… Forget the trial, just execute her now!"
"Wait, I recognize her. Isn't that the new professor from Archwood? A traitor? There must be some mistake."
"A mistake? Her own husband and son are the ones who turned her in. What mistake could there be?"
The outrage in the hall was palpable, and the livestream chat exploded with fury. Patriotism is a raw nerve, and the word "traitor" had ignited a firestorm. The calls for my immediate execution were deafening.
I looked from my husband and son to the woman standing in the front row of the audience. Catherine Kane. She hadn't changed much. Still elegant, still beautiful. I, on the other hand, was stooped from a lifetime hunched over lab benches and research papers.
She offered me a small, triumphant smile. A smile that said, You may have overshadowed me for decades, but look who has your husband and son on her side now.
A bitter, ironic laugh escaped my lips. I turned to the Chief Justice, my voice clear and steady. "I accept the judgment."

2
The crowd gasped, surprised by my defiance. Richard shook his head, a look of pity and scorn on his face.
"However," I continued, my voice cutting through the noise, "I request that the proceedings be held in private."
"Accusers Richard and Leo Reed, do you consent to the defendant's request?" the Chief Justice asked, his tone grave.
Richard turned to Catherine. "Catherine, you are the victim here. The decision is yours."
Her eyes flickered. "Evelyn is a renowned scientist, after all," she said, her voice soft and gentle. "Let's grant her this final dignity. A private trial is fine."
Richard looked at her, his expression softening with adoration. "You're too kind, Catherine. After everything she's done to you."
The viewers on the livestream were furious.
【A private trial? She's obviously guilty and trying to hide it! What's the point of watching if we can't see the evidence?】
【Her own family turned her in. What more do we need to know? Just declare her a traitor and be done with it.】
The discontent from the crowd and the internet had no effect on the Chief Justice. His face was a mask of impartiality as he declared, "The trial of Dr. Evelyn Reed, on the charges of treason, intellectual theft, and betrayal of the state, as brought forth by Richard and Leo Reed, is now in session."
"The prosecution will have four opportunities to present evidence. If any single charge is proven, the defendant will be found guilty. The Tribunal will extract and review the relevant memories of all parties to ensure a just verdict."
"The prosecution may present its first piece of evidence."
Richard gave me one last look of disappointment. "For the first charge, I accuse Evelyn Reed of using shameless means to steal Catherine Kane's state-sponsored scholarship for overseas study."
As he spoke, his memory materialized on the massive screen above us.
It was forty years ago. A young Richard was holding a tearful Catherine in his arms.
"The professor promised it to me," she sobbed. "Why did they give the spot to Evelyn Reed in the end?"
"Richard, what am I going to do? The university's budget is tight. This might have been the last fully-funded scholarship to America."
The memory faded. The crowd began to mutter.
"Forty years ago… a scholarship to study in America was a golden ticket! How could she steal that from someone?"
"The last one. This Catherine woman doesn't look like she came from a wealthy family. Without that funding, her dreams were probably crushed. Evelyn Reed ruined her life!"
"They said she stole achievements, too. Looks like she's a career thief."
The Chief Justice turned to me. "Defendant, is the accuser's claim that you stole Catherine Kane's scholarship true?"
I gave a casual nod. "If you want to put it that way, then in a manner of speaking, I suppose I did."
My indifferent attitude made Richard's face flush with anger. "So you admit it!" he choked out, his voice trembling. "You stole Catherine's chance, and after all these years, you still feel no remorse!"
Catherine covered her face, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Suddenly, the Chief Justice’s cold voice cut through the drama. "Verdict on the first charge: Not Guilty. The prosecution may proceed with its next piece of evidence."
The courtroom erupted. "What? She just confessed! How can it be 'Not Guilty'? The Tribunal must have been bribed!"
My husband and son were equally stunned, shouting for my memories to be made public. The protest grew so loud, challenging the very integrity of the Tribunal, that the Chief Justice turned to me.
"For the honor of this court, I ask for your consent to make this memory public."
I looked at the furious, self-righteous faces of my husband and son. "Show it," I said.
I hoped they were ready for the truth.

3
My memory filled the screen.
Forty years ago.
I was on the phone, my voice filled with disbelief. "What? Professor Williams has been suspended over a sex scandal?"
The voice on the other end was crystal clear, echoing through the silent courtroom. "That's right. Your classmate, Catherine Kane, is also being investigated for soliciting favors in exchange for grades and recommendations."
"Professor Williams had already removed your name from the scholarship list and replaced it with hers. Now that they're both under investigation, the scholarship has been reinstated to you. Pack your bags, Dr. Reed. You're going to America."
The memory ended, leaving the audience in stunned silence.
"So… Catherine stole Evelyn's scholarship, and then Evelyn got it back?"
"You can't call that stealing! The spot was rightfully hers to begin with! Catherine bribed her way onto the list. What a hypocrite, playing the victim all these years!"
Richard and Leo stared at Catherine, their faces a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
Catherine's expression froze. She shook her head desperately. "Richard, you know me. I would never do something like that! It was Professor Williams… he forced himself on me! I fought him off, and I even had evidence of him harassing other students."
"He probably gave me the scholarship to buy my silence," she continued, her voice trembling. "I had no idea it was originally Evelyn's. It seems… I've misunderstood her all this time."
Richard let out a sigh of relief. "I knew it, Catherine. I knew you could never do something like that. This memory of Evelyn's must be a fabrication, something she invented to slander you."
"Don't worry," he said, turning to me with renewed disgust. "The next charge will stick. I accuse Evelyn Reed of stealing state secrets and research for personal glory!"
He glared at me. "I can't believe you would twist your own memories to smear Catherine. You truly disgust me."
I let out a dry laugh. The man I had shared a bed with for decades would rather believe a near-stranger than his own wife. How utterly pathetic.
This time, it was Catherine's memory that appeared on the screen.
Thirty years ago.
Catherine, dressed in a white lab coat, was on an overseas call, her voice trembling with excitement. "Evelyn Reed, the Starship Project is about to launch."
"You may have held me down all these years. The state may have poured all its resources into you. You may have stolen my scholarship. But it doesn't matter now. The first starship will be my creation. My name, Catherine Kane, will be written in the annals of history, while you will be nothing but a footnote."
But just as the nation was preparing to announce the Starship Project, America made a preemptive declaration. They had already filed the patents for the key technologies, creating a complete monopoly. Our country, its most advanced project suddenly crippled, could only watch as the American starship program took off with great fanfare.
When the memory ended, any voices that had been speaking in my defense fell silent.
"There's no defending her this time. That's pure treason! Our country had a breakthrough, and she handed the secrets to America for a pat on the head."
"Still, Catherine seems pretty stupid. If the project was that secret, why would she just call someone and tell them about it?"
"Don't blame the victim! How was she supposed to know Evelyn was a monster?"
The Chief Justice fixed his gaze on me. "Defendant, is the accuser's claim that you stole the research true?"
I shrugged. "Catherine never had any technology worth stealing. But yes, I did ensure America patented the project first."
My casual demeanor only enraged the crowd further.
"Disgusting! And she admits it so freely! Surely the verdict will be guilty this time!"
The Chief Justice reviewed my memory for comparison. The process was swift.
"Verdict on the second charge: Not Guilty. The prosecution may proceed."

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