Chapter 2 The case

The next day, I was early in the office to check some files in advance when my assistant knocked on the door.

"Miss Amari, the farmers from La Union are here to meet you," she said, peeking in.

I quickly put the file aside. "Let them in, please."

I stood up, waiting for them. A few moments later, five people walked into my office. They looked nervous and uncomfortable. An older man led the group. He is wearing a faded shirt and sandals. The others are in simple clothes as well.

"Good morning," I greeted with a warm smile, gesturing to the chairs in front of my desk. "Please, have a seat."

The group sat down quietly, glancing at one another before the older man spoke.

"Good morning, ma'am. I'm Isko, and these are some of the farmers from our community in La Union."

"It's nice to meet you, Mang Isko," I said gently. "I understand you've been facing serious issues. Please, tell me everything."

Mang Isko nodded and his face tight with worry.

"Ma'am, we've been living and farming on our land for generations. It was my parents' parents land so it's all we have. But three months ago, the Grant Group came. They brought big machines and started demolishing the area. Even our crops, our homes. They didn't ask for permission. They just said they were building hotels and resorts."

I leaned forward, listening carefully. "Did they give you any legal notice? Announcement beforehand. Or any documents about this?"

"No, ma'am," he replied firmly. "They said the land belongs to them now. They said someone had sold it. But we never did. We found out they forged documents to make it look like we did."

My jaw tightened. Forgery. A common tactic of big corporations to take land from people who couldn't defend themselves.

"Did you try to report this to your local government?" I asked, my pen ready to take notes.

A woman named Nanay Lita, sitting beside Mang Isko, spoke up.

"We went to them, ma'am. We begged for help. But instead of helping, they told us to stay quiet. They said if we didn't, we could be arrested for trespassing on our own land. That was our land, ma'am! Our land! My ancestors passed it down to us!" she said emotionally.

The room grew silent, hearing her cries louder. Their story wasn't new to me, but it still made my blood boil.

"Do you have your land titles with you?" I asked.

A young man stood up and handed me a stack of papers. "These are copies, ma'am. The originals are safe back home."

I flipped through the documents, scanning them quickly. Everything looked valid.

"Okay. This is a good start," I said while looking to them. "We'll use these to challenge their claims. I'll also need photos of your land before the destruction, any witnesses who can testify, and a list of what's been damaged. We'll build a strong case against them."

"Thank you, ma'am," Mang Isko said, his voice trembling. "We thought no one would help us. You've given us hope."

I gave him a small smile.

"We'll fight this together. My team will try our best as well. The Grant Group may be powerful, but if they don't have the right to take your land, we'll make sure justice is served."

They seemed hopeful. That is what I am hoping too.

This is I think...the most difficult case I will handle. The Grants aren't ordinary people. Grants have this power. This control. But injustice deserves justice.

As they left, a young woman named Marites stayed behind. She looks like she wants to ask me something so I look her in the eye.

"M-Ma'am Amari," she said softly, "do you really think we can win? They're so powerful. We're just simple farmers."

I met her gaze. I understand the pain. The confusion. The worries.

"We'll fight with everything we have. The Grants may have money and influence, but we have the truth. And truth has power."

She nodded slowly, a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes, before hurrying to catch up with the others.

The room was quiet again, but my mind was racing. I knew this case wouldn't just be about land. The Grants were known for their reach-and their ruthlessness.

Later that afternoon, my legal team had a meeting in the conference room to give their updates. They had been digging deeper into the Grant Group's activities.

"Ma'am," one of my senior lawyers began, "we've found more issues with the Grants. Aside from the land grabbing in La Union, they're also involved in illegal mining operations in the area."

"Illegal mining? Are they violating any environmental laws?" My brows furrowed.

"Yes," another lawyer chimed in. "They've been mining in protected areas, and it's destroying the local ecosystem. What's worse, it seems they've bribed the government officials to cover it up."

The room grew tense as the weight of the information settled over us.

"So they're controlling the officials, too?" I asked.

The senior lawyer nodded. "It seems so. That's why the farmers were silenced when they tried to seek help. The officials are in the Grants' pocket."

I leaned back in my chair, my mind already formulating a plan.

"Alright. We're going to build this case step by step. First, we'll focus on the land grabbing and forgery. Then, we'll connect it to the illegal mining and government corruption. This isn't just about the farmers' land. It's about holding the Grants accountable for everything they've done."

My team nodded.

As the meeting ended, I sat alone in the empty conference room, staring out the window. The Grants had power, money, and influence. But I wasn't going to let that stop me.

This fight wasn't just about justice for the farmers. It was about standing up to a system that let people like the Grants get away with everything.

While I am looking at the skyscrapers, I couldn't help but think about what happened.

I knew Lucas was not a saint nor a good man. But I never thought he would be this kind of person. Selfish...Manipulative...Evil.

I experienced it first hand. He was ruthless back then. But I didn't know how he became someone like this.

But why are you asking for more of this, Amari. As you said, you experienced it, he was never good.