SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Some call her a mistress, but Bonnie Contreras prefers to call herself the former girlfriend of slain CEO Bill Hall Junior.
In a conversation exclusively with KENS 5, Contreras talked about the verdict that sent Hall's widow to prison for two years after jurors convicted her of murdering her husband in a jealous rage.
"I can't hate anybody or judge anybody out of the sentencing that [Frances Hall] got. Do I agree with it? No, but I'm ok with it," Contreras said.
As the sentencing verdict came down on Tuesday afternoon, Contreras watched from just feet away, surrounded by authorities for protection.
"I was his girlfriend. I was his love," said Contreras about Bill Hall Jr. "I was his everything. He couldn't wait to start having children. He couldn't wait to get married."
After eight hours of deliberations last Thursday, jurors convicted 53-year-old Frances Hall of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Hall was sentenced to two years in prison for what the jury determined was a crime of passion, using her Cadillac to hit and kill her husband who was riding his Harley down 1604 near Macdona Lacoste.
"[That day] was his last nap on our bed. We were napping. He was tired. He had gone to one of his doctor's appointments," Contreras said. "We had gone to the Harley Davidson store to buy clothes and whatnot for our bike ride that weekend."
Driving in front of the couple was Contreras, who also testified in the trial.
"It was tormenting," she said. "I didn't want to see [Frances]. I didn't want to face her. Me, as being the side person, or people portraying me as that character or as that mistress, it doesn't bother me at all. I knew a lot about his life. I was with him every day."
Contreras denies threatening Frances Hall's children with explicit text messages, and says Frances provoked her by sending mean texts about her looks.
"I did see that Nikki testified and said I threatened her, personally, to tell her and her brother about what me and her father were doing," Contreras said. "I don't think that would ever even be my place, period. I would never threaten anybody in that way."
Most importantly, she says that the Hall family knew about the love affair long before the deadly crash.
"When I first met Bill, months later I asked him if he was married and he told me, 'Yes, but I'm going through a separation. I'm gonna get a divorce," Contreras said.
As she moves on with her life, Contreras says that she still loves Bill Hall and will never regret time spent with him.
"If I had the chance to talk to Frances face to face, I would tell her, 'I forgive you.' I forgive this woman. It might be selfish of me to say that because Bill is no longer here, but at the same token, I know Bill wouldn't want her and I to be at each other’s throats," Contreras said. "I know who I am. I'm a good person. I never mean no harm on anybody."
