PROLOGUE
Evelyn
stood before the courtroom door, watching the handle like it was
going to open the door for her. Her mother stood behind her, like
Evelyn, she stood in silence watching Evelyn with heavy eyes. Evelyn
could hear her heartbeat in her ears, and her chest began to tighten.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt her mother's
hand on her shoulder.
"Just
relax. Tell the judge the same statement you gave to the police."
Evelyn nodded her head and slowly pushed the door open. Once she
walked into the courtroom, people turned to watch as she walked down
the aisle. Evelyn felt nervous with people watching her. But she
noticed two of the people there weren't looking at her. Those two
people she recognized. His parents.
Evelyn
and her mother took a seat on the other side of the courtroom, close
to the middle. She could still feel her heart racing as she waited
for the judge to make an appearance. She noticed a room to right of
her had a police officer standing in the open-door way with his back
to her. Sitting on the chair next to him, she could see him.
Suddenly she felt like she was going to have a heart attack. She
could feel her hands shaking, the pain starting to come back into her
body. She closed her eyes, reliving that night. Her mother wrapped
her hand around Evelyn's. But it wasn't helping. She tried to
take some deep breaths, but it wasn't working.
This
would be the first time she has seen him in person since that night.
Evelyn wasn't ready for this, she hasn't mentally prepared
herself. As she thought of ways to calm herself down, she heard the
court reporter's voice.
"All
rise!" Her voice echoed in the empty courtroom. Everyone stood up
as the judge walked up to her chair. To Evelyn, the judge reminded
her of Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter movies. But her voice
didn't match her features.
"Please
be seated." Her voice was calm, but powerful throughout the
courtroom. At this moment, Evelyn wasn't even listening to what the
judge was saying. All she did was watch him
in that room. Suddenly, he stood to his feet. His hands and feet were
cuffed together. He was clothed in a dark green jumpsuit, his hair
grew shaggy, and his beard grew out. He didn't look the same a
month and a half ago. He slowly walked to go sit by his lawyer at the
far right table. Evelyn continued to watch him, but her heart
stopped. He looked right back at her, directly into her eyes. But his
eyes didn't look angry, they looked defeated, lonely. She was
surprised by such a look. She looked down at her hands while he was
being seated.
Was
he sorry for what he did? Does he feel remorse? Evelyn didn't know
what to think. She began to get confused on this matter. She shook
her head, closing her eyes tight. She could feel herself about to
cry. But then she could hear his lawyer talking.
"Your
Honor, my client doesn't even remember the events that happened on
the night of December 10." Evelyn shook of the thought of him being
sorry. Is he playing the victim here?
"Your
Honor, my client states that he only remembers grabbing her by the
arms to stop her from leaving. Everything stated her against my
client, he says didn't happen." His lawyer, Katherin Derrick,
seemed very calm and collective standing there talking with the
judge.
"And
what about the photo evidence? Does he claim that these were
self-inflicted wounds?" The judge was questioning Katherin's
client's words on the matter. Evelyn took a deep breath and she
looked back and forth between his lawyer and the judge.
"No
comment, Your Honor." Katherin sat down. Evelyn's attorney
started to speak on the matter at hand. Up on the TV monitor they
showed the pictures taken of Evelyn the morning after. She put her
hand on her shoulder where it still hurt the most. Evelyn's mother
looked away, she couldn't bear to see what had happened to her
daughter.
Finally,
once everyone was done talking, the judge looked over to Evelyn. Her
eyes peered over to her like a predator looking at its prey. Evelyn
could feel her breathing getting heavier.
"Does
Miss Sanders have anything more to add?"
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