Chapter 5 - THE HEARING
Three days later, David appeared in court.
He looked different.
His hair was neatly combed.
His suit was expensive.
His face carried the expression of an innocent husband who had been misunderstood.
His mother sat behind him.
She cried when she saw me.
Not tears of guilt.
Tears of anger.
Her attorney told the judge that I had fabricated everything.
“She has psychological problems,” he said.
I stared at him.
My attorney stood.
“We have video evidence.”
The courtroom became silent.
The prosecutor played the neighbor's recording.
The first few seconds showed the garage.
Then David's voice.
Then his mother's.
The words filled the courtroom.
Nobody moved.
When the recording reached the moment where David threatened my unborn child, his mother began sobbing.
But nobody believed her.
The judge ordered both defendants held without bail.
Then the prosecutor revealed something unexpected.
“We have reason to believe there are additional victims.”
I looked at David.
His face went pale.
A detective whispered something into the prosecutor's ear.
She nodded.
Then she announced:
“Investigators have reopened the death of the defendant's former father-in-law.”
David's attorney immediately stood.
“Objection.”
The judge denied it.
David turned toward his mother.
For one second, their eyes met.
And I saw something I had never seen before.
They were afraid of each other.
That was when I understood.
They hadn't planned everything together.
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Someone had been controlling the other.
And whoever had the real power hadn't been arrested yet.
