Chapter 4: Fifteen Years of Evidence
Judge Whitmore allowed one final exhibit.
A locked metal case.
Margaret opened it carefully.
Inside were fifteen flash drives.
One for every year of the marriage.
Claire spoke for the first time in nearly an hour.
"The day after Ethan hit me for the first time..."
"...my father bought me tiny hidden cameras."
"He told me that if I wasn't ready to leave..."
"...I should never stop documenting."
The videos began playing.
Different years.
Different homes.
Different cities.
The same pattern.
Insults.
Threats.
Shoving.
Objects thrown across rooms.
Ethan apologizing.
Buying expensive jewelry.
Promising to change.
Repeating everything weeks later.
His mistress quietly removed the diamond bracelet he'd given her.
She placed it on the defense table.
"I don't want anything that came from this."
Without another word...
She walked out of the courtroom.
Ethan watched her leave.
Just as Claire had watched him walk away years before.
May you like
Only now...
He was completely alone.
