Prologue - August 26th, 2011
I was being watched. Every eye in the courtroom watched me; scrutinizing my every move like a hawk to its prey. As hard as I tried to ignore all the attention, my heart was hammering against my chest and I felt a fresh sheen of sweat creeping up at the nape of my neck. I swiftly moved my hair away from my face, lifting it up and to the side to create some sort of fresh air to cool my heated skin.
Focus, I told myself. This is the moment this whole trial has been leading up to. You're prepared, you can – My eyes locked with his and my whole world melted away. There he was, right at the defense table, waiting for his fate. I tried to turn away from the crystal blue gaze, but I was stuck. Those were the same eyes I had stared into for the past 10 years; the same eyes that had stolen my heart at the young age of 16. But they were also the same eyes I had looked into when my whole world came crashing down.
"Elena," the defense attorney called.
I turned my attention away from those eyes to stare at the old man in front of me. He was slight and very tall, with thinning gray hair and a very small mouth. He looked sad, his eyes held no happiness, kind of like my own.
"I'm sorry…can you repeat the question?"
"In your initial statement you have down recorded that Mr. Salvatore was innocent by all means. You said, and I quote 'He is the most kind, selfless human being I've ever met. Could I honestly be living with a monster and not know it?' Do you stand by that statement today Miss. Gilbert?"
I turned my face down so I wouldn't be distracted by those blue eyes staring at me from across the courtroom. My eyes rested upon the ring on my left hand, small, delicate, and stunning, like you, he had stated as he slipped it on my finger. I tried not to think of our impending wedding, our plans to move into our new house, nothing mattered at this moment.
I took a deep breath before I could utter the words that could send my whole life spiraling down, "Yes. I said them four months ago and I'll say them again today. I know is Damon Salvatore is innocent. Can I prove it? No, I'm sorry. But I know in my heart and with every fiber of my being that he is not guilty. I have known him 10 years and I have lived with him the past 7 years. I can't decide for anybody what the outcome of this trial will be...I just know that I no longer want to be a part of it. I just – I can't do this anymore."
I stood up and walked up past the defense table, where I stopped for a second to take off my ring and place it upon the table, not daring to glance up at the man I had loved for the last 10 years of my life. I walked out of the courtroom and started running to get outside. The fresh air hit my skin and I gulped in the air like it was the best thing I'd ever tasted. I felt the tears streaming down my face; I made sure I made it to my car before I completely broke down. I let the sobs overtake my body and I just laid in the back seat and cried.
Two days later, Damon Salvatore was sentenced to life in prison for second degree murder.