Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"mad woman" by Taylor Swift
Does a scorpion sting when fighting back?
They strike to kill, and you know I will

Does she smile?
Or does she mouth, "Fuck you forever"?

BPOV

I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and examined myself in my court attire. I sighed as I pulled my hair back into a low ponytail then readjusted my blouse by fixing the tuck in the back. I plucked a piece of lint off the black slacks I was wearing. I looked the part, I guess. I went back into my room and put on a pair of flats.

I met my dad downstairs. He was drinking coffee, sitting at the table. We gave each other a stiff, straight smile, not saying anything. It was going to be a hard day for both of us.

I was too anxious to eat. I swallowed the pill Charlie handed to me with some water and checked my phone. Jacob texted me, saying that he and Quil would be waiting in the parking lot this morning before we went inside. He said they would wait there until court got out so he could see me. Charlie confirmed that, because Mike and I were both minors, only certain people were allowed in the courtroom, so Jacob and Quil could not be there for support.

We left the house a few minutes later and started the drive to the courthouse. Once we parked, I got out of Charlie's patrol car and searched. Jacob and Quil walked over to us quickly. They both said hi to Charlie then came over to me.

"How ya feelin'?" Quil asked.

I took a deep breath and sighed loudly. "I've been better."

I saw Jacob look up to where Charlie was standing by his door then back at me. I knew what he was doing. I reached forward and held his hand, not caring today whether my dad saw or not. I needed his warmth.

Jacob smiled. "It will be okay," he said. "We'll wait here for you all day until you are done or have a recess or whatever."

"You guys don't have to wait all day. I don't want you to miss school. Seeing you now is more than enough."

"Are you kidding? We've got snacks and Wi-Fi. We're ready to camp out all day and night if needed." Quil said.

"Thanks, guys." I smiled.

"We better get inside, Bell." Charlie said as he walked over to our little circle. I nodded to him.

Quil put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed once. Jacob gripped my hand a little tighter then leaned forward and kissed my head. "Everything will be fine," he whispered.

I took another deep breath then turned and started walking away from them with Charlie toward the entrance.

I could do this… I think.

Yes, I could. I could do hard things.

. . . . . . . .

We got through the security, and I followed Charlie to the correct courtroom. I saw Stevie sitting outside already. She stood up when we were close.

She kept a stoic expression on her face as she shook Charlie's hand and turned to me to place a hand on my shoulder. She looked me straight in the eye and nodded twice. I took a deep breath and nodded back. I knew what the message was – you are strong, you can do this, give him hell.

She sat back down. I looked over my shoulder and saw Maddie walking in behind us. She smiled and nodded to me also. I felt a moment of gratitude that I was surrounded by such strong, empowering women. They showed up for me. I could show up for them, too.

I took another deep breath and fixed my face. I did not want to walk into that courtroom looking scared. I wanted to look murderously fierce. My dad put his hand on my shoulder and guided me through the doors of the courtroom and up to our seats. I stood up straight and looked directly ahead of me. The District Attorney (DA) and victim's advocate greeted us both while we sat down. The victim's advocate wrote down a very tentative schedule for court to give me an idea of what was happening and when.

Opening Statements

Witness 1: Stevie Martin, Police Detective

Witness 2: Charlie Swan, Responding Officer/Witness to Crime

Witness 3: John Patton, Responding Officer

Witness 4: Mark Griffin, Responding Officer

Possible Recess

Witness 5: Isabella Swan, Victim

Witness 6: Maddie Winters, Victim's Mental Health Therapist

Witness 7: Michael Newton, Perpetrator

Closing Arguments

Verdict

The DA flipped through some paperwork in front of him and chatted quietly with Charlie. I'd met with the DA last week for him to prepare me for court. He was the one that told me today could be a long day because of all the people that had to testify. Because Mike and I were both minors, there was no jury – only the judge.

Once I got the nerve, I glanced to the left. And there he was: sitting beside both of his parents and his female attorney. He had on a suit and tie; his hair was perfectly combed. He looked young and innocent enough. Anger spread like fire through my body as I saw Mike turn and say something to his dad. They both laughed.

They fucking laughed like there was something humorous that was going on right now.

My blood was boiling.

Fuckers.

I gritted my teeth and looked forward, not wanting them to notice that I had glanced over. At least I was angry instead of anxious. That had to be a good sign, like Maddie had told me previously.

The judge came in a few minutes later. We all rose. The attorneys both spoke, giving their opening arguments, then the DA called his first witness.

. . . . . . .

Witness 1: Stevie Martin

"Please raise your right hand and respond to me," the judge said to Stevie. She turned to him and raised her hand.

"Do you solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm that the evidence you shall give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"Yes."

"Please be seated."

Stevie sat down, and the DA walked to the podium. He first asked Stevie about her background and credentials before the questions became more relevant to my case. "You were the detective that responded to the call the night of March 14, 2020 at approximately 6:15 p.m. when it is believed that Ms. Swan was assaulted by Mr. Newton, correct?"

"Yes."

"Please tell me what happened when you arrived."

"I was the second officer that arrived on scene at Chief Swan's residence. When I walked inside, Mr. Newton was already detained in handcuffs. Chief Swan informed me that he called for more back-up, so I knew more patrol officers were on their way. Chief Swan appeared worried about his daughter who was sitting on the stairs of their house."

"How did Ms. Swan appear when you saw her on the stairs?"

"She was not very responsive or coherent. She was staring at the floor in front of her, and her eyes kept drooping closed, almost as if she was sleepy, but she was still awake. Her hair was a tangled mess, her pants were unzipped and still pulled slightly down, and her shirt was in disarray. Her face was red. Her wrists were red, and her left hip was red also. She had tear streaks on her face."

I heard my dad take in a sharp breath next to me. I turned to look at him. He stared straight forward like a statue. I swallowed and took a deep breath.

"What did the red marks on her body look like?"

"On her wrists and hip, it looked like someone was holding her too tightly. On her face, it looked like someone had roughly pressed into her."

"What happened after you saw her?"

"I walked over to her and told her she was safe. She wouldn't make eye contact with me or acknowledge that I was there. I helped her get up the stairs and into her room. She kept mumbling, 'new clothes,' so I assisted her in finding different clothes. I left the room for her to change. When I came back in, she was sitting on her bed. I sat next to her and tried to ask her about what happened."

"What did you ask, and what did she say?"

"I started with basic questions. I asked her if she knew her name, her address, and where she went to school. She was responsive to answering, so I moved into asking her how she knew Mr. Newton. She said they had been dating for about six months but broke up almost two weeks before that night. When I asked her why they broke up, Ms. Swan said it was because she told him she did not want to have sex with him. Ms. Swan stated that made Mr. Newton upset, which led to him breaking off the relationship."

"Was there any other information that Ms. Swan disclosed to you?"

"I tried asking Ms. Swan questions about that evening, but she was unable to answer."

"Why couldn't she answer?"

"When I asked, she would close her eyes or stare down at her bedding, completely checked-out and far away. She would just start crying and say, 'I'm not safe,' or 'I want to sleep.' So, I left so she could rest after reassuring her that she was no longer in danger. I was planning to check back in with her in a couple of days to get more information, but that is when she was in the mental health hospital."

"Thank you, Ms. Martin. No further questions at this time, Your Honor." The DA said before coming to sit back down next to Charlie. I unclenched my fists and stretched my fingers out. I reminded myself to take a deep breath as Mike's defense attorney walked up to the podium.

"Ms. Martin, you said Bella was 'checked out.' Can you explain that further?" Mike's attorney asked.

"She appeared dazed, as if she as not fully present with me. Her eyes would slowly blink then close, or she would stare at one fixed spot for a long period of time."

"Could it be that Ms. Swan's impaired judgment caused her to recall events from that night differently? That maybe the interaction between Ms. Swan and Mr. Newton was consensual and Ms. Swan was just worried about her father coming home and finding her in the act?"

I wanted to stand up and scream. The fire was back full force as I took in a deep breath. I think Charlie noticed because he put his hand on my shoulder to steady me.

"Objection, Your Honor, compound question." The DA spoke up.

"Sustained." The judge answered. "Please rephrase, counselor."

Mike's attorney huffed. "Okay. Is it possible that the interaction between Ms. Swan and Mr. Newton was consensual, and Ms. Swan was just worried about her father coming home and finding her in the act?"

"No." Stevie responded.

"Why not?

"I work with a lot of women who have been assaulted. Ms. Swan would not have been acting so afraid if she had been engaging in consensual sexual intercourse."

"Hmm, 'acting,' you say? Is it possible that Ms. Swan was 'acting checked-out,' to avoid the consequences of her father finding her having consensual sex with her boyfriend?"

"Bella was not 'acting'; she was truly traumatized, and her nervous system was responding as such." Stevie responded.

Mike's attorney cleared her throat. "You said that when you saw Bella sitting on the stairs, her pants were slightly down and unzipped and her shirt was in disarray. What, exactly, was she wearing?"

"I'm not sure why that's relevant." Stevie's eyes narrowed.

"Answer the question, Ms. Martin." The judge chimed in.

Stevie took a deep breath. "Ms. Swan was wearing regular jeans and a green blouse." I remembered those clothes now. I bet they were still sitting under my bed.

"Was her clothing fitted in a way that it displayed her frame or figure?"

Stevie rolled her eyes. "I guess you could say that, sure."

"Hmm, could it be that Ms. Swan knew that Mr. Newton was coming over and wore something to incite, or seduce, him? Isn't that an interesting thought?"

"Objection! Leading the witness, Your Honor!" The DA said loudly.

"Overruled." The judge answered. "Please answer the question, Ms. Martin." How the hell did the judge side with Mike's attorney for that question!?

"It's very interesting that Mr. Newton tried to assault Ms. Swan when she was wearing normal clothing, yes. But Ms. Swan would not have been traumatized if she were trying to seduce him, so that was clearly not her intension." Stevie answered strategically. I felt myself relax slightly.

"It seems as though you are a little rattled by this case, Ms. Martin… Could that be because you've had a similar experience to Ms. Swan?"

"I'm not sure what you're asking." Stevie responded. How did his attorney know about Stevie's past? I didn't want her experience to be brought up now, too. That was her story to tell, no one else's.

"You left the police academy in Seattle after filing a complaint about sexual assault and harassment, yes?"

"Objection! Relevance?" The DA asked.

"Overruled." The judge answered.

"Please answer, Ms. Martin." Mike's attorney said.

"Yes." Stevie replied.

"So, could it be that this situation with Ms. Swan is too close to home?"

"No."

"It seems to me that you could be biased, Ms. Martin. One of your instructors sexually assaults and harasses you, and now you are trying to defend Ms. Swan who also claims to have been assaulted. Maybe you are too partial to Ms. Swan that you lacked objectivity in really examining the evidence?"

Stevie didn't respond.

"You silence speaks volumes, Ms. Martin."

"I was quiet because I didn't hear you ask me a question; you just made very outlandish assumptions that aren't true."

Mike's attorney smiled heinously. "No further questions, Your Honor."

"DA Peterson?" The judge asked.

The DA stood up. "No further questions, Your Honor."

The judge addressed Stevie. "You may leave Ms. Martin." Stevie stood up and strode down toward the doors of the courtroom. She gave me a small nod before leaving, her face still stoic.

. . . . . . .

Witness 2: Charlie Swan

The DA called my dad to the stand after Stevie left the room. I just realized that Charlie never moved his hand from my shoulder earlier when I had been a little rattled by Mike's attorney. He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze then stood up and walked to the witness stand. The judge initiated the same oath before he sat down.

I took a deep breath. I felt vulnerable sitting alone now. At least before, Charlie had been blocking the Newton's from my view.

The DA asked Charlie the same identifying information as he had with Stevie before asking specific questions about the case.

"Chief Swan, please tell me what happened when you arrived home on March 14, 2020 at approximately 6:00 p.m."

I saw my dad take a deep breath. I could tell he was incredibly uncomfortable, but I think only I could notice that. He composed himself well. "When I got home, I came in through the backdoor. It was strange to me because Bella was usually making dinner around that time, and she wasn't in the kitchen. As I turned the corner into the living room to go upstairs to change, that's when I saw," he looked down and cleared his throat before looking back up. "That's when I saw Mr. Newton restraining Bella against the wall near the stairs."

"I know this is difficult, Chief Swan, but can you please be more specific about how Mr. Newton was restraining your daughter and what exactly you saw him doing?"

I took a deep breath in unison with Charlie. I gripped the side of the table in front of me and told myself to keep it together.

"Mr. Newton was using his strength to keep Bella against the wall… He was holding Bella's wrists in one of his hands above her head, pressing them into the wall… Bella's jeans and underwear were down by her ankles. Mr. Newton's pants were off, but his underwear was still on… Bella's shirt was pushed up, exposing her chest. He was gripping Bella's left hip tightly and pressing one of his legs against both of hers to keep her still. He was forcefully kissing her."

I'm safe. Deep breath. I'm safe. Deep breath. I'm safe. Deep breath. I said my mantra.

"Did you see your daughter struggle against Mr. Newton or make any attempts to get away from him?"

"She did at first, but then she… seemed to go limp, like she wasn't going to fight anymore."

"How did she show that she was trying to get away from him?"

Charlie was quiet again as he looked down for a few seconds before answering. "She was moving her head from side to side, trying to avoid him kissing her. She was also moving her arms and legs, trying to free herself."

"Then you said she went limp? Can you explain that more?"

"Her body just stopped moving and jerking against his restraint. Like she was giving up the fight."

"What happened next?"

"I yelled at Mr. Newton and told him to move away from Bella with his hands up. He turned and looked at me, somewhat taken aback, I think, but he didn't let go of Bella. So, I reached for my taser and gave him a verbal warning that I would tase him if he did not let her go. He didn't release her, so I tased him then helped Bella sit down on the stairs while I detained Mr. Newton in handcuffs and called for back-up… Bella slumped against the wall and the stairs. I thought she was seriously hurt at first, but she finally sat up and pulled her pants partially up. Then she just stared at the wall in front of her, kind of half asleep."

I didn't realize I was crying until I noticed that my vision was blurry. I reached for a tissue in front of me and wiped my eyes quickly.

"Do you feel you were justified in tasing Mr. Newton?"

"Yes, absolutely. He did not back away from my daughter like I instructed. I gave him a warning first that he did not listen to."

"What happened once back-up arrived?"

"Officer Patton and Officer Griffin arrived soon after Detective Martin. Once they arrived, I allowed them to take over since it was a conflict of interest with me being Bella's father. Detective Martin took Bella upstairs as she said in her testimony."

"What happened after Officer Patton and Officer Griffin arrested Mr. Newton and after Detective Martin left?"

"Bella slept. I kept checking on her, but she never got out of bed. Even the next day, she never moved. I kept checking on her and debated on taking her to the hospital. She finally got up the next evening, so about 24 hours later. It sounded like she was taking a shower in the bathroom. Once she was out of the bathroom, I went into her room to check on her, maybe half an hour later, and she…" His voice cracked. I wiped more tears from my eyes.

He took another deep breath. "And she was unconscious on the floor. I called 911. They took her to the E.R., said she overdosed on a lot of different over-the-counter medications. They treated her then transferred her to the mental health hospital for further evaluation since they suspected it was a suicide attempt… She was at the mental health hospital for two weeks before coming home."

"The suicide attempt was in response to Mr. Newton physically harming, imprisoning, and sexually assaulting your daughter?"

"Objection, Your Honor! Leading question." Mike's attorney spoke up.

"Overruled. You may answer, Chief Swan." The judge said.

"Yes." Charlie replied.

"Did your daughter ever have problems with her mental health before the incident?" The DA asked.

"No, never."

"Thank you, Chief Swan. No further questions right now, Your Honor." The DA said before coming to sit back down near me. I wiped my eyes again with the tissue.

Mike's attorney stepped up to the podium. "Mr. Swan, how long has your daughter lived with you?"

"Almost a year now."

"Would you say that you know your daughter well? I mean, if she's only lived with you for almost a year, that's not much time to get to know someone."

"Yes, I know her well."

"What do you both do together?"

"Objection, Judge. Relevance?" The DA said.

"I have a point, Your Honor." Mike's attorney chimed in.

"Make it quickly, counselor. Objection overruled. Please answer, Chief Swan."

"We don't have a lot of common interests." My dad answered.

"So, is it safe to infer that you engage in your own activities and she in hers?"

"Yes."

"So, it would also be safe to conclude that you don't know your daughter as well as you think you do, and seeing that the two of you don't spend much time together… Have you ever thought that Ms. Swan's suicide attempt could have been related to you being a hands-off parent?"

"No!" I said loudly, unable to control myself.

"Bella," the DA said, placing a hand on the table in front of me. He leaned in closer then whispered, "I know this is hard, but you have to stay quiet until it's your turn to testify." I nodded, not saying anything else.

"Sorry, Your Honor," the DA said.

"Answer the question, please, Chief Swan." The judge instructed.

"No," my dad answered.

"I'm still wondering about you not knowing your daughter very well, Mr. Swan. Do you think you could have misread your daughter's reactions to Mr. Newton? Maybe she wasn't fighting him, she was actually enjoying the interaction? And if you don't know your daughter very well, I think we can also infer that you tasing Mr. Newton was uncalled for, especially if Bella was enjoying the experience?"

"Objection, Your Honor! Compound questions, come on!" The DA yelled.

"Sustained. Rephrase counselor."

"Very well," Mike's attorney answered. "Do you think you could have misread your daughter's reactions to Mr. Newton?"

"No."

"Why?"

"She was clearly fighting him off… It was not consensual."

"But you said she stopped fighting at one point. Maybe Ms. Swan and Mr. Newton were, I don't know, role playing or engaging in a rough-type of sex. That is not uncommon. And you, being her father… Well, could you have been overreacting?"

I gripped the table to stop myself from yelling again. "No." Charlie answered.

"Why not?"

"She was fighting him off, like I said earlier."

"But you aren't familiar with what your daughter likes sexually, are you, Mr. Swan?"

"Objection, Judge! Relevance?"

"Overruled. Please answer, Chief Swan."

Charlie's face was bright red and so was mine. I gripped the table harder with one hand and dug my nails into my arm with the other.

"No." Charlie answered.

"So, Ms. Swan could like role playing or other types of rough sexual interactions? Like I said earlier, that's not uncommon."

"No." Charlie answered through gritted teeth.

"But you don't know what your daughter likes sexually, so how do you know the answer is 'no'?"

"Objection! Asked and answered, Judge." The DA yelled.

"Sustained," the judge answered.

Mike's attorney cleared her throat. "How do you know about Ms. Swan's mental health history if she hasn't even lived with you for a year?"

"I have a good relationship with Bella's mother. She would tell me if something was going on with Bella when she was in her care."

"Having divorced parents is often a precursor to mental health problems in children. Did you know that, Mr. Swan?"

"No."

"Maybe we need to evaluate your parenting and Bella's history further before we conclude that Bella's suicide attempt was caused by Mr. Newton?" She raised her voice at the end, indicating a question.

"Objection, leading the witness!" The DA yelled.

"Sustained."

"That's okay. No further questions, Your Honor." Mike's attorney said before going back to her chair.

"DA Peterson?" The judge asked.

The DA stood up. "No further questions, Your Honor."

"You may go back to your seat next to your daughter, Chief Swan." The judge said.

My dad got up from the witness stand and walked back over to his seat next to me as I wiped the rest of my tears. I wasn't sure what was or wasn't allowed in a court room, but I pulled my dad into a quick, tight hug as soon as he sat down. None of this was his fault. Mike's attorney was a monster.

. . . . . . .

Witnesses 3 & 4: John Patton and Mark Griffin

The testimonies for both patrol officers were fairly quick; neither one divulged any new information that Stevie or my dad hadn't already disclosed. Their statements merely confirmed what had already been said. I was able to regain a little more composure and calm my nerves during their time on the stand.

. . . . . . .

Recess

Once Officer Griffin finished his testimony after Officer Patton, the judge called for an hour recess for lunch. I told Charlie that I would meet him outside in case he was going to talk to the DA or anyone else. I had to get out of the room quickly, not wanting to run into Mike, his family, or his attorney. I felt sick to my stomach thinking about his attorney. She was a woman, too, how could she be on Mike's side!? I knew this was her job, but still.

Once I was walking through the front doors of the courthouse, I felt a wave of nausea wash over me from everything that was said this morning. I took a deep breath and swallowed hard, willing my stomach to stay settled. I still had to testify after lunch.

I kept walking into the parking lot, trying to take deep breaths. I saw Jacob standing next to Charlie's car, so I walked swiftly and wrapped my arms around his back as soon as I was close enough. I buried my face in his chest. I was crying again, but I instantly felt so much safer.

"Shh, Bella. It's okay." Jacob said as he held me firmly against him and ran his hand up and down my back.

"It's awful, Jake… His attorney is really spinning things to make it seem like I wanted Mike to assault me."

His arms tightened around me. "Geez, I'm sorry, Bella. I wish you didn't have to go through this."

"And I haven't even testified yet! I have to after lunch." I mumbled into his chest.

He sighed and kissed my head, keeping his lips buried in my hair. "I'm so sorry," he mumbled.

I sniffed then pulled away and wiped my eyes before Charlie walked out and saw us.

"Is that him over there?" Jake discreetly nodded his head to the left.

I glanced over swiftly. Mike was climbing into the backseat of a car with his parents and attorney. "Yes."

"Yeah, he looks like a fucking prick," Jacob scoffed. "If we weren't in front of a courthouse with a ton of police around, I would kick his ass for you if that makes you feel any better?"

I sighed and smiled a tiny bit. "Yeah, thanks."

"Quil's in the car if you want to say hi. I told him to wait there for a second so I could talk to you."

I followed Jacob back to his car and talked to Quil for a few minutes before my dad came outside. Once Charlie climbed into his car, I told Jacob and Quil bye before getting in with him. We sat quietly.

"Dad," I said, breaking the silence. "I'm so sorry. All of this is my –"

"Bella," my dad said sternly as he turned to look at me. "I know you don't always listen to me. But you are going to listen to me right now," Charlie had never sounded this serious before. "None of this is your fault, do you understand me?"

I nodded as more tears ran down my cheeks again. "Yes," I croaked.

My dad sighed before starting his patrol car and driving out of the parking lot.