Chapter 35

A shaky exhale left Callie's lips as her eyes gaped at the dark ceiling. The silence encompassing her was dangerous. It forced her to confront the countless thoughts swarming her mind, revolving around the looming trial. How was she supposed to see them tomorrow? Sit in a courtroom with them for hours throughout the week? How was she supposed to divulge the details of that awful night in December to a room full of people, both strangers, and family? What would happen if they didn't believe her? It definitely wouldn't be the first time. There was no doubt in her mind that Vico and Liam would seek revenge if they weren't found guilty and that very thought shook her to the core. She attempted to inhale deeply, but her breaths continued to come out erratically.

She shifted carefully to glance at the alarm clock on Brandon's nightstand only to find that she had failed to fall asleep for nearly three hours. Exhaustion enveloped her entire body, but every time she closed her eyes she was greeted by unpleasant images of Vico and Liam. The anxiety peaked. She could swear she heard her own heart pounding against her ribcage in the silent room. Uneasiness swam in the pit of her stomach. The room's temperature spiked. She threw the covers off her body and sat up, struggling to control her breathing.

The bed shifted beside her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I just can't sleep." Callie whispered.

Brandon didn't fail to notice the unevenness in her voice. He reached for the lamp on his nightstand, squinting as the soft light illuminated the area. "Talk to me."

"Brandon, it's almost four in the morning. I'm not…"

Brandon found her hand and held it in his. He noted the slight tremor in her limb. "I'm not going back to sleep until you talk to me."

"I'm freaking out about tomorrow." Callie admitted, taking interest in her cuticles. "I'm having a really hard time believing I'm going to win."

"There's so much evidence it would be impossible not to win."

Callie scoffed. "Because the bruises me and Jude had in our last foster home was plenty of evidence."

"Callie…"

"No, things don't go my way. Nobody is going to believe me. I'm the crazy, trashy foster girl with a violent history. Every single mistake I've made is written down and kept in a file and used against me at any chance given." Callie shut her eyes to stop the tears welling in her eyes to pour over.

Brandon swore at that moment that he would spend the rest of his life reversing the damage the world had done on Callie. He knew no matter what he said, she still wouldn't be convinced that this would work in her favor because the world had failed her so many times before. "You are going to win this case. They have nothing and we have a ton of evidence. You were in the hospital for a week and almost died. I'm pretty sure that's enough right there to get them locked up. Vico broke his bail terms, which not only guarantees some form of punishment but makes him look even guiltier. And if it for some crazy reason it doesn't go right, and they don't get locked up, I swear I will kill them with my own two hands if it means keeping you safe."

"Then you'll be jail." Callie whispered.

Brandon gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'd spend my life in jail if it meant keeping you safe."

"And then I'd be miserable."

Brandon laid back down and held his arms open for Callie. "Come here."

Callie snuggled into his side, resting her head against his chest and inhaling his comforting scent. His arm wrapped around her and she cherished the safety he provided. The feeling of his arms around her made her feel as though no harm could reach her. She didn't know what she would do without him. "Promise me you won't look at me any different after you hear everything tomorrow."

"Callie, I'm not…"

"No." She interjected, hesitantly looking up at him. She had yet to disclose the details of that night to Brandon, but tomorrow she would be forced to. "Promise me. You're going to realize how damaged and weak I am and just promise me you won't look at me like that. At least not tomorrow. If you want to leave me please just don't do it tomorrow."

"Callie, I'm not going anywhere." He gazed into her chestnut-colored eyes; the eyes that made him fall in love with her all over again every time he looked into them. His lips planted a comforting kiss to her hairline as his fingers brushed a strand curl behind her ear. "I love you and nothing is going to change that. Tomorrow is not going to change anything. If anything, it's only going to make me love you more when I realize just how strong you are."

"I'm not strong." Her voice cracked as a single tear tumbled down her cheek.

"Hey, you are the strongest person I know." He said, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb. "I love you."

"I love you too." She whispered, reaching up to place a kiss on his lips. She was unconvinced by his words though. If she was strong, she would have been able to fight them off.

He pulled her closer and began to rub soothing circles on her back. "Go to sleep and get some rest for tomorrow. I'll be right here. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

Brandon turned off the lamp, letting the darkness take over the room. Callie's eyes fluttered shut, letting herself succumb to the sleep her body was craving.

HHH

Callie inhaled sharply as Liam and Vico were escorted into the courtroom by two police officers. Their eyes burned her skin, sending shudders down her spine. Every muscle in her body felt paralyzed. Her throat closed. Her lungs were hungry for oxygen. That awful night came rushing back. The sound of the leaves rustling as they pushed her to the ground. The metallic smell of blood. The feeling of their rough hands wandering her body, their teeth scraping against her flesh. The lust and power in their eyes. Her heart galloped in her chest painfully and she stood abruptly. "I can't do this."

Brandon caught her arm gently as she tried to walk out of the aisle. "Hey, listen to me. You can do this. Just take a deep breath and ignore them. They can't hurt you. They are surrounded by police and you are surrounded by people that won't let them passed to get to you. Don't let them win. They want you to be intimated and run away. Don't give it to them. Go up there and show them that you are not going down without a fight."

"You're okay, love." Stef nodded from her seat next to Brandon.

Callie inhaled shakily as she sat back down between Brandon and Mariana. Brandon reached across her lap to take her trembling hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. She met his eyes hesitantly. "I don't want to do this."

"I wish more than anything that you didn't have to, but you're going to be fine. You're going to go up there and tell the jury what happened and they're going to be thrown in jail for a long, long time." Brandon reassured softly. He wished there was some way to save her from the horrors of a trial. Revisiting the details of that awful night was destined to be traumatic. "You've got this."

Nausea churned in Callie's stomach. The anxiety gnawing at her insides was nearly unbearable. As much as she didn't want to do this, the waiting was tormenting. Revealing the appalling details of her attack was looming; if it was going to happen, she just needed to get it over with. But time seemed to be at a standstill. She shifted in her seat for the umpteenth time. Sitting still was seemingly an impossible task.

"What can I do?" Brandon asked softly. The uneasiness was radiating off the brunette.

"I don't know." Callie sputtered. "Just don't leave."

"I'm not going anywhere." He brought her hand to his lips, planting a soft kiss on the top.

Time seemed to move in slow motion. It felt like an eternity before the trial finally began. Callie could barely focus as her lawyer and the defense attorney provided their opening arguments.

"The prosecution calls Callie Jacobs to the stand."

Somehow Callie's heart pounded harder in her chest and she swore if pumped any faster it would burst out of her chest. She suddenly wished time would go back to standing still because she didn't want to do this. The blood drained from her face as she stood on trembling legs. Her legs felt unsteady and she wasn't sure if she trusted them to bring her to the stand.

"Good luck. You'll be fine. If you get nervous just look at me." Brandon whispered.

Callie nodded slowly before making her way to the stand. The sound of her heart thumping echoed in her ears. There were too many people. Too many people were watching her. Too many people were going to hear what happened.

She followed the process of swearing under the oath, introducing herself, and explaining the Winter Queen debacle. She explained Brandon's arrest, Vico and Liam's wants of revenge, and Vico sending her out to Liam only for him to drag her to the woods. These were easy questions, but she knew what was impending.

"What happened once you got to the woods?" Olivia asked.

Callie could still recall the scheming gleam in Vico's eyes. "I saw a person standing there and I was going to ask for help, but then I realized it was Vico and I put it together. I knew then that Vico had made up that my sister was crying; that he sent me outside to Liam."

"What happened when Vico saw you?"

"He told me he met Liam at a party and that they were helping each other get revenge." Callie would never forget the utter desperation that flooded every inch of her body when she realized she was alone in the middle of the woods with two guys that wanted revenge.

"What happened next?"

"Vico hit me across the face. They pushed me to the ground and one of them kicked me in the stomach. I tried to get up but they kept kicking me. L-Liam got on top of me and p-put his hand under my dress. He started to rip my dress and I told him to stop and tried to fight, but he just held my hands above my head."

Olivia waited a moment for Callie to continue, but she remained hesitant. "What happened after that?"

"Liam…um…he pulled off my underwear and threw them to Vico. He said something about them being a souvenir. Then he ripped off the rest of my dress and I fought and started to scream, but it only made him angrier and he punched me in the face. H-he started to t-touch me."

"Where was he touching you?"

Callie glanced down at her hands shamefully. "In-in between my legs."

"You were naked at this point, correct?"

"I was still wearing my bra, but that was it."

"When Liam was touching you, did he insert his fingers into your vagina?"

Callie wanted to hide. "Y-yes."

"What happened next?"

"He asked Vico if he wanted me first."

"You want her first?" Liam asked, turning his head towards Vico.

Callie thrashed beneath Liam, shaking her head frantically. She needed to get away. Their intentions were clear, and it made every ounce of oxygen escape her lungs. "Get off me!"

"Shut up!" Liam growled, swiping his hand across her face. He stood, sending another kick towards her abdomen.

Callie clenched her stomach as she choked out a cough. She scrambled to her feet, taking full advantage of the fact that neither Liam nor Vico had their hands on her. She darted in the opposite direction, but before she could even lift her second foot off the ground, Vico's hand latched onto her throbbing wrist, sending shocks of pain through her hand. He dragged her towards him and shoved her into the ground. He made quick work of pinning her arms above her head as he straddled her waist.

Callie clenched her jaw, gathered saliva in her mouth and launched it at Vico's face. He grunted angrily, releasing his grip on her wrists to wipe the fluid off his cheek. Callie took the opportunity to slide backward. She attempted to push herself up with her hands, but she fell back down as she put weight on her limp wrist. A small whimper left her lips and she inhaled sharply. There was no choice but to swallow down the pain and continue sliding further away in an attempt to escape this nightmare. But within seconds, Vico snatched Callie's ankle, tugging her towards him.

His face contorted into rage and his fist came down on her eye. She held her breath, struggling to cope with the pain radiating throughout her face. Her eye was practically swollen shut. Her vision was blurred. There would undoubtfully be a bruise accompanying the pain in a few minutes.

"You stupid bitch!" Vico shouted, clenching her jaw in his hand while the other held her aching wrists above her head. "Stop fighting!"

Vico released her jaw and attacked her lips with his. She opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to slip inside before biting down on the flesh.

"He was so mad that I bit his tongue." Callie said, shuddering as she recalled his reaction.

"What did he do?"

Vico gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as anger coursed through his veins. Large hands were suddenly clutching her neck, depriving her of oxygen. Her eyes grew wide as she gasped for air, writhing beneath him. Vico only squeezed harder, bruising the skin beneath his fingers. "I'll teach you a lesson, bitch."

This was it. This was going to be the end of her life. He was going to kill her right here and now. She wasn't sure she was too upset about it. It would put an end to the hell and torture she was enduring, but she couldn't leave her family. She couldn't leave Jude without his adoption being finalized.

Tears trickled down her face, which had turned a ghostly shade of white. The only sounds emerging from her were quiet gags as she wheezed for air. Black spots danced in her vision and just as she thought she wouldn't make it any longer, his hands disappeared from her neck.

She flew into sitting position, coughing and gasping. She grasped her neck where deep red finger marks remained and bruises began to form. He rammed his foot into her already aching ribs, causing her to fall into another coughing fit. She collapsed onto her side, curling into fetal position as she tried to catch her breath.

Vico pushed Callie onto her back, pinning her to the ground. He crushed her sore jaw in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "If you pull something like that again, I will make this seem like paradise and then I will hurt Brandon so bad that he'll be begging for death. You better cooperate."

Tears stung Callie's eyes. She didn't doubt his words.

"I'm going to make this hurt even more now." Vico growled. He was suddenly clawing at her thighs and forcing her legs apart. His hands were rough as he violated her. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to imagine that she was somewhere else; trying to imagine that she wasn't going through this again, but she was failing. No matter how hard she tried, the only thing she could think of was that Vico's hands were touching her.

"For clarification, Vico was touching your vagina, correct?"

Callie nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Yes."

"He inserted his fingers into your vagina, correct?"

"Yes." Callie whispered, loud enough for the room to hear.

"What was Liam doing while Vico was touching you?"

Callie quivered at the image. "He was just standing there watching and smiling."

"Did Vico ever perform oral sex on you?"

Callie shook her head. "No."

"Did Vico ever force you to perform oral sex on him?"

Callie looked away, taking interest in her trembling hands. She couldn't do this. Not with her family sitting ten feet away listening. Words seemed to escape her. She wanted to look at Brandon for comfort, but she was too ashamed. So instead she focused on a small notch in the podium before she continued.

Vico removed his hand from in between Callie's legs and punched her in the stomach. She yelped, letting out a cough. Vico released his grip on her wrists and quickly unbuttoned his jeans, letting them pool around his ankles.

Callie attempted to get up, but Vico kicked her abdomen. She fell onto her side, clutching her aching ribs. Vico took the opportunity to pull down his boxers. He grabbed a fistful of Callie's curls, forcing her onto her knees. The other hand slipped around her back to unclip her bra. She pushed at him, but she only had one hand and he was too strong.

"Liam, hold her hands back. She's too feisty for her own good." Vico said.

Liam nodded and moved behind Callie. He pulled her arms behind her back, holding them in a tight grip.

"Stop! You can't do this!" Callie shouted with panic.

Liam smirked. "We can and we will."

"C'mon Callie, do it. Be the slut that you are."

She shut her eyes tightly, refusing to look at his bare waistline. "No."

Vico clenched her jaw, forcing her mouth open and pushing himself inside. Every muscle in Callie's body was paralyzed with shock. Air escaped her lungs, making her chest burn. Nausea churned in her stomach. She couldn't breathe. And so she did the only thing her instincts screamed to end this torture. Her teeth sank down on his flesh, producing a pained yelp from Vico.

"You bit Vico's penis?"

Callie felt as though the room's temperature increased drastically. "Y-yes."

Brandon shifted in his seat. The fury brewing within him was threatening to explode. Listening to the horrors his girlfriend endured was too much, and it was taking nearly everything in him to not lunge for the monsters who hurt her.

"How did he react?"

Callie hesitated. "He was really mad."

Liam shoved Callie face-first into the ground, holding her arms behind her back in a tight grip. Vico was doubled over, clutching his groin. Callie stopped struggling against Liam's grasp. She felt his grip loosen slightly and she took the opportunity to whip her head back, colliding it with Liam's nose.

Liam grunted, releasing his grip to grab his throbbing nose. Callie jumped to her feet, making a run towards the opposite direction. Her ribs burned with every step. She stepped on a boulder, snapping her ankle and sending her to the ground. She shut her eyes and clenched her teeth at the pain radiating in her ankle. She took a deep breath and swallowed down the pain. She had to get up. She had to get away.

Vico's hand suddenly clenched around her ankle, dragging her towards him. She thrashed against him, earning a punch to the abdomen. "You are going to pay for that."

"They were so mad. They both starting beating me." Callie's hand subconsciously traced the scar on her wrist.

"What do you mean when you say beat?"

Callie was growing frustrated. Why did she have to specify everything? "They hit, and punched, and kicked me anywhere and everywhere. I was yelling at them to stop, but they just kept going."

"What happened after that?"

Callie paused for a moment; the color draining from her face. She felt her throat close and she fidgeted in her chair. She couldn't do this. She didn't want to think about this; she didn't want to talk about this in front of all of these people.

"Callie, do you need me to repeat the question?"

Callie's eyes darted around the room, finding Brandon. He nodded his head towards her and offered her a comforting smile.

Callie took a deep breath, returning her eyes to the lawyer. "No, I heard, sorry."

"Please." Callie pleaded in nothing more than a whisper. She curled herself further into fetal position as another kick landed on her back. It felt as though they were using her as a punching bag and she couldn't take anymore. The pain was unbearable. She was nearly sure she would literally break with one more strike.

Vico grabbed her shoulders, pushing her onto her back. He sat on top of her, trapping her arms above her head. The weight of his body intensified the pain throbbing throughout her entire frame. "Oh, so you're begging for me now."

His nails dug into the skin on her thighs, pushing them apart. She struggled against him, but every inch of her body ached.

She squirmed beneath him as she felt his bare body against hers. "No, no, no! Please don't do this. Get off! Get off!"

A pained shrieked pierced the air as Vico thrust into Callie. White, hot burning pain was all she felt. Stars danced behind her lids. Tears tumbled down her cheeks. She swore she could actually feel her soul shattering and it was a feeling that was all too familiar. Her eyes squeezed shut, wishing for something to get her out of this horrible situation.

Callie wiped at the tears trickling down her cheeks. She felt weak for crying in front of all these people. She felt vulnerable knowing that all these people knew her story; knew she wasn't strong enough to fight them off.

"Did Vico ejaculate inside of you?"

Callie closed her eye for a moment. The sounds of his moans echoed in her ears. The pleasure in his eyes flashed in her mind. Her stomach flipped with nausea. "Yes."

"What happened after he finished?"

"Now you know what it feels like to be with a real man." Vico's hot breath blew against the skin on Callie's bruised neck. "Still want Brandon now that you've been with me?"

Callie moved her head to the opposite side to avoid Vico's burning eyes filled with power and lust. She wanted him away from her. She needed him to get off her. She felt disgusting. She felt dirty. She felt pained. She felt broken. Utterly broken.

"Let's see if he even wants you now that I've marked you." Vico smirked, leaning in closer to Callie's face. His lips were practically against her ear. "You're mine now."

Callie choked out a sob. She closed her eyes. Every inch of her body hurt.

She was so relieved when Vico stood, but the relief vanished as quickly as it came. Liam was suddenly straddling her, his hands wandering her body.

She couldn't do this. Not again. "No, please. Please stop. Leave me alone. Please."

"Don't act like you don't want this. You asked for this." Liam snarled. "This is all you're good for, Callie. You're a worthless slut."

"Get off me! Please get off. Please!" Callie sobbed in absolute desperation as Liam pried at her thighs, wet and sticky with blood.

"Do you have to bleed so much?" Liam snarled with annoyance. She wanted to scream; she was bleeding because of them.

He was in between her legs now, and Callie thought she was going to vomit. Liam clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes at Callie. He shoved into her roughly, producing a sharp inhale from the distraught brunette. One hand clasped her jaw, forcing her to look at him. "You're mine, Callie. You will always be mine. I marked you first."

It felt like someone was tearing her insides apart with a razor. He just kept going. "Stop! It hurts."

"Don't be so dramatic, Callie." He hissed, leaning down to dig his teeth onto the bruised flesh on her neck. "It's not like we haven't had sex before."

Callie's chest heaved with uncontrollable sobs. Every movement sent waves of agonizing pain throughout her body. Every second intensified the pain.

"Did Liam ejaculate inside of you as well?"

"Yes." Callie whispered.

"What happened after he finished?"

Callie curled herself into fetal position as Liam buckled his pants. There was no use in running anymore. They had already done the damage and there was no doubt they would outrun her in the state she was in now. She wasn't even sure she would be able to stand right now. She closed her eyes tightly. Maybe they would think she died and would leave her here.

Callie let out a startled gasp when she felt rough hands clench her jaw in a deathly grip. Her eyes flew open to see Vico kneeled before her with menacing eyes. "You don't tell anyone other than you enjoyed this otherwise not only will we do worse to you, but we'll come after your precious boyfriend."

"And Jude." Liam added with a grin. "Plus, I think we all know that you really did enjoy this anyway."

"See you at school on Monday. I can't wait to tell everyone what a slut you are." Vico said before he and Liam retreated into the woods. Callie remained curled into herself as she listened to their footsteps and voices fade.

She sat up slowly, black spots dancing in her vision. Her head pounded and her entire body ached. She didn't think there was an inch of her that didn't hurt. She reached for her bra and dress. She couldn't find her underwear and she couldn't be bothered to look. It wouldn't matter anyway with the way she was bleeding. It took everything in her to somehow slip her bra and dress on, not fully closing either garment. Every movement hurt.

She winced as she planted her feet onto the ground. Her vision blurred and she stumbled slightly. Another sob ripped through her throat as she stared into the dark woods. The emotional and physical pain was paralyzing. She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, waiting for the darkness to capture her. But Jude's face flashed through her mind. She couldn't leave him; not without his adoption being finalized. And so her only option was to find her way out of these woods no matter how much pain she was in. There were countless times her body was sore from beatings and she needed to push through to help Jude; this was no different.

"What happened after you got home?"

"Brandon was sitting outside and saw me fall on the sidewalk. Things are kind of blurry from there, but he brought me inside. I couldn't walk anymore, I was on the verge of passing out. I started coughing up blood so Stef and Lena, my foster moms at the time, called 911. I passed out after the ambulance arrived." Callie said.

"What happened at the hospital?"

"I went into shock from blood loss. They rushed me to surgery for a collapsed lung, internal bleeding, and to repair the…vaginal lacerations." Callie was humiliated discussing this in front of all these people.

"To the best of your ability, can you tell us what injuries you suffered from?"

"There was internal bleeding and the uh…vaginal lacerations. I had four broken ribs and one of them punctured my lung, which caused it to collapse. I had a concussion, a broken wrist and cheekbone, a sprained ankle, and a dislocated shoulder. I also had some stitches on some of the cuts."

"Document A provides a full, detailed list of Callie's injuries." Olivia told the jury before returning her gaze to Callie. "Can you take a look at the photograph on exhibit one and describe what we are looking at?"

Callie's eyes found the photograph Olivia was referring too. The knot in her stomach tightened. "Uh, it's a photo of me that was taken in the hospital."

"So those are all bruises, cuts, bite marks, injuries you sustained from being in the woods with Vico and Liam?"

"Yes." Callie nodded.

"Would you say your pain levels were high?"

"Yes."

"What happened the first night in the hospital"

"I threw up most of the night from the emergency contraception." Callie thought back to that awful night in the hospital. After all, she had been through hours before that and with all the pain she had already been in, being violently ill had been terrible.

"Were you given a second dose?"

"No. I had become very dehydrated and throwing up was not good for my injuries so they couldn't take the risk."

"And how long did you stay in the hospital for?"

"A week." Callie replied.

"Did you have any restrictions when returning home?"

"I couldn't do much. I wasn't able to really walk on my own. I was supposed to be on crutches, but they couldn't because of my shoulder and wrist injury. I couldn't really do anything on my own besides rest." Callie thought back to the awful week following her return home. She hated asking for help; it made her feel weak. And yet nearly every basic task she needed assistance: walking, showering, getting dressed, going to the bathroom.

"How much school did you miss?"

"A week. It would have been longer, but it fell during Christmas break." Callie said.

"And what was recuperation like? How long did it take?"

"Long. Frustrating. Some things healed after a couple of weeks. The bruises took nearly a month to fade. My wrist still has issues."

"You had taken emergency contraception, but were you concerned you were pregnant?"

Callie felt her heart twinge. Discussing her pregnancy was too painful. "Yes. I never got my period and there had been some signs. So, I took a test and it was positive."

"Was there any chance of the pregnancy was not a result of the assault?"

Callie shook her head, fiddling with her hands. "N-no. I hadn't…been intimate with anyone."

"Exhibit two is a copy of the paternity test, using that can you tell us who the biological father is?"

Callie turned the page in the packet hesitantly. She hadn't wanted to know which one was the father. She didn't want to acknowledge either of them as the baby's father even if it was just biological. But she was being forced to know now, just like she was forced to do everything else in life. Tears sprang to her eyes as the scanned the name on the paper. She felt her chest tighten and she looked up to find Brandon to calm her. "Vico."

"So, you found yourself pregnant from an awful experience all while you were still healing from severe injuries, what were your plans for the baby?"

"I briefly considered my options. I couldn't personally bring myself to abort and after dealing with the horrors of the foster system, I couldn't risk my baby going through that and I feared that could possibly happen if I went with adoption." Callie paused for a moment, blinking back tears. "And I loved her. She…she was mine and so I decided to keep her."

"Can you tell us what happened on June 24th?"

Callie swallowed thickly. "I was waiting by the car after school for Brandon and…V-Vico showed up."

"What did he do?"

Callie explained the events of that awful day: Vico knocking her out, taking her to the empty house, and nearly raping her again. The humiliation continued as Olivia once again had her specify the exact details and how and where Vico touched her. And she knew this trail of questions was leading up to the absolute worst moment of her life.

"How far along in your pregnancy were you at this point?

"29 weeks. 7 months."

Oliva nodded. "You said you went to the hospital, were you hurt?"

"My main concern was the baby. But I ended up having a fractured wrist, cheekbone, and they thought a concussion, but didn't want to expose me to radiation while I was pregnant." Callie swallowed the lump forming in the back of her throat. She would do anything to go back to that day and insist on running more tests on the baby. Maybe they would have picked up on something with more extensive testing.

"Did they find any complications with the pregnancy?"

"No." Callie choked out, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Not at that time."

"Not at that time, but there was one?"

Callie closed her eyes for a moment in an attempt to stop her tears as she nodded. "Yes. There…there was a tear in the placenta."

"And when was this discovered?"

"A…a few weeks later. When I was thirty-four weeks."

"Can you explain what happened?"

Callie nibbled on her lower lip. Her palms grew clammy. She couldn't do this. Divulging the details of her assault was painful and embarrassing enough, but to reveal the story of the worst day of her life was too much. She didn't want the legal system tainting her daughter's story.

"Do you need me to repeat the question?" Olivia asked after Callie failed to respond.

Callie met her lawyer's eyes. "No, sorry. Um…I woke up one morning and felt contractions. I had been experiencing Braxton hick's contractions so I assumed that's what it was. But…it got worse."

"How so?"

"They were more painful, intense, and closer together. I felt like it may have been real contractions then. I was at a school event, so I went to get someone, but the pain got really bad and then I started…I started to bleed. A lot." Callie shuddered at the memory. She would never forget the striking terror that pierced her heart at the sight of blood. Spotting or light bleeding was expected during pregnancy, but the gushing blood that Callie experience was the worst fear for every mother.

"What happened next?"

"The pain had gotten really bad and I started to bleed through my pants. I couldn't get up so I called Brandon who found me and then got Lena. She called 911 and an ambulance came and brought me to the hospital." Callie paused. She didn't want to think about what happened next.

"What happened when you got to the hospital?"

Callie fixated her eyes on a small indent on the podium once again. "The found the placenta abrupted. I was fully dilated so they rushed me to delivery, but…they couldn't…"

Olivia waited a moment for Callie to continue, but the brunette remained silent, struggling to find her words. "They couldn't what?"

"F-find a heartbeat." Callie choked out as a sob ripped through her throat. She could still smell the metallic odor of the blood mixed with the hospital's antiseptic. She could still feel the wand on her stomach and the doctor frantically examining her. She could still see the alarm in the nurse's eyes when she realized there was no heartbeat. Callie wiped at her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears from trickling down her face. "I'm sorry."

Brandon wanted nothing more than to walk over to her and gather her in his arms. It was like one blow after another. They were making her relive each of her worst memories and Brandon wasn't sure how she had held it together thus far.

"Do you need a moment, Miss Jacob?" The judge asked.

Callie pinched the bridge of her nose and inhaled shakily. The humiliation coursing through her body tripled. Too many eyes were watching her meltdown. She needed to pull herself together. "I'm sorry. I'm fine."

"What happened after they realized there was no heartbeat?"

"I…I had to deliver her." Callie choked out. She found herself back in that hospital room; her abdomen cramping unbearably, emotional agony consuming every inch of her body, Brandon standing beside her, whispering encouraging words as he smoothed her hair from her sweaty forehead.

"So, after all the pain you had already been through in your life, you had to deliver a stillborn baby?"

Callie nodded. "Yes."

"What happened after you delivered?

"I passed out shortly after that. I went into shock and cardiac arrest from blood loss and was rushed into surgery."

"Was a hysterectomy needed?"

"No. They almost did one, but they did everything they could to avoid it." Callie explained. "I don't really know what they did, but some kind of laparotomy to remove pieces of the placenta and stitch up lacerations."

"Does that have any effect on your fertility?"

Callie shrugged. "They're not sure."

"Was there a cause for this placental abruption?" Olivia asked.

"The doctors said it was most likely from a hard fall."

"When did you fall during your pregnancy?"

"June 24th. Twice on that day from Vico knocking me out and pushing me." Callie met Vico's eyes with a deadly stare. The fear dissipated and fury took its place. Fury at the man who ultimately led to her daughter's death.

"No further questions for this witness."

Thanks for reading! So sorry for the long delay (hopefully this long chapter makes up for it)- I have not abandoned this story. I've had so much going on between finishing student teaching/school, wedding planning/events for my sister, and other life events. These next few chapters are the trial, which took a while with research and fixing it up and whatnot. Anyway, as I'm sure is the same for all of you, there is a lot of time on my hands with all the craziness going on in the world. I plan on getting the next chapter out sometime this week as I can now focus on writing. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy!

Review!