Breaking Free
Trigger Warning: This story contains scenes of domestic violence, and physical and emotional abuse. The main character was in an abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend, who hurt her both physically and mentally. The story also depicts the main character's struggle to escape from the abuse and find love and healing with another person. If you are sensitive to these topics, please read with caution. If you are experiencing domestic violence or need help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit their website. You are not alone, and you deserve to be safe and happy.
Chapter 24
EDWARD
I watched Bella as she walked back to the witness box, escorted by Marshal Jones. She looked pale and tired, but also determined and brave. I admired her for facing that monster again, for telling the truth, for fighting for justice. I wished I could be there with her, to hold her hand, to whisper words of encouragement, to protect her from any harm. But I had to stay in the gallery, next to Rosalie, who was not only Bella's lawyer, but also a good friend of mine.
Rosalie had insisted on coming with me to the trial, even though I told her it was not necessary. She said she wanted to support me and Bella, and I couldn't blame her. That was why I had rearranged my work schedule, so I could be here for them. Like Rosalie, I wanted to see Chris, whatever his last name was, suffer, to see him pay for his crimes, to see him rot in jail for the rest of his life.
"Are you okay?" Rosalie whispered to me, as we waited for the trial to resume. She squeezed my hand and gave me a sympathetic look.
"I'm fine," I lied. I wasn't fine. I was angry, scared, and worried. I hated seeing Bella in pain, I hated seeing Chris smirking, and I hated feeling helpless. "How about you?"
"I'm fine too," she lied back. She wasn't fine either. I knew she was furious, anxious, and restless. "Don't worry, we'll get through this."
The judge banged his gavel, causing me to jump. "Court is back in session," he announced, before turning to Bella. "Ms. Swan, I want to remind you that you are still under oath."
Bella nodded, looking nervous.
"Mr. Tuts, you can continue with your examination of Ms. Swan," the judge said.
Jessica stood up with Mr. Tuts. She positioned a video screen so everyone in the courtroom could see. She pressed a button, and the screen came to life. It showed no image, just a black screen. I knew what was coming. So, I closed my eyes, not wanting to relive the early morning when Bella had come to me for help. She had been covered in blood and bruises. I swallowed hard and steadied myself, ready for the questions to come.
Jessica retook her seat at the table as Mr. Tuts asked, "Ms. Swan, I am going to show you some images. I would like you to answer some questions about them. Is that okay?"
I watched as Bella's shoulders rose and fell as she breathed. "Yes," she said. Her voice was strong, but I could hear the fear in it.
Mr. Tuts nodded and motioned to the screen. "Now, I must warn you these images are graphic," he said, addressing Bella and the court. He brought up the first image, a side-by-side of Bella's injuries.
There was an "L" shaped ruler next to a bruise in one image, and a cut in the other.
"Can you tell me about what you see?" he inquired.
Bella's shoulders rose and fell as she breathed. "The picture on the right is of my face and the bruises Christopher gave me. The one on the left is of my right thigh from the cut he gave me."
Mr. Tuts changed the image. "Let's talk about the cut on your thigh." He said. Bella's hand moved to the spot as she rubbed it. "How did you cut yourself?"
"I didn't." Bella's eyes darted to Chris. Just her eyes. She didn't turn her head and look at him directly, but I did. Chris didn't seem fazed by her answer.
In a gentle, sympathetic voice, Mr. Tuts asked, "Would you please tell the court how you received it?"
Bella didn't miss a beat. "Christopher inflicted it upon me," she replied.
There was a gasp from those sitting around Rosalie and me. The judge banged his gavel. "Silence," he ordered.
"When did you receive it?" the DA pressed.
Bella seemed lost for a moment. She and Jessica had gone over this last night. Her recollection was smooth. I wondered why she was slow in answering. I looked over at Rosalie and found her looking at me.
"Ms. Swan," the judge said, "please answer the question."
Bella shook her head, looking over at the judge. "Sorry, your honor." She turned her head back until she was facing the DA again. "The night before Christopher beat me up," she stated.
Rosalie leaned over to me. "I think she just had a flashback," she whispered in my ear.
That would explain the puzzled, blank look on her face.
The DA flipped to a black screen before continuing. "Ms. Swan, why do you think Christopher injured you the night before he beat you up?" he inquired.
"Objection. The witness cannot speak to my client's state of mind," the defense attorney said, standing up.
"Your honor, I am not asking about the defendant's state of mind. I am asking what Ms. Swan believes is the reason for the injury," Mr. Tuts argued.
I watched the judge. He leaned back in his chair, raising a hand when the defense attorney made to argue further against the question. The judge rubbed his chin. "Overruled. The witness may answer," he said after a moment of consideration.
"Honestly, I don't know," Bella said, shrugging.
Jessica held up a bag. Mr. Tuts walked over and accepted it. Turning back, he said, "Your honor, the prosecution would like to enter into evidence this butcher knife as exhibit J."
The judge picked up a pen and made a note, "So entered."
Mr. Tuts placed it on the table in front of the judge's bench. With his clicker, he brought up another image. It was the butcher's knife. "Ms. Swan, do you recognize this knife?" he asked.
"I do," Bella answered simply.
"And where did the defendant get the butcher's knife from?" he inquired.
"It is from the knife block on my counter." Bella reached up and brushed a stray hair behind her ear.
Mr. Tuts moved closer to the witness box as he asked, "What were you and Christopher doing before he got the butcher's knife?"
Bella shivered as if she were cold. "Eating dinner," she answered.
"And how did Christopher use the butcher's knife against you?" he probed.
She rubbed her thigh. "He cut my upper right thigh."
"I hate to ask this, but I need to. Did you do anything to provoke Christopher?" Mr. Tuts asked.
"No," she remarked, shaking her head.
The DA steepled his hands in front of his face. "Did you try to defend yourself?" he continued.
"No."
"Why?" he pressed.
Bella took a breath and released it before answering. "One minute he was sitting at the table. He pushed the plate away from him." She paused, taking another breath and releasing it. "The next thing I know, he had the knife and was pressing it against my leg."
"Why didn't you call the police then?" the DA asked. There was tenderness in his voice.
That was a good question. My gaze hadn't moved from Bella in a while. I glanced at the jury. They were leaning forward slightly. They were curious about Bella's reason too.
"He threatened to kill me if I ever told anyone about how he treated me," Bella replied.
The DA looked like he wanted to move closer to the witness box. To touch Bella's hand and comfort her. "Ms. Swan, I'm sorry he did that to you. Was there anyone around at any time he made that threat?" he said.
Bella looked at me with tears in her eyes as she answered. "No," she said.
I reached up and wiped my eyes, finding moisture.
"Let's get back to the knife. Did you do anything with it?" the DA asked.
"I left it where Christopher dropped it," she said, reaching up and wiping her eyes.
"How about later, after he left?" he probed.
"Yes."
"What did you do with it?" he inquired.
She swiped at her eyes again. "I preserved it," she said.
The DA appeared confused. "What do you mean? Preserved it how?" he asked.
Bella's eyes met mine. I remembered what Jessica told her last night. Tell your story, Bella. Tell everyone in the courtroom what you did after Christopher left. Tell them what you did with the knife.
I nodded and mouthed I love you.
Bella took a deep breath and released it. "After cleaning and bandaging my leg, I put on a pair of rubber gloves and retrieved two gallon size plastic bags. I took a couple of pictures of the knife, using two books for the scale. I then picked up the knife and put it in the plastic bag," she explained.
The DA turned to face the gallery a moment, his eyes wide. He faced Bella again. "Impressive, Ms. Swan. Who taught you how to collect evidence?" he said.
Bella sat up a little taller. "My father," she answered, pride evident in her voice.
"And who is your father?" he asked.
"Chief of Police Charlie Swan. Forks, Washington," she replied.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the defense attorney make a note.
"After collecting the knife, what did you do with it?" the DA questioned.
"I placed it in another plastic bag along with printouts of the pictures I took and the books I used," she stated. "Then, I hid the knife in my bedroom closet."
The DA nodded. "Did you ever tell anyone about what had happened?" he asked.
"Yes," Bella remarked, nodding.
"And who did you tell?" he inquired.
"Detective Ryan Carter," she said without hesitation.
"And, what did you tell Detective Carter?" He crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for Bella to answer.
She did as Jessica instructed. Told her story. "What Christopher did to me the night before he, for a lack of a better phrase, beat me up. Where I hid the knife. And why I didn't call the police that night."
With his arms still crossed, he prodded, "How long after you hid the knife did you tell the detective?"
"Five or six days," she answered, reaching for the glass of water near her for the first time.
"Why not sooner?" he pressed.
Bella took another sip and set the glass down before replying. "With everything that happened the next night and the medicine I was prescribed, I forgot about it. Once I remembered, I told the detective."
The DA smiled gently as he walked over to the table. He accepted some papers from Jessica. He then handed one set to the bailiff. "Your honor, at my request, Ms. Swan provided me with her fingerprints. I had the crime lab run her prints against those found on the knife. Her prints were not on it. The lab further ran Christopher's prints against it. His were found. Ms. Swan also supplied a DNA sample. The blood on the knife blade is hers. The prosecution would like to submit the lab report into evidence as exhibit K."
As the judge looked over the report, the DA gave the other attorney a copy.
"So entered," the judge said.
"Now, Ms. Swan, let's move away from the knife. Did Christopher harm you in other ways?" he asked.
A confused look appeared on Bella's face. "What do you mean by "other ways"?" she asked.
"We've established that he hit you, correct?" he said.
"Yes."
"And he cut you, drawing blood, right?" he continued.
"Yes."
"Did he try to isolate you?" the DA asked.
I reached for Rosalie's hand. Were my suspicions going to be confirmed? Jessica hadn't prepared Bella on how to answer this question.
"Yes," Bella said, hanging her head.
The DA took a step forward. "Ms. Swan," he started, getting Bella to look at him. "Can you explain how?" he inquired.
"I wasn't allowed to call my dad, my high school friends, my pseudo-parents. Really anyone from my hometown," she explained.
The judge picked up the box of Kleenex from his desk. He offered Bella one. She gratefully accepted one.
"And could you talk to them if they called you?" the DA asked as she wiped her nose.
She nodded as she said, "Yes."
"And what happened when Christopher found out?" he probed.
"I'm not sure if he ever knew," she replied.
"That's fine. Did Christopher ever give you the silent treatment?" he asked.
Bella wiped her nose again. "Yes," she answered.
"How did it make you feel?" he questioned.
I looked at Chris. He seemed bored.
"At first, I was like why isn't he talking to me? Then as the abuse started, I was relieved when he left me alone. However, as the abuse got worse, his silence frightened me," she said. She closed her eyes and took a breath.
The DA pursed his lips. "Why didn't you tell anyone about Christopher's abuse?" he asked.
I had expected the defense attorney to object, but he didn't.
Bella blew out a breath. "Like I said already, Christopher threatened to kill me if I told anyone."
"Yes, that's right. Ms. Swan, how did you explain your injuries to your friends, coworkers, and family?" the DA asked.
Bella looked over at the jury for a moment and then back at Mr. Tuts. "I lied to everyone or ignored their questions," she said.
Mr. Tuts frowned. "Ms. Swan, why didn't you leave Christopher sooner?" he inquired.
Bella looked down at her hands as she fiddled with the bracelet I gave her.
Tell the court your story, I thought.
"I felt trapped. I was lying to everyone. I made excuses to my dad as to why I couldn't come for a visit. When he wanted to visit me, I told him I had to study or work. I didn't have the strength to fight Christopher," she said after looking back up.
"Why didn't you call the police when Christopher hurt you?" the DA probed.
Bella's pale face flushed. "I was in a catch-22. A he-said, she-said situation. I felt they would believe Christopher over me, even if I was black and blue and bleeding," she answered.
The DA hmm'd. "Let's move on. The night you finally broke up with Christopher, what changed?" he continued.
Bella caught my eye. "I ran into an old friend. During the brief encounter, I let him see some things no one else had," she replied.
"Does this old friend have a name? And first name would be fine," he asked.
"Edward." Bella again looked at me.
The DA moved to the side, blocking me from view. "And what did you show Edward?" he questioned.
"Nothing really," Bella said. "However, I didn't hide the bruises, letting him draw his own conclusions," she explained.
The DA shifted again. "Let me ask that question again in a different way. During the encounter, what do you think Edward saw?" he said.
Momentary fear filled her eyes as her gaze moved to me once more. No objection came. She broke eye contact and squared her shoulders.
"Pictures of me and my college friends hanging on my apartment walls. None of me and Christopher. His parents' phone numbers were hidden under my dad's name when he asked to see my phone," she stated.
The DA sounded confused as he asked, "Why did Edward want to see your phone?"
A strand of hair fell in front of Bella's eyes, and she tucked it behind her ear as she answered. "He said he wanted to give me something," she said.
"Please tell the court what he gave you," he requested.
"A lifeline," she said.
"What do you mean by a "lifeline"?" the DA prodded.
Bella closed her eyes for a moment. I glanced at my watch. The anxiety pill she took this morning was wearing off. It was a heartbeat later when she said, "His phone number and apartment number. But more importantly, he gave me courage," she explained.
The judge held up his hand, stopping Mr. Tuts have asking another question. "Ms. Swan, you look a little flushed. Are you okay?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, your honor, I'm not. I'm feeling anxious. And it's time for my next pill," she replied.
The judge nodded, as he picked up his gavel. "Let's take a twenty-minute recess," he announced. He banged the gavel.
The courtroom cleared out as Marshal Smith helped Bella off the stand. She collapsed. Rosalie and I rushed forward. I dropped to my knees and cradled Bella's head in my lap.
Marshal Jones was on the phone as Marshal Smith rushed out the door the courtroom bailiff went through with the judge. Another marshal, whose name wasn't coming to me, took her pulse.
I had a feeling court would be called for the day, and Bella would be taken to the hospital to be looked over. I knew it would be wise and I dreaded calling Charlie and my parents about this. They were unable to get away for the day. Bella had promised to call tonight.
Author's Note: Well, that took a turn I wasn't expecting. The DA still has questions for Bella, but her health and wellbeing takes precedence. We'll continue with the DA in the next chapter and hopefully get to the cross-examination by the defense. As for the monologue in the last chapter, I hope I was able to clarify the reason – Jesssica prepped Bella to tell her story. And that monologue was one piece of the story. =]