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After the judge went to his chambers, Lacey approached Victor and I saw him nod and say something to her. When she came back to me, she smiled, “Let’s go to the conference room.” We all walked across the hallway and found Victor and Theodore sitting at the table. Daniel and I sat across from them and I sighed, “I guess you’re wondering what would make me change course and insist on a meeting with you.”Victor nodded, “That’s basically what was running through my head all day.” I took a deep breath, “Well, I know you were wondering about why I have to reduce my stress levels too. So, let me explain without interruptions.” I watched as he and his father nodded their heads. I continued, “On the day that I moved my stuff out of the house, I collapsed as soon as everything was brought to my new place.“Luckily, Lacey was still there and she called an ambulance. I was in the ambulance when I woke up. After the doctor ran blood work, she told me that I was dehydrated and pregnant. The stress
Lacey approached Winifred and started, “Mrs. Cross, is it ok to call you Winifred?” Winifred huffed, “Absolutely not. You will address me as Mrs. Cross.” Lacey smirked, “That’s fine. Mrs. Cross, are you sure your previous testimony will stand up to evidence we currently have?” Winifred smirked, “Of course.”Lacey went to our table and pulled a thumb drive out of her briefcase, “Mrs. Cross, are you aware that Harley set up cameras of her own in the house two weeks before she left, so that she could have evidence against you?” Winifred stuttered, “N… No. I… I did not know.” Lacey continued, “Well, you know that it is entirely legal because she did it for her own security. After the beating that put her in the hospital, she was not going to let it go unpunished again.” Winifred huffed, “I did not do that to her”.Lacey asked, “Then who did it to her? Apparently, you were there. Which one of your friends are you going to throw under the bus? Because we all now know that your friends were t
Lacey stood in front of Victor and smiled, “Hello, Mister Cross, so, the agreement that you approached your wife with was three million dollars one mansion, the beach house and two cars. Is that correct?” Victor nodded, “Yes, it was.” Lacey asked, “Mister Cross, for the record, how much are you currently worth?” Victor took a deep breath and answered, “Approximately five-hundred billion.”Gasps were heard loudly throughout court room and Judge Trayner banged his gavel, “Order in the court. I will not tolerate outbursts.” Lacey asked, “Your wife worked in your clothing design firm also. Is that correct?” Victor nodded, “She did. To be honest, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all if she came back. She was my best designer.” I chuckled as I slowly shook my head.Lacey asked, “How much do you think her designs have generated for your company?” Victor answered, “We keep track of that for each designer. The last time I checked for Harley, that amount was two billion. I’m sure there will be mo
During the break, we went to a conference room across from the courtroom. Daniel had lunch delivered and I was a very happy woman. He ordered big greasy burgers and fresh fries. I kissed him soundly for the special treat. He laughed, “Only you would consider a burger and fries a special treat.” I smiled, “I was really craving this. It’s almost like you were reading my mind.”After I was done eating, Lacey sighed, “This is going to be the rough part, sweetie. They will be putting all your favorite people on the stand. That includes Winifred, Daya and Victor. I fully expect Winifred and Daya to lie under oath. If any of their lies are about you, we will immediately file a defamation of character lawsuit. I will not let it go unpunished”.I nodded in understanding, took a deep breath and sighed, “Let’s go. I just want it done.” Daniel hugged me, “It’s going to be alright, love. Why don’t we go out to eat tonight? We can do something fun afterwards.” I raised my eyebrows and smiled, “Salsa
When everyone was seated, Judge Trayner pointed to our table, “Miss Gordon, please call your first witness.” Lacey stood, “Your Honor, I would like to call the petitioner, Harlequin Frost.” I walked up to the stand and held up my right hand as I swore to tell the truth, so help me God. I sat down in the chair provided and aimed the microphone toward me.Lacey asked, “Ms. Frost, you are the current wife of the defendant, Victor Cross. Are you not?” I answered, “I am.” Lacey asked, “And you are suing for divorce on the grounds of adultery and emotional abuse. Is this correct?” I answered, “That’s correct.”Lacey picked up a stack of paper that was three inches high and handed it to the bailiff, “Your honor, to save the court time and money, this is all evidence of Mister Cross’ infidelity. He was certainly not trying to hide his exploits. I would, therefore, like to move to the issue of his emotional abuse.” Judge Trayner agreed as he looked through all of the articles, “I agree. Go on.”
That night, I didn’t sleep much at all. When I would finally get to sleep, I would have horrible nightmares and Daniel’s hold on me would instinctively get tighter with each one. As much as I loved his firm grip on me, by two a.m. I couldn’t sleep anymore. The nightmares were nearly paralyzing for me. I kept dreaming of being beaten to the brink of death then being left for dead. Of course, Winifred was always the culprit.I was up and sitting at the bar, drinking coffee, when Daniel came downstairs at four a.m. Daniel asked, “Court is bringing up some trauma for you; isn’t it?” I nodded, “Yeah. The idea of having to relive everything with her sitting across the room from me is wreaking havoc in my brain. It won’t turn off until I actually get through this.”Daniel pulled me close, “I’m so sorry babe. I wish I had come home sooner. I could’ve stopped it sooner.” I sighed, “None of this is your fault. I could’ve refused to marry him. The fault lies with Victor and Winifred. I guess I ha