The Pregnant Scam

Chapter Forty-Six

The truth was suppose to make everything better at least that's what Anthony had been telling himself. The moment the words slipped out of his mouth he knew even though what he was doing was the right thing, that it was also wrong. Julia should have been the one to say it first, it was her story, her body that had been violated. He looked over at Julia and pleaded with his eyes as much as he could that he was sorry. The look on her face told him that he had betrayed her trust once again, but this time it was different this time she wasn't just upset, but angry too.
He watched her flee the court room as it erupted in chaos. Being in the witness stand he couldn't just jump over the railing and chase after her.  He glanced at their lawyer Tony who wore a bright smudge smile thinking that they won the case already and they might have just won, but by doing so he just lost his girl.
Judge Morry picked up her wooden gavel and hit it twice. "Order, order." She repeated till everyone had settled down and had returned to their seats, everyone except Julia that is who hadn't came back in. Once everyone was quiet Judge Morry turned to Anthony, "Do you understand what you're accusing Mr. Perez here of Mr. Baez and are you certain?"
Anthony nodded his head firmly, "Yes your honor, I'm positive Julia told me herself of what Sal did to her." He glanced towards the swinging wooden doors that Julia had ran towards. "With all do respect your Honor, could I go after her? She..." he stopped himself from saying she's not well knowing how that could be used against them in the case. "She needs me." He finished.
Judge Morry nodded her head in thought, then she turned to the crowds of people, "This court room is adjourned for 20 minutes. She hit her gavel dismissing them and that's all Anthony needed. Bracing his arm on the railing of the witness stand he didn't even bother opening it and instead jumped over the railing and bolted out of the court room.
He exited the court room and stopped in the hallway looking both ways. The hallway of the Court House was oddly quiet, there was no running, no sobbing that he could hear anyways. So which way did Julia go? He hurried down the hallway towards the exit wondering if Julia had left the building or not. He stopped at the secretary desk where an older lady wearing a purple suit was sitting doing paper work. "Excuse me, did you see a blond hair girl run this way?"
"No, sorry." The elderly lady replied going back to her papers.
"Okay, thanks for your time." Anthony murmured turning back the way he came. He walked down the hallway, but didn't get far when he heard faint crying. Slowly he followed the crying down the hallway, he stopped right outside the door where the crying was coming from. He stared up at the woman sign for the Woman's Bathroom. If this was any other girl he would just wait outside for her, but this wasn't just any other girl. This was his girl. "I gotta stop going into girl's bathrooms for her." He whispered under his breath shaking his head in amusement as he thought about the time in school when he had to go into the girls bathroom to help Julia get Jennifer to the hospital.
Looking both ways to make sure nobody saw him he ducked quickly into the Woman's bathroom. The bathroom was brightly lit with a row of blue stalls aligning the left wall and a marble counter with three sinks on the right. A decorative mirror hung above the sinks and the whole room smelled of roses. Julia was right there sobbing as she paced the bathroom floor.

                                                                       ***

I stopped pacing as I saw him, "It's all taken care of." I spatted the words he had said to me moments before we entered the Court House.
A lady exited one of the stalls and gave Anthony a disapproving look before going over to wash her hands. We both stood there silently waiting for her to finish. Once she left Anthony stepped towards me, "Let me explain please."
"No!" I shoved him back, "I'm so stupid! You knew what you were going to do in the court room didn't you?"
"Julia listen...."
"DIDN'T YOU?!" I yelled interrupting him.
"Yes, alright I knew!"
I sniffed, "And Tony? You both went behind my back about this whole case."
"Don't blame Tony, I was the one who came to him and told him the truth."
"So you went behind my back again." My voice cracked as I held one arm tightly across my rib cage and brought my other hand up to my face as I sobbed, "I don't know who's side you're on anymore!"
Anthony stepped close to me, "Jules." He spoke slowly, "I'm on your side, I've always been on your side."
"So you were on my side when you went behind my back and gave the Perez family a picture of us and Aria? You were on my side when you blurted out I was raped just now in the court room among all those people? You promised me you're keep my secret and do the Pregnant Scam with me to keep everyone from knowing the truth!"
"I'm sorry, I thought I was doing what's best for us, what's best for you."
I stormed past him, "HOW! How is this what's best for me?!"
He followed me out of the Woman's bathroom and sat beside me on the wooden bench outside in the hallway. "He's a monster Julia, I've seen first hand how his actions effected you. I feel you toss and turn during nightmare after nightmare, and cry to yourself. Putting him behind bars will give you peace that you need, you'll be able to sleep at night and know that he's locked away where he can't hurt you. Also you know we couldn't continue the scam forever, eventually our family and everyone we knew were going to find out."
I wiped my eyes, "Not like this though."
Anthony draped his arm across the back of the bench and around my shoulder, "Julia, if you could stop Sal would you?"
"What?!" I asked not sure where this conversation was going.
"You could put him behind bars you know that right? He'll spend the rest of his live in a cage like the monster he is, but in order to take him down we need you."
"There's no proof of what he did! There's no evidence, it's just my words against his." I argued.
"You're kidding right? Jules you have a living breathing baby that's proof! They test Aria's blood against his and have your testimony of what happen and it's all over, he'll be done for." Anthony and I were so busy talking neither of us had noticed Tony come and sit beside us till he spoke. "He's right Julia." He looked down at his watch, "Our twenty minutes is almost up, I was able to pull Judge Morry aside and she's wanting to turn this custody case into a rape case. But she can't just accuse Sal of rape, she needs you to come back in and talk. You don't have to tell your whole story right away, just yes confirming what Anthony had said is true."
I shook my head, "No, I can't. I can't go back in there. I can't be in that court room with him." I lowered my head, "I can't go back to that house and the memory." I looked up at Tony's and Anthony's defeated faces, "I'm sorry, I just can't."
"What about the other girls that are raped?" Tony asked getting both Anthony's and mine attention he continued. "You think Sal is going to stop with you? No." Tony said answering his own question. "Rapist don't stop, they get a thrill by doing it, and they'll do it again just as easily. If you don't stop him now Julia, he'll do it again, and if she doesn't report him he'll keep on doing it. He won't stop. So you have to ask yourself, is keeping the truth about what happened to you what's best? Or is stopping him from hurting other girls more important? Would you want other girls to go through what you did?" Tony sighed, "I'll let you think about that for a moment and stall some time in the court room." With that he left us.
I bite my lip thoughtfully. Of course I didn't want girls to go through what I did, of course I wanted to stop him and put an end to my nightmares. Maybe even gain some peace knowing he's locked away and can't hurt me or Aria. But that didn't change the fact that Anthony had betrayed my trust twice and that I could no longer trust him. I looked over at him, "I'll go back in there." I said slowly.  Anthony's face broke out in a smile and he took my hand in his. I pulled away as I looked at him sharply, "But then this relationship is over. For good." I stood up and walked away from him.
As I entered the court room all eyes turned and watched me as I walked down the middle aisle and back to the table where Tony was waiting. I looked up at Judge Morry and squeezed the edge of the table as my hands shook.
Tony leaned over and whispered, "You're doing the right thing, Julia."
"I'll like to call this meeting back to order." Judge Morry said picking up her gavel and hitting it. "Miss Blade, Mr. Baez statement threw this court room into a frenzy, and I must ask before we continue. Is Mr. Baez accusation correct? Did Salvatore Perez rape you over ten months ago, and is your child a result from the rape?"
I lowered my head looking down at my fingers, then slowly I looked back up at Judge Morry tears glistening my eyes, "Yes." My voice shook and I cleared it, "Yes your honor. Sal raped me and Aria my daughter is not Anthony's. She's his." Gathering all my courage that I had I looked over at Sal who was at the table with Christian and their Lawyer.
"Objection your Honor this is insane! Anthony and Julia did adult things and resulted in getting pregnant, but Sal and Christina only want custody because they're unfit parents! Sal did nothing of what this young lady is claiming he's done. He's devoted to his wife and this paper!"  Mr. MacClain spoke rapidly as he waved the DNA test results of Anthony's, "Is not proof that Sal ever touched Julia, she could have cheated on Anthony with one her classmates for all we know! The evidence was not shown before the court date therefore it can not be used in the case!"
"I'll be the judge of that Mr. MacClain, can you please be seated." Judge Morry spoke calmly. Judge Morry looked over her copy of the test results. "I will like to change the custody case into a rape case. Salvatore Perez you will be taken into Police custody. I will issue a DNA test for Salvatore and Aria. Once we have the test results back we will reopen our case on May 4th. Court adjourned." She hit the gavel once more before sitting back in her seat.
"This is absurd!" Sal argued glaring at me as Officer White approached him with handcuffs and cuffed him before leading him away. "Don't talk to anyone Christiana! This is all a big mistake!" Sal said as Mr. White led him away.
I slumped down in my chair feeling exhausted. I was in the clear now, but I'll still have to tell my story in front of everyone in a week.
"You did it!" Tony said with a smile, "Thank you Julia, you're so strong for coming forward you know that right?"
I nodded my head, "I just want to go home now." I said grabbing my purse I glanced over at Anthony who had followed me back to the court room.
"So it's really over uh?" He asked looking wounded and hurt.
"Yes it is." I stated firmly, "I'm going to catch a ride home with Wanda."