Rainy Day | Rhea Ripley

Chapter 32

'Cause it's fight or fright in the full moonlight 

You can run, but you can't hide

- Werewolf by Motionless In White

"Do we really have to do this like... this?" I asked Ms. Novak from across the room.

"Trust me it's better this way. This won't get any more comfortable once the grand jury is sitting over there" She answered from the defense desk where Buchanan would be sitting.

"So, Miss Marlowe, would you please explain, in your own words, what happened the day you were captured by Mr. Thompson" Her voice had switched from I-Just-Want-The-Best-For-You to ADA really fast.

"I went to his apartment because..."

"You went there? As in voluntarily?" I was immediately interrupted by the redhead.

"Yes. He was threatening me and my friends so I thought if I went back to him he would leave them alone"

"You had previously been affiliated with him and his illegal business, would you please explain your role in this?"

I stared at the wooden table top in front of me. 

"Are you fucking serious? Do you want her to go to jail instead?" Demi might have been banned from coming to the actual hearing but that hadn't stopped her from accompanying me here today.

She was currently sitting cross-legged on the prosecution's desk, which had earned her a stern look from Ms. Novak who then let her do it anyway.

Now she turned around to my girlfriend, clearly annoyed.

"We have been over this Miss Bennett. This is a preparation. Nobody will be prepared if I put on kid gloves"

Before an argument could ensue (I didn't particularly care to find out what a fight between a professional wrestler and an assistant district attorney looked like), I chose to answer the question I had been asked.

"Xav was a friend of my Mother's. When she died..."

"Please stick to answering my question Miss Marlowe, I didn't ask about your mother, I asked you about your involvement"

I took a deep, shaky breath. How could I explain this without making me sound like a criminal? Actually, wasn't that exactly what I was? A criminal?

I avoided looking at Ms. Novak as I continued.

"I would infiltrate gambling sessions he hosted on his request. He had them rigged in a way that made it easy for me to win. Then he collected the money"

"Surely you had something to gain from that as well"

"I was paying off my mother's debt"

"But isn't it true that even after that debt had been paid off you stayed with him?" 

"Yes. By that point, I had gotten so accustomed to it that it was all that I knew"

"So you're an addict" 

Both the question and the tone in which she asked it made my head shoot up to look at the ADA.

"That's what this is about? He wants to paint me as an addict who can't be trusted?" 

From the corner of my eye, I saw Demi jump off the table as she heard the fear creeping up in my voice.

"Unfortunately, yes. This is the easiest way for him to get to you, so I really need you to control your response to that word"

Demi scoffed, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"That's enough for today. If you want to have another "prep" session you can contact us, but I'm taking Alex home now"

I didn't object when she took my hand to lead me out of the room.

Before we could leave, Ms. Novak put her hand on my shoulder to stop me for a moment.

"Please remember that I am on your side. It's not my goal to hurt you, I want to ensure you get the best outcome possible."

Something about that statement didn't sit right with me.

"What do you mean? He's going to prison, right? What would the worst outcome be?"

She looked at me and sighed, she didn't want to say these next words to me, I could tell, but I needed to know.

"The worst outcome, Alex, would be that you go to prison too"

"Will you please just sit down?"Demi sounded slightly anguished.

We had gotten home an hour ago, and since then I hadn't stopped pacing around the living room.

Demi had successfully gotten me to quit scratching at my hands but I just couldn't stop moving, I felt like I was going to implode if I did.

"Demi I'm going to prison" I repeated for the twentieth time.

"You are not going to prison, we will find a way out of this"

"And what exactly is that supposed to be?" I snapped at her before rubbing my temples.

"I'm sorry Demi, I just don't know what to do"

"Can't they see that you were groomed and coerced by him?" She started thinking aloud.

"I fucking hate the justice system, just because there was no prior physical abuse they pretend like there was no abuse at all" She kicked the sofa.

I sighed.

"Well, technically..." I changed my mind in the middle of the sentence, she really didn't need to know.

"Technically what?"

I didn't answer.

"This is important Alex. Truth, remember?"

I sighed again.

"There was prior physical abuse. It got really bad when I was around nineteen. That was also when I met Claire, and she could obviously tell that these were real injuries and nothing even remotely consensual. She didn't ask questions after I told her not to but she got me medical attention from a nurse she was friends with"

Demi's eyes went so wide, I was afraid they were going to pop out of her head.

"So call the hospital, get the records"

"It's not that easy Demi. I didn't go to a hospital, I went to her apartment and she never told anyone because she knew she'd be putting me in danger. I don't even know if she kept any kind of record. I only went to the hospital once, when she felt couldn't accept responsibility for the care of the injuries, they were too severe. But even then, I was there under a fake name, no insurance, completely anonymous."

"Alex, please, what other chance is there? You have to at least contact her"

I had tears in my eyes. The last thing I wanted was to get Nina involved. But Demi was right, it was the only chance I had.

This would worry not only Nina, but especially Claire but they would be even more worried if I ended up in prison.

I took my phone out of my back pocket, it took a while until I found Nina's contact but eventually, I decided to go with a voice message.

"Hi Nina, I know it has been a while and I am so sorry for not keeping in touch. And I am even more sorry for the favor I'm about to ask you but I'm in a really shitty situation and you are kind of the only person who can help me with this..."