Surviving the Life Dax (Smythe #2)

Chapter 39

       Isadora sat on the other side of me and Artemis sat beside Seb since she was going to testifying as well.

       People who were there to watch began trickling in and it wasn't long before I saw my dad enter with an officer. I immediately looked away as he was led to sit in the front row, but on the other side.

        "Is that your dad?" Isadora asked in a soft voice.

        All I did was nodded. Isadora, however, intertwined our hands together and gave mine a tight squeeze.

       When the hearing started, Seb was the first one called to the stand. After giving the oath, he was then questioned by the attorney for Dad, asking to explain what happened. And the stupid attorney brought up my brother's record, saying how he was egging my dad on.

        Bitch what?

       Even if Seb was egging Dad on, which he wasn't, it was no excuse to stab him and blame me. Nothing was a good enough excuse to stab someone unless it's out of self-defense of something like that.

       After Seb was done, Artemis was called up. "Can you state your relationship with the Smythes?" the attorney asked.

       "I'm Sebastian's wife," she said. "And I was his girlfriend at the time of the incident."

       "And do you agree that Sebastian is a troublemaker?" he asked.

       "He was one," Artemis corrected. "He hasn't done anything in a long time."

       "So, he was one at the time of the stabbing," the attorney stated. "Do you think Mr. Smythe was getting irritated by Sebastian's behavior?"

       "No," Artemis said. "Because he was the one who was causing Seb to act that way."

       "How so?"

       "How so?" Artemis repeated before scoffing. "When I met Seb for the first time, he was always saying life is a disappointment. He was five. No five year old ever thinks that. But Seb did, because he was being verbally abused since he was four. And even if Seb's dad was getting irritated by his son, it doesn't give him the right to stab him."

       "You're right, it doesn't," the attorney agreed. "But I am saying is that Sebastian's behavior could have played a factor in it. And since Sebastian is now a responsible young man, or so I've heard, then Clarke Smythe shouldn't act violently towards his sons anymore."

       Unbelievable.

       Un-fucking-believable.

       Artemis looked just as pissed off as I felt as she took her spot next to Seb. Then I was called to the stand. I was going to have to stand in front of my dad.

       I took a deep breath and stood up, shakily making my way to the stand. So far, so good.

       "Daxton Smythe," the attorney said. "What was your role in the incident?"

       "My....he...." I stopped and took a deep breath. "I was b-blamed for it. My d-dad pretended....he made it seem like....l-like it was because of m-my condition."

       "And what is your condition?" the attorney asked.

       "S-schiz....schizophrenia." It was way to hard for me to sit up here in front of my dad. I was trying my hardest not to look at him.

       "What type?" he asked.

       "Undifferentiated."

       "I see," he said. "And the blame was put on you because of this, because you were an easy target. But, your father may have been protecting you, putting you in a better place where you could be watched."