Everybody has gone through something
that has changed them
in a way that they could never go back
to the person they once were.
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Addie
I went through the whole story about what happened and then the time I was dreading came, it was time for cross-examination from my parents and then we would hear from Alex who was caught between this all and that was it for the day.
I was half way there and I just wanted this part to be over.
This was the hardest. Once we got passed this day the others will be better.
"You say that it was rape?" My mother asked me
"Yes." This was the part that had me most on edge; with Nathan we went over it, this was all unpredictable but I just had to tell the truth and hope that they believed me and my parents didn't make it into something else.
"Why didn't you file charges?" she asked
"I was too afraid to, he told me he would kill me if I did." Hell, he may even now.
"Or was it because you were angry with him breaking things off after he learned of you cheating on him last summer?" she asked me and I opened my mouth to yell about how I broke things off and then shut it to take a deep breath.
"I broke things off with him and like usual no one cared about my opinion and wouldn't accept it, I didn't cheat on him except with the men he brought home and forced me to sleep with which to me isn't cheating when he's the one holding a knife to my body or watching." God that part still made me cringe.
"Isn't it true you suffered from depression?" she asked
"Yes." It would be messed up if I didn't with my life.
"Cutting can be a common reaction to that and on the location, did you harm yourself?" she asked and I frowned at her but my heart was racing.
"No I didn't. I suffered through every single cut in my skin having to stitch them up myself after he went out to sleep with some other girl" I said through my teeth; I was angry. I know it's her job to cause doubt but I hated that they would say I did this to myself.
I hated they would say I cheated on him when he was never faithful to me, ever!
She proceeded to talk about my non-existent drug and alcohol addiction and how Than treated me in public and I knew he would play the sad ex-fiancé who was just absolutely devastated when his soon to be wife went away for the summer and he spent it missing me while I was cheating on him.
He was a very good actor.
"If you were so afraid why did you come home when we came down to get you?"
"I didn't feel like I had any other choice."
"Even after your Aunt said she would get a restraining order and help you, you went over to him, kissed him, let him put that ring back on your finger and told him you loved him." she looked pleased
"My whole life has been about obeying and appearances. I did it so maybe he wouldn't hurt me as much when I left but since you are bringing up personal details, you both sat there while he punched me in the stomach as soon as I got in the car."
"I'll ask you again, why didn't you stay after your Aunt offered to get you a restraining order?" I leaned forward and looked her in the eyes to show her I wasn't afraid of her.
"I had an order of protection against him, ordered by the court for this trial and he flew down to my state, found out my classes and showed up to harass me before he was arrested. A restraining order would have done nothing. Than Jackson does what he wants when he wants and thinks he's above the law, he isn't." I glared over at him and he he was shocked at my anger.
I was tired of being weak, I lived through him and I would make it through this trial. I don't know if I'll win but at least it will give me peace of mind.
When they were done with me Nathan came back and asked more questions, trying to erase the doubt my parents had started to create and then it was Alex's turn to take the stand.
I'm not exactly sure how this is going to go, he could be the best or worst thing to me and their joyful expressions were making me uneasy and my stomach was churning.
He swore to tell the truth and Nathan got up, buttoning his suit as he stepped up to question him.
"How do you know the defendant?" he asked him
"I work in the same office." He swallowed hard
"And how about Addison Gregory?" he asked and he looked over at me and quickly looked away
"She's Than's fiancé, or she was." He corrected
"When was the first time you met her?"
"Social events from company parties when she came with him, we made some small talk but that's about it."
"How did it go from small talk to sex?" he asked
"Than told me that she liked when he would watch her with other men."
"So this was all on Than's word, you never heard that from her?"
"Yes." He agreed
"Did you ever think that maybe she wasn't into it but he was, did it ever cross your mind that what he said wasn't true?" Nathan was in full lawyer mode and it was a pretty cool site to see, how he demanded the room and how sure he was of himself, it was something my parents didn't have.
He was better.
Alex looked over at Than who was glaring at him and so Nathan stepped to the side in his line of sight and he glanced over at me and then looked away.
"Why won't you look at her?" Nathan asked him and he sighed and finally made and maintained eye contact with me.
"I didn't think about it at the time I just went by what he said. I heard what she said he had done to her and from my experience it made sense. I never saw her fully naked and it was always dark and since I heard about the case all I can do it think back to all my experiences with her."
"What experiences exactly?"
"At the time she seemed into it but thinking back it seemed shady. Her moans weren't real and I thought he was watching because he enjoyed it and maybe he did but now thinking about it he seemed more like a threatening force."
I looked over at him and I was pleased to see them rattled and Than was angry. This wasn't how they thought this would go.
"Do you believe Ms. Gregory's story?" he asked him and he looked at me again
"Yes, I do."
"Thank you." Nathan stepped back and this time my father stepped up.
"You slept with her and she didn't protest, correct?" he asked
"Yes."
"You were a near stranger she let into her bed, correct?" he asked
"Yes but."
"And did she ever tell you the story she told us today?"
"No." he looked on edge
"And she was moaning and giving you the impression she was enjoying herself?" it made my face flame to have them talking about me enjoying sex with any of them. Alex was gentler and he was sweet and maybe if I was dating him and made a choice to sleep with him I would have but I just couldn't.
"Yes."
"So she could be lying now and enjoyed having someone watch her and you could be looking for something not there?" he asked
"It's possible." He said and I sighed
"No more questions." Nathan got back up and examined him again
"Do you think you read the situation wrong all those times?"
"No I don't."
"Than you Mr. Felton." Alex stepped down and they did a bunch of talking and we were done for today, we have to be back at ten the morning after next.
I stepped out and my family was all there waiting for me. Liam wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head
"Whore." Than yelled over at us and I shrank into Liam as my parents led him away whispering angrily at him.
Than had become reckless and that was going to hurt them. He had an ego and when it came to me he needed to feel control, when I showed him I wasn't afraid it threw him way off.
He may know all my weaknesses but I now know one of his.