Chapter 21 - The Audio Replayed
Caldwell, desperate to rattle me, made a fatal miscalculation.
"Ms. Vance, isn't it true that the audio recording you played at the wedding was heavily edited to remove context? Isn't it true that you provoked his anger to capture that specific reaction?"
I almost smiled.
"No, Mr. Caldwell. It was not edited. But since you brought it up, I would be happy to provide the full, unedited context for the jury."
The DA immediately stood up. "Your Honor, the prosecution requests permission to play exhibit 4-B, the full, unedited ten-minute audio recording captured on the night in question."
The judge nodded. "Proceed."
The audio filled the courtroom. It started with the mundane sound of me washing dishes. Then, Marcus’s voice echoed through the speakers, slurring his words from alcohol.
"You think you’re so smart, Clara?" the recording played. "You’re nothing. You’re a pathetic, weak little girl. Once I get my hands on your family’s trust, I am going to lock you away in a facility, and nobody will ever question me. Because I own this city."
The recording continued, capturing the terrifying sound of a glass shattering, followed by my muffled sobs as he backed me into a corner.
"Scream all you want," Marcus’s recorded voice laughed cruelly. "Nobody is coming to save you."
The audio cut off, leaving the courtroom in a suffocating, horrified silence.
I looked directly at Marcus, who was now weeping openly at the defense table, his head buried in his hands.
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"You were wrong, Marcus," I said softly from the witness stand, breaking the silence. "I saved myself."
Caldwell had no further questions. He sat down, utterly defeated.
