Chapter 36 - The Cross-Examination
Ryan’s defense attorney, desperate to salvage his crumbling case, approached the podium for the cross-examination. He needed to rattle Emily, to provoke the "hysterical" response they had based their entire defense upon.
"Mrs. Vance," the lawyer began, his tone dripping with condescension. "You were in the third trimester of your pregnancy during this time, correct? A time notorious for severe hormonal fluctuations and emotional instability?"
"I was pregnant, yes," Emily replied calmly.
"Isn't it true that your pregnancy hormones simply caused you to overreact to normal marital disagreements?" the lawyer pressed. "Isn't it true that you hallucinated this 'isolation' because you were feeling insecure about your changing body?"
I felt a surge of rage in the gallery, but Emily did not flinch. She leaned forward into the microphone.
"Hormones do not create deep-tissue bruises in the shape of human fingers, counselor," Emily stated, her voice as hard as diamond. "Hormones do not cancel my car insurance. Hormones do not drain two hundred thousand dollars into offshore gambling accounts, and hormones do not illegally open credit cards in my name."
The lawyer swallowed hard, visibly sweating. "But surely, you must admit that you were overly emotional—"
"I was terrified," Emily interrupted him, refusing to yield a single inch of ground. "I was terrified because my husband was violently unraveling, and his family was aggressively protecting his secrets by keeping me a hostage. I did not overreact. I executed a precise, necessary escape to save my daughter's life. And I would do it again in a heartbeat."
May you like
The defense attorney looked down at his notes, realizing he had absolutely nothing left to attack. He had tried to break her, but he had only succeeded in highlighting her incredible, undeniable strength.
"No further questions," he mumbled, retreating to his table in defeat.
