Chapter 8 - The Child's Voice
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It was the third day of the trial. The day they had all dreaded.
Sofia was called to the stand.
Because of her age and the nature of the trauma, the judge had cleared the gallery of reporters and spectators, leaving only the legal teams, Alexander, and the jury.
Sofia walked to the witness box holding a small, stuffed rabbit Alexander had bought her months ago. She climbed into the large wooden chair, her feet dangling above the floor.
Sarah Vance approached her gently, offering a warm, reassuring smile.
"Hi, Sofia," Sarah said. "Can you state your name for the record?"
"Sofia Elena Vance," she said clearly into the microphone.
"Sofia, I'm going to ask you some questions about the time you lived with Veronica. If you need a break, you just tell me, okay?"
"Okay."
"Did Veronica ever tell you what to say when your father called?"
Sofia looked at the stuffed rabbit in her hands.
"Yes. She said I had to tell him I was happy. She said if I cried or complained, it would make him sad, and he would stay away longer because he didn't want to deal with a difficult child."
Alexander felt the words like physical blows to his chest. He had believed the lies because they were easy. He had chosen the path of least resistance, and his daughter had paid the terrible price.
"What happened if you didn't say what she wanted?" Sarah asked gently.
"She would take away my books. Or she would make me stand in the corner of the grand hall for a long time. Once, she took a lighter and burned a picture of my real mother."
Veronica's attorney jumped up. "Objection! Highly prejudicial and completely uncorroborated."
"It's corroborated by the child's testimony," Judge Martin snapped. "Overruled. Proceed."
"Sofia," Sarah asked, stepping closer to the box. "Did you ever try to tell your father the truth?"
Sofia looked directly at Alexander. Her brown eyes were wide, filled with a mixture of old fear and new, tentative strength.
"I tried once," Sofia said softly. "I told him Veronica hit me. But he told me I was just imagining things because I was upset about him traveling. He said Veronica loved me. So I stopped trying."
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The absolute silence in the courtroom was deafening. Alexander lowered his head, staring at his hands, the crushing weight of his failure pressing down on him.
He deserved the judgment in her eyes.
