Chapter 16 - Stepping Back into the Light
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Eight months after the fall, the trial of Evelyn Armitage finally began.
I didn't want to go. My mind still shuddered at the memory of marble steps and cold laughter. But Evelyn had spent her entire life banking on the intimidation of others—betting that victims would stay silent out of fear, shame, or exhaustion. I refused to let her win that final gamble.
The courthouse steps were a mob scene of reporters, camera crews, and activists holding signs advocating for domestic abuse survivors and pregnant women’s rights. When Evelyn arrived, flanked by court-appointed counsel, she looked smaller—her black suit hanging loosely on her frame, her silver hair uncoiffed, her face stripped of its haughty arrogance. She didn't look at the cameras. She marched straight into the building as if she still owned the pavement beneath her feet.
Inside, the prosecution presented a devastating, airtight case.
They played the staircase security footage on three massive courtroom monitors. They played the audio of Evelyn’s chilling words: Lose the child or lose your life. They presented medical expert testimony, financial audit trails, and Marcus Vale’s digital forensics report on the Armitage Global servers.
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When it was my turn to take the witness stand, the courtroom fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.
I wore a simple navy dress and flat shoes. Julian sat in the front row right behind the prosecutors, holding Rowan’s tiny baby blanket in his hands—a small talisman of life amidst the gray walls of justice.
