Chapter 40

Madison Conner.

When Dom returned to his seat, the judge entered, everyone in the room stood up.

- Please take your seats. - A police officer said.

We all sat down again, Hailey held my hand for support.

- Is everyone present? - She asked.

- My client is still coming, Your Honor. - That man's lawyer replied.

- And why is he late? Everyone should have been here at half past eleven.

- Unfortunately, he was shot in the shoulder, your honor. That's why he's a bit late. - She said no more.

The door was opened by the policemen carrying him in. I tensed up in place, but the two of them quickly shook my hands, reassuring me.

- I see that everyone is present. So let's start the trial. Lawyers, please.

The defense lawyer stood up, as did the prosecutor.

- You may begin.

The two faced each other.

- I'll let the defense lawyer begin, Your Honor. - Dom's lawyer said.

- As you wish. - He returned to his seat and left the lead to the defense lawyer.

- Good morning to everyone present at the trial. My client, Otávio Conner, is accused of committing some crimes, but the police have no proof that he did so. They say he abused his daughter, but it's all a lie.

I widened my eyes at this revelation. Dom squeezed my hand a little hard, I could see he was holding back so he wouldn't say something, Hailey also squeezed my hand.

- My client confessed to hitting his daughter, but it was because she argued with him, and no father likes his children to act like that. He ended up hitting her, but he wasn't abusing her.

- I protest, Your Honor! The lawyer is talking nonsense!

- Overruled. - She spoke and looked at the defense lawyer again. - Continue.

- Thank you, Your Honor. As I was saying, my client didn't abuse his daughter, of course he was wrong to hit her, but my client loves his daughter very much.

Does he? He tried to kill me! How does he love me?

- Three days ago he tried to talk to his daughter, but some policemen got in the way and my client was wrong to have a gun, which led the policemen to shoot him. He was just a father trying to talk to his daughter.

I squeezed his hands very tightly, biting my lip trying to contain my anger.

- Your turn, lawyer. - She said, looking at Dom's lawyer.

He stood up and straightened his suit.

- Thank you, Your Honor. The lawyer says that he just wanted to talk to your daughter, and he also says that he didn't commit any crime. Allow me to name a few crimes we've uncovered, Your Excellency.

- I accept.

- Otávio Conner is being charged with attempted murder, child abuse, drug trafficking, human trafficking and rape. - He read the file.

Oh my God! He's a monster. Rape? Who was this man's poor victim?

- I protest, Your Honor. My client didn't do it.

- Overruled. Continue.

- If that's not enough, Your Honor. I'm going to read the results of Miss Madison Conner's medical tests. - He took a folder and pulled out my tests. - The lady arrived at the hospital malnourished, with many bruises all over her body, her shoulder was dislocated, the bone in her arm was broken, she had to undergo surgery. The doctor said it was surprising that she was still alive, because her body shouldn't even be working because of the attacks she was constantly suffering.

- Objection, Your Excellency! If she is the victim of all this, she should be giving her testimony.

- We have her statement. - The other lawyer handed him a tape recorder. - Our client doesn't feel comfortable speaking in front of others, Your Honor. So we've recorded her statement.

- Very well. We'll listen to it.

He put it on the table and turned it on, then the deputy's voice came on.

- Your name is Madison Conner?

- Yes.

I sighed at hearing my own voice.

- Tell us about the abuse you suffered from the accused.

We heard my sigh.

- Try to take it easy.

- Right... My mother ended up dying in the delivery room... After what happened to her, he started treating me very badly... He fed me when I was a baby just to torment me as soon as I grew up... At first I wasn't allowed to eat... But then the aggressions started... I was forced to tidy the house and feed him, even when I did things, he would come and beat me non-stop... He only stopped when I fainted.

- Did he ever try to sexually abuse you?

- What did he do? No! I'm very grateful that he didn't. But he had threatened me.

- What did he mean?

- He said that if I didn't look so much like my mother, he would have called all his friends to.... To abuse me.

- Is it true that you couldn't make friends?

- Yes... He was always threatening me, saying that if I told anyone what he was doing to me or if I made any friends, he would kill that person, since he was involved in something illegal.

The lawyer turned off the recorder.

- We also have two witnesses, Your Honor. They are the victims he sexually assaulted.

- Let's listen to them.