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10
Izzy
Court, Day Three
“Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
I nod confidently, and speak without a single tremor. “I do.” I’m nervous. My fingernails have been bitten to the quick. My body shakes with nerves. But no one looking at me will see any of that.
They’ll simply see me, a woman set on putting these assholes away in prison.
I look out over the room; my family clumped together on one side, the jurors to my left, the defense to the right. My family have been silent for the most part. Stoic. Simply here to stand behind Kit and me, but today’s my first day on the stand, which brings a whole new layer of tension.
Kit was up yesterday.
It was a damn shit show.
They tried to discredit her. They implied that she was in on everything, that it was a lover’s quarrel, that she instigated the insurance fraud herself.
It took both his brothersandmine to keep Bobby on his ass and silent. Kit, on the other hand, was perfectly badass and composed and never once stumbled.
That’s the beauty of being on the side of the truth.
She argued her point perfectly. I watched on with pure satisfaction as each word she spoke only turned the locks on these assholes’ cages.
Today, the lawyers ask why I was even in the parking lot that night; because Kit called me. And whether it could’ve been a completely separate incident, perhaps a jilted lover of my own that attacked me; no.
Metaphorically, the defense lawyers rubbed their hands together like evil masterminds when I walked to the front with my super pregnant belly. Like the ability to procreate proves I somehow asked to be knocked unconscious and left to die in the snow.
Pregnant – jilted lover – domestic issues – not connected to their clients.
Idiots.
I answer every question they throw at me in monotone. I look everywhere, at every face, including the accused’s, but not Jim’s. My stomach tightens every ten or so minutes, and I’m tired of making him flinch because I flinch.
I’m tired of him altogether.
This is a small town, and it took all of three-point-two seconds for word of his date with Belle to break. She’s no doubt primping and preparing as I sit in front of the lawyers. Waxing her vag, painting her nails, purchasing jumbo boxes of condoms; all of Belle’s wildest dreams have finally come true.
Jimmy Kincaid is available.
Jimmy Kincaid asked her out on a date.
I could never visualize the woman I’d hate on principle when Jim moved on. In my mind, it was years away. She was vague to me. It was a problem forfutureIzzy. But now Belle’s face has been juxtaposed into every future event in my mind; his wedding, when he holds her hand as she births their child, birthday parties.
Hell, I might even be in some of those photos; the spinster aunt, the Godparent, even.
Fake memories flood my brain, defense lawyers ask me dumb questions, and my baby stretches inside me so much, I swear he breaks a couple ribs.
As soon as I’m dismissed, I stand from my seat and paste on my fakest smile as the bailiff takes my hand and helps me step down. I pass Rita as they bring her forward to sit in my vacated seat. Wiry hair, red eyes, pasty skin and hollowed cheeks, I pass close by and simply smile.
Fuck her for hurting us.
Fuck her for hurting Kit and almost breaking Bobby.
Making my way back to the pew benches, Jimmy scoots to make room for me, but I pretend I see nothing, stop between Kit and Jack, and plant my fat ass right between them.
I take Kit’s waiting hand and squeeze when Bean squeezes.
