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“Yes. Honestly, being here isn’t even about Jenetta.”
“Her legal name is Chelsea now.”
“Sorry.”
“Then why are we here? Because it seems like we’re here to attack Chelsea Marcellus.”
He didn’t lie about that shit. I felt attacked unfairly. “I’m afraid to lose my daughter. I’m afraid that once Chelsea spends time with her, she will want more. I know I did.”
“Are you afraid that Jericka may want to spend time with Chelsea?”
“That’s a fear of mine as well.”
“So is this about what’s best for Jericka or what’s best for you?”
“Both. I hate the situation. I truly do, but it’s not my fault that happened.”
“It’s not Chelsea’s fault either. As a mother, you should know how she’s feeling. Did you ever once think about how she was feeling to see a child that she never thought she would see again?”
“No. I didn’t.”
“Clearly.”
She glanced at her attorney as my attorney asked, “If you didn’t tell your attorney about Chelsea’s situation with her brother, then who did?”
“My fiancé had to have told him.”
The frown on her face made it clear that she wasn’t happy with Seneca either. “No further questions.”
When my attorney walked away, Kaysyn stepped down, her eyes laser focused on Seneca. It was like he was the one that wanted this to happen, even more so than her. When I met her, she didn’t strike me as the type to be this way. Like she wouldn’t have gone to these lengths unless she felt it was totally necessary.
The other attorney refused to call Seneca to the stand and rested his case. He probably knew Seneca would either lie or give too much information. When my lawyer called me to the stand, Jungle winked at me. I gave him a slight smile and prepared to tell my truth. I didn’t mind being transparent, but I knew there were some things I couldn’t say.
Once I was sworn in, I sat. My attorney gave me a soft smile. “Chelsea, I’m sorry you’re even here having to endure this. Were you trying to avoid this?”
“Yes. I thought talking to them about it would avoid all of this. I did and said everything I knew to do to assure them that I had no ill intent.”
He nodded. “Did you think about keeping the revelation to yourself? How did you even know she was your daughter?”
“I didn’t think I should’ve kept it to myself until they filed a restraining order against me. Not only could I no longer see her, but I couldn’t be around the people my brother considered family because they would be there. It alienated me in a way. I knew she was my daughter. She looks like Jules. I could never forget what she looked like.”
“How long did you have her?”
“Two weeks. She was the only someone I had with me in Florida that I could feel love from. That was a dark time in my life. My brother had me practically under lock and key. I was only allowed to go to the grocery store with a guard. Being able to hold her and love on her meant everything to me.”
“Can you talk about the night she was taken?”
I lowered my head and closed my eyes. “I’d been singing to her and loving on her all day. I laid her in my bed and danced as I played with her. She was starting to get bumps on her cheeks because I kissed her so much. After bathing her, we’d both fallen asleep while I sang to her. She was in my arms, sucking her thumb. She didn’t suck a pacifier, because she was so fascinated with her thumb. When I would take it out of her mouth, she would put it right back.”
I took a deep breath, trying to will the tears to stay put, but it was to no avail. They fell anyway. “I woke up to Jules pulling her from my arms. One of his goons held me back as he took my baby and all her things from my room. She didn’t have a whole lot, and now I know that was because he knew he wasn’t going to let me keep her. I screamed and cried for my baby for days… weeks… months. I loved her so much.”
“Your Honor, I have evidence that somewhat corroborates her story.”
The judge nodded, and my attorney pressed play on a remote for the TV. My eyes widened when I saw Jules on video, setting my baby on the ground at the fire station. I broke down at that point. When a woman came out and picked the baby up, it was too much for me. But what broke the levy was when the attorney showed proof of Jules speaking to a CPS agent to have her transferred to Texas. He terminated his rights and signed documentation terminating my rights. Apparently, the agent was someone he knew.
The judge granted a recess so I could get myself together. I ran out of the courtroom without a look back. When I felt arms around me, I turned around and fell into Jericho’s chest. “Jerichooooo! That was my baby! He took her from me!”
“I know, baby. I got’chu.”
