Chapter 23 - TRIAL
Ryan went to trial after rejecting later plea offers.
I testified.
The defense began gently.
“Mrs. Dawson, you love your husband?”
“Loved.”
“You were planning divorce.”
“Yes.”
“You wanted financial advantage.”
“No.”
“You secretly recorded him.”
“Yes.”
“You hid a phone in a flowerpot.”
“Yes.”
“You were building a case.”
“I was trying to document a conversation because I was afraid no one would believe me.”
“Yet you voluntarily followed him outside.”
“Yes.”
“Voluntarily.”
“Yes.”
That word carried more weight than it deserved.
Then:
“You scratched him.”
“Yes.”
“Shoved him in prior arguments.”
“Once while he blocked a doorway.”
“So you used physical force too.”
“Yes.”
No hiding.
Then the prosecutor played:
May you like
You sign Monday. Then you can hate me all you want.
No explanation removed it.
