Falling Stars [h.s]

Chapter 73

Aurora

HARRY ON STAND - QUESTIONED BY DEFENDANT'S LAWYER

"I only have one question to ask Mr. Styles... Did you hire a private investigator to stalk this little girl from the age of one to six?"

"What?"

"Did you or did you not hire a private investigator to follow Layla Alaska around for six years?"

He went silent. His attention fully on me for the first time since being questioned. His eyes held no emotion. Not anymore. I turned away from him to stop the guilt creeping up on me, "Answer the question Mr. Styles."

"Yes."

"That is all your honor."

AURORA ON STAND - QUESTIONED BY PLAINTIFF'S LAWYER

"Ms. Hall do you feel threatened by my client?"

"No sir."

"Then why did you deny him the right of seeing his child?"

"I have never denied him that right. I would never keep Layla away from her father. I told him I want him to be present in her life."

"Ms. Hall is it true that you are overly and obsessively in love with Mr. Styles?"

"What?"

"Objection your honor, what is the relevance?"

"I'll allow it. Ms. Hall answer the question please."

"No it is not true. Did I love him? yes. Was it in an obsessive way? absolutely not."

"Did Mr. Styles ever say he loves you as well?"

"I'm not certain on that sir."

"Ms. Hall, you told my client how you are continuously breaking your own heart trying to get him to feel the same way about you, does that not sound obsessive and manipulative?"

"Objection!"

"Get to your point or move on Mr. Pager."

"Ms. Hall did you try to get Mr. Styles to leave the home of his previous wife, whom he shares two children with, to be with you?"

"I would never do that!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong here Ms. Hall, did you kindle a relationship without another man not long after you ended your relationship with my client?"

"Why does any of this matter?"

"Did you or did you not Ms. Hall?"

"Yes."

"Did you stop to think, maybe that might confuse your daughter? What would she think if one day she sees her parents together and then the next her mother is with another man that is not her father? Were you just using Mr. Styles to get what you? Where you using him for money?"

"Objection your honor!"

"Move on Mr. Pager."

"Would you allow your daughter to call someone who is not her father, dad, when she has a father who is and wants to be present in her life?"

"My daughter doesn't refer to anyone as dad."

"Is it true Ms. Hall that your daughter is attached to your current spouse and sees him as more of a father figure than her biological father because you kept her away from him for so long?"

"I did not keep her away from him. He is the one who chose to stay away. I can't say wether or not my daughter considers my current spouse as a father figure rather than her father, but if she does I can't say I'm one to blame and I can't really blame her either. He was there for her since the day she was born. He built her a nursery, he was with me through my whole pregnancy, he held my hand through it all. When she was born he was one of the first people to hold her. He did everything Harry Styles should have done as a father but couldn't because he chose to stay away, not because I pushed him away or denied him the right to. He is the one who decided he did not want to know his daughter."

"That is all your honor."

•

After all testimony was done we were left to wait for the judge to come to her decision. I was anxious for the results. Harry's lawyer wanted Layla to go on the stand, but I refused. I wasn't going to put her through this mess. She was still a baby. My baby. I can't lose my daughter. She is the only thing keeping me going. If I lose her now I don't know what I would do with myself.

I looked over at Harry. He was too occupied with his own thoughts to pay me any mind. I can't believe the amount of false accusations he made of me up there. The way he tried to belittle me, twisting my words and feelings. I really believed I knew Harry but my judgement of him was all wrong. Why would he do all this to take Layla away from me even after I told him we could parent her together? What did I do wrong to make him feel all this sudden hatred towards me?

Another hour had passed. Eventually the judge came back into the courtroom. Everyone had stood up at her presence. "Please be seated."

She sat down at her designated spot and looked down on us. "I've taken all testimony and evidence in this matter under submission and after careful consideration my ruling is as follows."

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