All For Love (Urban Fiction) Part 5

Chapter 35 Chantel

Chantel

I walked into the courtroom, my heart pounding in my chest with each step I took. There was always something so gloomy about the atmosphere of this building. The room was filled with a few voices that I recognized around the city, while the sound of the metal detector in the distant caught Sky's attention as I held her. I made my way towards the front, my eyes scanning the faces of the chained inmates in search of Marcus. It had been months since I last saw him, and I couldn't help but feel nervous at the thought of seeing him again.

And there he was, standing tall lined up with the others. Marcus, was not letting the circumstances break him, he almost seemed too relaxed. His once lean frame had bulked up. When he was free, he never missed his routined haircuts, now his hair grew out in unruly waves, adding wildness to his appearance.

Locking eyes with Marcus, I saw surprise before his face expression turned emotionless. It had been a while since our last encounter, when I had tried to convince him to agree to an annulment.

Beside me stood Casey, his eyes were curious, his young mind trying to make sense of the gravity of the situation. Sky, too young to fully comprehend the complexities of the courtroom, clung to my hand, her innocent presence gave me a source of comfort. I only hoped that she wouldn't make the same mistakes I made, wasting so much time following what I thought was love. "Da-da," she cheered, calling for her father after immediately recognizing him. She kept calling, "Daddy!" until he finally turned his head to her. From across the courtroom, he caught her eye and brought his finger to his lips with a "Shhh" motion. Then, he winked at her playfully, letting her know everything was alright despite how serious things were. Though they had been separated, that simple gesture showed the connection they had as father and daughter. Sky mimicked him, placing her small finger against her lips and taking a seat next to me.

As the proceedings began, the room fell into a hushed silence. The judge's voice boomed through the courtroom, each word echoing off the walls. I couldn't keep up with all of the cases until it was Marcus' turn. The charges against Marcus were laid out, and I felt like a weight with pressing down on me with each charge. Despite it all, he held his head high, his eyes fixed on the judge.

And then, the moment of truth arrived. The judge's verdict. The words "bail denied" hung in the air, a heavy blow to all of us who had hoped for a different outcome. Gasps and whispers filled the room, an everyone seemed disappointed and frustrated. Marcus's expression remained stoic, he didn't seem phased, almost like he expected it.

There was someone there, someone that I recognized, but she looked different than before.. she didn't have a black eye or a bloody face, and she wasn't in my bathroom. My eyes were piercing through her, as her gaze stayed on Marcus, she didn't even see me. I was surprised she wasn't foaming out of the mouth at that point. She seemed so hurt that they denied his bail, and then it all clicked.

This had to be the woman he cheated on me with the night before our wedding. I felt light headed, and decided to leave.

As we exited the courtroom, the reality of the situation settled in. Looking back at the building, I couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal. Here I was, thinking I was wrong for how I had been treating Marcus over the last few months, and his fucking mistress had the audacity to show up to support him. That was all the confirmation I needed.

*

The waiting room felt like it was closing in on me. Sky is fussing and squirming restlessly in my arms, her whimpers getting louder by the minute. Meanwhile, Casey was hopping around the small space, asking a constant stream of questions.

"When is the doctor coming? Why is it taking so long? When is dad coming home? Is he coming too?"

"Dad still away, honey," I tried to explain over Sky's cries. "The doctor will be here soon, I promise."