The babysitter

The truth

Lucy stood at the entrance of the courthouse, her hands trembling slightly in her pockets. Her eyes scanned the grand building, the weight of the day settling heavily on her shoulders. Today was the day that everything would come to light—the truth, the pain, the years of silence that had festered inside her.

She wasn't sure how she had gotten here, how she had found the strength to walk through the doors. But she had. And now, there was no turning back.

Tim stood beside her, a comforting presence, his hand resting lightly on her back. Emma, clutching her stuffed bunny, was by his side, her bright eyes filled with confusion and innocence.

"Are you okay?" Tim asked quietly, his voice laced with concern.

Lucy nodded, though the motion felt stiff. "Yeah. Just... a little nervous, I guess."

"You've got this," he reassured her. "We're right here."

She gave him a faint smile, though her heart was racing in her chest.

The courtroom buzzed with activity as they made their way inside, taking their seats. Lucy's stomach churned with nerves, her eyes glancing over to the defendant's side of the room. Louis sat there, looking smug and unbothered. The same man who had made her life a nightmare for so long, now sitting there, denying everything.

He caught her eye briefly, and for a moment, Lucy felt a chill run down her spine. She turned her gaze away quickly, focusing on the front of the room.

The trial was about to begin.

Louis stood as his lawyer, a sharp-looking man in a dark suit, called him to speak in his defense.

"She is lying," Louis declared loudly, his voice dripping with contempt as he glared at Lucy. "I never laid a hand on her. I don't know what kind of sick game she's playing, but it's not the truth."

Wesley Evers, standing at the prosecution's table, raised an eyebrow. He wasn't fazed by Louis's outburst. Instead, he approached the witness stand, holding up a photograph.

"Really?" Wesley asked, his voice calm but firm. "Because based on the bruises on Ms. Chen's body—handprints, in fact—it really doesn't look like you're telling the truth."

Louis's face flushed with anger, his eyes narrowing. "She's a liar! I've never hurt her!" he shouted, his voice rising in volume.

Wesley didn't flinch, his eyes never leaving Louis. "Can I call upon Ms. Chen to testify?" he asked the judge.

The judge nodded.

"Ms. Chen, please take the stand."

Lucy stood slowly, her legs feeling unsteady beneath her. Her heart pounded in her chest, but with each step she took, the voices of doubt and fear in her mind quieted. She climbed into the witness stand, trying to steady her breath.

"Ms. Chen," Wesley began once she was seated, "is it true that you were in an arranged marriage with Mr. Louis Black?"

Lucy nodded, her voice soft but unwavering. "Yes."

Wesley's eyes were kind as he continued. "Were you happy in that marriage?"

Lucy paused for a long moment before answering. The question felt like a weight, the truth of it pressing down on her. She wasn't sure if she had ever truly allowed herself to process just how unhappy she had been, how trapped she had felt. But as she looked at Wesley, then at Tim in the crowd, her voice became steady.

"No," she replied simply.

Wesley's voice was gentle but firm. "Why, Ms. Chen?"

She swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the question settling in. The answer was simple, and yet it was so painful to say out loud. But she couldn't let Louis get away with this anymore.

"He... would get mad easily," Lucy said, her voice faltering for a moment. "He'd get angry over the smallest things. He controlled everything—where I went, who I spoke to. And when he didn't get his way, he'd... hit me."

A murmur rippled through the courtroom, and Lucy's throat tightened. She tried to keep her composure, but the memories were fresh, and they threatened to overwhelm her.

Louis's lawyer jumped to his feet. "Objection, Your Honor! This is all speculation! She has no evidence—just her word."

The judge waved him off. "Sustained. However, Ms. Chen, please stick to the facts as you know them."

Lucy took a deep breath, her hands shaking slightly as she gripped the edge of the stand. "He... he would apologize afterwards, say it was a mistake, but the pattern was always the same. He'd hurt me, and then he'd say sorry, but he never changed. He always went back to being the same person. He never let me leave."

The courtroom was silent, all eyes on Lucy as she continued.

"I tried to leave once. I didn't think I could take it anymore. But he... he convinced me to stay. He said he needed me. That I was the only one who understood him. I believed him," she said, her voice breaking. "But it wasn't love. It was control."

Tim's heart clenched as he listened to her words. He had known what had happened, but hearing it from Lucy herself, hearing her voice tremble with the weight of her pain—it tore him apart. He wanted to rush to her side, to hold her and tell her everything would be okay, but he knew this was her moment. She was telling the truth, and this was what needed to happen.

Wesley nodded as he turned to the judge. "No further questions, Your Honor."

The trial lasted for several more hours, but Lucy felt like she was in a haze. The cross-examinations, the legal arguments, the questions—they all felt distant, as though she were watching from the outside. But through it all, she held onto one truth: she had told her story.

When it was finally over, the jury deliberated, and the verdict was delivered quickly. Louis Black was found guilty on all charges—assault, coercion, and abuse. He was sentenced to a long prison term, a sentence that would keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.

Lucy's heart felt lighter, but there was still a part of her that felt empty. She had won the battle, but the scars would always remain.

As the trial concluded, Lucy made her way out of the courtroom, her steps slower now, a sense of finality settling in. She hadn't expected to feel relief—it felt too soon, too raw. But there was a glimmer of peace that she hadn't known before.

Tim was waiting for her outside the courthouse doors, and when their eyes met, something unspoken passed between them. He stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around her.

"You did it," he murmured against her ear. "You're free."

She closed her eyes and nodded, feeling the weight of the day finally sink in.

Emma appeared at Tim's side, her bright smile a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere.

"Lucie!" she cheered, her arms outstretched.

Lucy bent down and gathered Emma into her arms, holding her close. "You did great today, Em," she whispered, feeling her heart swell with love for the little girl.

"I'm proud of you," Emma said with the innocence only a child could have.

Lucy smiled, her eyes teary as she pulled Emma close. "Thank you, sweetie."

And just like that, everything changed. The weight that had burdened Lucy for so long was lifted, replaced by something new: hope.