Knight or King (Completed)

Chapter One

              Drawing in a staggering breath I watch on as my world slowly crumbles around me. The depths of the deceit and cruelty shown on the face staring at me as I try my hardest to stand strong. My walls were shattered, my fears realized and my heart shredded to oblivion. No one prepares for their fall, or the crash that you are sure won't come, yet here I am preparing to face off with the devil himself. Once upon a time I desired nothing more than to be with this man, this giant who I thought could do no wrong, when in reality he was nothing more than a spineless creature. I slowly begin to steady my breathing, roll my shoulders and wipe my tears with the long sleeve shirt that covers the years of torture and abuse. I look at the lawyer that is standing in front of me and begin to raise my chin as I begin to tell my account of the events that brought us to this day and how I find myself in a fight to survive a life I know will become harder off after this court makes the decision. 

            "Ma'am, can you please answer the question." I am drawn out of my thoughts by the judge who looks at me with question and pity, trying to decide what to believe. "Ma'am, I know this might be hard but you need to answer the lawyers question or find yourself in contempt of court." I begin to look at the lawyer and take one last deep breath before I slowly breath out and begin with a stronger voice than  thought I was capable of and recounted the events. 

        "I'm sorry... to answer your question, yes I did tell him no, I screamed and pleaded with him not to rape me. I was not interested in having any sexual intercourse or any romantic involvements with my husband who forced himself upon me without regards to my cry's and pleas to stop." I blinked back the tears that threatened to fall once again. I tried to not picture the events that brought out the worst fears.

        "Ma'am we are to believe that you cried and pleaded with your husband to not have sex with you and that you wanted nothing sexual or romantic to be involved between the two of you? Why marry a man without intentions of being intimate with him?" I started to breath a little heavier, I never wanted this, I never wanted to marry the man. I was forced, yet if I bring this out he will kill me for sure, not for a lack of trying already. 

        "I..... I......" I tried my hardest to not stutter or murmur but this question scared me, the moment the truth of our lies (well more like his lies) comes out then I will no longer see the light of day. The power he holds in just his pinky alone could bring down the biggest government officials. "I.... I was a virgin..... I was scared and I was not ready, I begged for him to not take that from me when I was not ready he did not care. He raped me and stole my innocence without a blink of an eye." The tears fell without permission or even acknowledgement from me, the jurors, the lawyers or press. I noticed the twitch in the corner of his lips he was pleased with his actions and he knew that he would win and he would destroy me after they released him.  

      The lawyer looked at me and the twinkle in his eyes was not missed by me, something shifted in the room after that statement, he seemed to think he had an ace up his sleeve, the raw intensity he brought when his eyes zeroed in on mine brought a quiver to my lip as I realized they were going to tarnish me in every single way possible to win this case. No amount of evidence or words spoken by witnesses or myself could end this in my favor. He was going to get out and he was going to end me. What made me think that I could possibly survive this?

       "You say that you were a virgin? Am I correct?" The lawyer looks at me then turns to look back at his client. I nod my head yes then in a small scared whisper "Yes." This brings a smile to the lawyer as he then brings out a manila folder, he walks over to me and opens the folder and brings out a picture, slowly scraping his eyes down the photo and for a slight moment I can see the lust burning in his eyes. He then turns the photo to me and I choke out a sob as I look at the photo that he planned so far ahead,  in the photo was a man who my "husband" had called and forced to strip me and torture my body and spirit in hopes to break me. Never once though did they actually "fuck" me as my "husband" made them understand that was his job once he knew that I was his and his to do with as he pleased. I couldn't breath as I looked at all the doubt on all the jurors, lawyers and everyone present. The lawyer then began, and my credibility went out the window. "If that were so ma'am then what does this look like to you? In the courts opinion it looks as though you were having an affair with a close friend of your husbands and you didn't want your husband to know that you already lost your virtue, so you concocted this scheme to destroy my clients image to further ensure you gain wealth and ruin my client further. What do you have to say?" 

       My words died, I had no way to explain, death was sure to be better than all this humiliation, fear griped me and had a hold so strong I began to question my own sanity. "It's not as it seems." was my small meek reply. The lawyer looked at me with an 'Are you serious right now? Further explanation?' I looked down and sobbed. He broke me  and now I will die when he gets his hands on me. What am I going to do? 

       "No further questions. We rest our case your honor." Everything was silent for a minute. Then the judge finally spoke. "Since no one seems to have any further questions we ask the jury to decide and deliberate." Everything was silent. We all left for the break in order to wait for the verdict. I wasn't sure if I wanted to stick around or not, he would be set free, I knew it down to my bones. I would have to make a run for it, I have nothing left here, he ensured I was left with nothing before we married and throughout the marriage. Having a state appointed lawyer wasn't even in my best interest while he stood there and did nothing. After about an hour the jury was done deliberating. Which meant one thing and one thing only. He was a FREE man. 

         Through all the final proceedings and the verdict it felt like everything was under water. I was slowly dying inside as I heard them announce "We the jury find the defendant... NOT guilty." They signed my death warrant with the verdict they passed. I watched him as he turned towards me and I knew with that look alone the message he was sending me. "No one crosses Andrew Knight, billionaire extraordinaire and New York's own Big Crime Mob Boss."