Trust Me

Chapter 10

Olivia

My body had begun to physically shake as I fought to keep all of my emotions contained. A full-blown anxiety attack was sure to come if this went on any longer. To have to stand up here and feel like I felt so full of sadness and anger and have to keep it together anyway made me sick to my stomach. 

Certainly, I looked like a fool in front of the entire courtroom. It was humiliating to have the judge throw out a suggestion that I could have been the one to start the fire that put my whole life up in flames.

That made perfect sense.

I stood behind the tall wooden podium beside my lawyer, who still seemed to be as confident as ever despite the way the trial was going. His staggering confidence didn't help boost mine at all as the words slipped from the judge's lips repeatedly. They didn't have sufficient evidence.

As if I wasn't proof enough. I should have been enough, but as usual, I wasn't. I was just as insignificant as ever.

"To proceed with arson charges, Mr. Knight will have to confess to the accusation, or more investigation will need to be done by our arson and crime investigators." Judge Howard sighed before pushing his glasses up on his face. "And I'm going to assume option one isn't an option at all." Daniel scoffed in response.

My eyes began to burn as tears pooled in them. I felt Daniel's eyes burning into me as he stared from the other side of the courtroom. I could only imagine the type of disgusting smirk that he was wearing as he sat there enjoying himself, knowing that once again, he'd pulled on over my head. He'd get to bully and control me as usual.

He'd get his way, and it was so satisfying to him, and I was so sick of it. This was supposed to be it for both of us. He was supposed to get what he deserved, and me, I was supposed to be free.

For Daniel to get away with this all and belittle me for the millionth time was pure comedy for him...I knew it. If he could erupt into laughter in this courtroom, I'm sure he would have, without a doubt. He loved every single second of what was happening and how it made me feel.

He never loved me, but he loved to hurt me. He thrived off it. That was apparent to me now.

"It's not uncommon for trials like this to go on for weeks, maybe even months." Judge Howard warned as I blinked back my tears before they could fall.

Months? Would I have to go through this for months? I could hardly make it through this session which lasted only an hour. I was already set to throw up a white flag. Drawing this out would most definitely destroy whatever's left in me.

"One moment." Judge Howard stated to the courtroom before turning his attention to one of the Officers who had made his way up to the stand. He was once guarding the back door, but I was too consumed with my thoughts to even notice he had moved.

I watched in confusion as the officer made his way to the back of the room once more. He proceeded to open the door allowing a man dressed in all black with arson written in giant white letters on the back of his windbreaker-type jacket inside.

My heart felt like it would jump out of my chest as I watched him hand something over to the judge and exchange a few words with him. The fact that I didn't know what was going on and whether it would hurt my case even more made me want to cry. In all honesty, Daniel's family had probably sent someone back to the scene to dig up some nonexistent dirt on me.

My anxiety had peaked at that moment.

"It's been brought to my attention that some new evidence was found early this morning at the scene of the apartment complex." Judge Howard stated, his eyes now glued on Daniel and his Lawyer. "This is your torch and your bank statement reading that you bought about a gallon of gasoline only half an hour before the fire started, Mr. Knight."