My Dark Past [Completed]

Chapter Forty-One: Court Pt1

"Okay so I briefly explained to you all on the phone about the situation but now that we're all here, I can finally bring you all up to speed before we enter that room" Ruth tells us sitting in her chair

"Roberts lawyer was able to convince the judge to let Robert in for two more years, with probation. If Robert pleas not guilty due to mental illness then he'll be out in two years time"

"What are the chances of that happening?" Johanna asks

"Honestly, slight. Roberts got a good lawyer, very skilled in this area and so he knows that he has a chance at getting out" she answers and I look to Peeta who frowns

"What do you need us to do?" I ask

"Just testify against him, convince the court that he's still the same person that they had put in prison" she replies

"We can't let him out. He ruined our lives back then, even now I still have nightmares about it, I can't let that monster out of prison. He deserves to rot in there for what he did to me" Marie, Roberts daughter states and we all agree with her, I look next to me at my daughter who's colouring in a drawing as she sits on her father's lap, I can't let what happened to me happen to Willow.... it's all up to us to put a stop to this.

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Many of the girls have been called up to the stand to recall the events of what happened and the after math, Marie talks about her friend being a victim who took her life not too long ago due to the depression she had and the paranoia of it happening again. Throughout the hearing, Peeta reassuringly squeeze my hand from time to time to remind me that he's here and it honestly helps me. Finally I'm the last person to be called up to the stand, I've never been this scared before in my life

"Mrs Mellark, I understand that you use to be close with my client" Roberts lawyer starts

"That's true. We use to be close" I reply

"And growing up before the incident happened would you describe Mr Simons as a good man?" He asks

"I didn't know Robert personally, as close as my dad was with him but yes he was" I reply

"I see. Did you or did you not go to see Mr Simons years after the case was closed?"

"I-I—"

"And did you or did you not tell my client that you forgave him for what he done? Is that true Mrs Mellark?"

"Yes...." I sigh

"May I ask why you went there in the first place?" He asks

"I..." I look through the crowd and see my husbands eyes, he gives me a reassuring smile and nod

"I went there to tell him that I forgave him. He didn't seem like he changed at first but I saw him cry about his ex wife and daughter not visiting, I gave him advice to not give up on them. My husband always told me that everyone deserves a second chance to change, so I thought that with Robert" I explain

"So, you forgave him? For what he did?"

"I did. I thought when I left that he was actually going to change but when I got told that he touched himself when she visited I knew that Robert could never change, mentally ill or not. I've got my own daughter to think about, I need to put my daughter first. I don't want what happened to me happen to my daughter" I answer truthfully

"No further questions you honour" he sits backup then Ruth stands up

"Mrs Mellark, how old were you when this sexual assault occurred?"

"I had just turned sixteen" I reply

"Mr Simons claimed that you were wearing revealing clothing the night it happened which is what caused him to do it. Please tell the courtroom what you were wearing at the time of the assault"

"I was wearing a long baby blue sleeved shirt with grey sweatpants"

"So, Mr Simons lied in the courtroom. Everyone, these are the photos the night Mr Simons was caught" different photos of a sixteen year old me flash by, I'm covered in bruises and cuts

"Mrs Mellark, tell us what injuries resulted in your sexual assault"

"Bleeding vaginal and anal, I had a dislocated arm, major bruising on my pelvis, major bruising all over my body and I could hardly walk" I reply

"And what about mentally?" She asks

"I suffered paranoia, PTSD, major depression and anxiety, being suicidal. I also felt like the loss of control... I felt that I couldn't trust others to be let in and I blamed myself everyday about it happening, if only I had stayed downstairs with my family..." I sigh

"You see ladies and gents. You heard it all here, the girls all suffered major trauma from this experience. That man sitting before you denied his own daughter the joy of having her own children one day, due to the brutal assault he brought upon her, she doesn't have the working body to create her own living being. Mrs Mellark still suffers from horrific nightmares still about the night, she has a daughter who she loves dearly and she doesn't want the monster to be let out of its cage and under her daughters bed" Ruth tells the court room, I feel that this'll be a looong process....

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"Mommy?" Willow says as I tuck her in

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Is that bad man going to come and get me?" She asks with a pouting lip

"You listen to me, he's never coming anywhere near you, okay?. I'm here to protect you, I promise you that he won't come anywhere near you. Your dad's and I will make sure of it" I smile at her as I brush through her dark locks

"Can you sing to me, mommy?" She asks hugging her stuffed bear close to her chest, I agree and I start sing the tune of the song my dad would sing to me softly if I ever got scared, he'd sing I'll Stand By You but the words that always made me feel safe was when he sang the words 'I won't let nobody hurt you' and I smile as I sing it to my sleeping daughter, meaning every single word.

A little Katniss and daughter moment😍😍😍😍😍