Fantasy Life made Normal

Chapter 48

AN: WARNING!!!!This chaper contains very difficult information with abuse, rape, and abortions.

The trial went on for the duration of the week. Madelyn's relationship with Corey was drug out for everyone to see which made things rougher on her. It gave Marshall a whole new perspective on his wife and what she had been thru. He planned an entire spa day for her and Ashley after the trial was over. He wanted his wife to relax and be pampered. She had been doing well in therapy with this new therapist.

"One more day, love," he said.

He sighed heavily. She leaned on his shoulder as they sat in the courtroom.

"I got you thru it all," he said.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too."

Today the defense was set to rip apart the prosecution's case. They were out to destroy Madelyn's name. Marshall had an arm around his wife's shoulders. She leaned into him.

"These pictures from the hospital are self inflicted," the defense attorney said.

Madelyn turned her head into Marshall's chest. He leaned his head down to whisper softly to her. She couldn't see those pictures anymore. She hated seeing herself bruised and beaten. They hadn't even discussed the abortion he had forced on her.

"What about the child Mr. Nichols was looking forward to having? Mrs. Mathers terminated that pregnancy without his knowledge," the defense attorney said.

Madelyn leaned forward to the prosecutor and informed him of how incorrect that was. The prosecutor nodded to her. She sat back in her seat. She had not been called to the stand yet and she was terrified for it to happen.

"The defense wants to call Madelyn Mathers to the stand," the attorney said.

Madelyn was shaking by the time she made it to the stand. She could see the smirk on Corey's face. She knew she was about to be questioned about the abortion.

"Mrs. Mathers, how did you meet Mr. Nichols?" his attorney asked.
"Thru an ex-boyfriend of mine," she said.
"How long were you together?"
"I was with him for 4 years."
"If he was so abusive to you, why would you stay?"
"All I have ever known is abuse. Ever since I was a kid."
"And the abortion?"
"I was forced to have that abortion. He told me it was either the easy way or he would handle it himself."
"Isn't it true that you didn't tell him about the baby? That you went for the abortion without his consent."
"No, he was in that office with me to make sure I did it."

Madelyn felt the tears coming. She could see Marshall's rage building as he sat there. She hated that she couldn't help him. He hated that she was going thru it.

The prosecutor took over a few minutes later.

"Madelyn, first of all I am sorry that you have to be here today," he said.

Madelyn nodded.

"Now, the abuse you suffered from Mr. Nichols, how long did that go on?" he asked.
"I was drugged almost the entire first two years, the beatings started after the drugs almost killed me," she said quietly.
"What was he giving you?"
"Cocaine and heroin."
"How did you get clean from those?"
"Pretty much cold turkey because he claimed that it was too expensive to keep me submissive."
"Is that when he began loaning you to his friends?"
"That had started from Eric. He had basically given me to Corey."
"So the beatings, how often?"
"Almost daily in the beginning. I did something wrong and he would slap me across the face. His food wasn't ready when he wanted it and he would throw me around by my hair. I wouldn't want to have sex and he would make me."

The prosecutor nodded.

"Tell me what happened with the baby that Mr. Nichols is claiming you aborted without his knowledge," the prosecutor said.
"I had been sick for weeks and one of his friends threw the test at me. I took it and when it came back positive, Corey flipped out. He insisted that we had to terminate it because he didn't believe it was his child. I didn't want to do it. He told me I could either have a doctor do it for me or he could do it for me. I of course chose the doctor and he didn't even allow the time to recover before he was right back forcing himself on me," she said, trying to keep her emotions in check.

She looked over at her husband. He was staring at her but she could see the pain on his face. Once the judge released her from the stand, he called a recess. She walked straight into her husband's arms. He wrapped her tight and buried his face in her neck. She held him just as tight.

"I am so sorry," he said.
"You didn't do any of it, babe," she replied.
"You shouldn't have had to go thru it either."

She kissed him. Today was the final day of the trial. After the recess, both sides made their final arguments.

"After four years of torture, Corey Nichols has spent the last year harassing Mrs. Mathers and her family to attempt to extort money from them. He has threatened them, broken into homes, businesses they own, and stalked their children. He deserves the maximum sentence here. He deserves a guilty verdict so that Mrs. Mathers and her family may go about their lives without the fear that he will come back to do harm to them," the prosecutor said.

The defense attorney said his peace and the jury was dismissed to decide the verdict. They had to hang around the courthouse until a certain time in case they came back. It only took twenty minutes before they were back. Marshall held his wife tightly to him as a guilty verdict sounded in the room.

Madelyn threw her arms around her husband. He wrapped his around her waist. She was beyond happy. They were given a date for his sentencing and walked out of the courtroom. Corey was taken back to jail.

"It's almost over, baby," Marshall said.

She nodded, a smile ghosting her face as she was completely pleased that he was found guilty. She slipped her hand into Marshall's as they left the courthouse to get their boys.