Heartbreaks Daughter

Backbone

I looked at Joe as Patterson called my name. He nodded kissing my head.

"Afai e te fefe na o le tilotilo mai ia te a'u." (If you get scared just look at me.) I nodded as I walked to the stand.

"Mrs. Anoa'i can you state your full name for record please?"

"Jayla Destiny Anoa'i."

"What is your relationship to the defendant?"

"He is my ex boyfriend and the birth father to two of my children."

"Those children being Catteleya Nizhoni Anoa'i and Apollo Masaka Anoa'i."

"Yes."

"You have had a troubled past with Mr. Parker from my understanding and going over previous court records it looks like their were calls made regarding domestic abuse for about a few years. Why is it you didn't leave?"

"At the time, I cared for him, I loved him and I hoped he was still a good person. For a long time I believed there was still good in him, like how he was good when we were younger but I eventually realized I couldn't make him change and that my children deserve better. Not to see their mother being hurt or talked down to I didn't want my son to think treating women that way was acceptable and I didn't want my daughter to think a man ever treating her like that was love. I left after he attacked me one night and raised his hand to my daughter. I left and filled papers with the court."

"That case led to the conviction of Mr. Parker for domestic violence as well as custody being awarded to you correct?"

"Yes."

"So you continued to converse with Mr. Parker."

"I tried not to, either a representative from court would pick my son and daughter up or Anthony would for supervised visits, if he partook in them"

"How often did Mr. Parker contact you after you left."

"Every few weeks to months it was always random and generally happened more after I started to be successful in my career."

"What would he say?"

"I would get text or voicemails about how I was a whore, I was useless, he was going to get back at me for leaving and taking the kids. He would insinuate I slept with my co-workers especially the three men I was partnered with."

"Who were those three men?"

"Colby Lopez, Jonathan Good and Joseph Anoa'i."

"When did you become romantically involved with Mr. Anoa'i?"

"We first kissed in October of 2013 but did not start a relationship until that February."

"The night of October 25, 2016 where were you?"

"I got home from a show we had done on Monday. I flew in and went home. I called my father to let him know I would be at his and my bonus mother's home the following morning to pick up my kids for a few days. I don't like having them off their schedule so I didn't want to disturb them. I had planned to take a shower but I wanted to let my dog out first. As I opened my patio door I heard pounding on the door. I left the door cracked and went to my front door?"

"Who was there?"

"De'Andre Parker."

"What made you open the door that night?"

"I had not heard from him in close to a year, no problems so I thought maybe he wanted to have a civilized conversation, speak about our children. Truthfully I am not sure why I opened it but I didn't fully open as soon as I unlocked it and touched the knob was when he banged it open."