"Your honor, the jury, I believe the evidence is pretty concrete that whatever happened there wasn't consensual. I am begging you to take time and look at the evidence presented before you and the testimony from the witnesses in great depth. Their testimonies match accurately with the evidence. Help me find justice for this young lady. That is all your honor."
"The defense is called upon if it would like to cross examine the evidence presented by the prosecution," Judge Freeman spoke up. The defense had nothing to question the prosecution in relation to the physical evidence. Talk is cheap, but the evidence was too overwhelming, even for them.
After a long pause, Judge Freeman spoke up. "I would like to thank everyone who has appeared here today. Making time in your own busy schedules to come for this hearing. The court will however adjourn for lunch. We meet again in one hour. The defense will be requested to defend the accused."
*****************
Elena got out of the washroom present in the court with hands soaked wet. She was too hasty that she missed the wipes by the wall. She strolled down a certain hallway choreographically as she headed towards the outside of the building.
"Elena!" Someone called. She recognized that squinty voice.
Elena turned around and saw Ingrid in a black jacket with woolen crusts on its borders and blue ripped jeans that exposed some flesh of her thighs and black boots. Her dark brown hair was long and wavy and it brushed against her body as she walked.
"Could I talk to you for a moment?" She asked Elena. Her voice, delicate as glass. The two strolled down the stairs that led towards the exit of the courthouse. They stopped walking when they came upon a bench and sat down.
"Elena look, I know that you and Ethan have been best of friends for a long time. And it truly shocked me that he could have done something like that to a person like you, but-"
"Wait, do you believe that Ethan could… you know, be capable of rape?" Elena cut her short.
"No, I'm sorry. It's not that I'm defending him because he's my brother or anything. I mean Elena he's Ethan. I don't know who is telling the truth here but I know that whatever games you two are playing, Ethan is just not like that."
"So you think I'm lying?" Elena rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry, yes…" Ingrid mumbled.
"What am I even doing here?" Elena shrugged as she stood up. Ingrid held her back and brought her back to sit.
"Elena, please… he's my brother. He's the only brother I'll ever have. Don't take him away from me." She took Elena's hand. "You have the power to stop this case, right here, right now Elena. Drop all the charges that you have against my brother. We can discuss a mutual agreement between the Purcells and the Stenfields and see what better conclusion we can come to. Please!"
"You mean money?" Elena chuckled. "You think I'm interested in your dirty money?"
"Ok, not at all… but please Elena. Don't do this to him. Don't do this to me." Ingrid cried out. She unzipped her jacket, took Elena's hand and placed it gently on her tummy. Elena gulped! It had a slight bump. "How am I supposed to do this without him? How do I deal with this without him?"
Elena looked into the distance. She saw Paul and the Vice President taking a stroll with Jenna's five bodyguards not far behind. They seemed like they were having a conversation. She then looked at Ingrid. She was crying.
"Oh, stop with your tears, Ingrid. Remember when I told you what you think Ethan would do to help you with the situation? Do you? Huh?" She spoke sharply at her. "I told you, 'Do you think that there's something your dear brother is going to do that will make much of a difference?' Do you remember?" Elena asked mockingly. Ingrid kept quiet. She did remember of course. "And you yelled at me to get out of your room? Well, guess what? My prophecy came true." Elena finished.
"Elena please…"Ingrid sobbed at her, with voice as heavy as the guilt that burrowed inside her. "Show some remorse!"
"Do you have anything else that you want to tell me? Or are you just wasting my time?"
"I'm pregnant Elena!" She whispered to her, sobbing. "How do I do this on my own?"
"And I was raped Ingrid! If it were you, you would do what you thought was best for you. This' what's best for me. He showed me no remorse. None of it! Nothing! Just pure pain! As for your pregnancy, don't worry… your secret is safe with me. How you deal with it however is your own problem." Elena told her, got up and left the girl crying by herself.
"Is everything alright?" Asked a male voice. Ingrid turned around and to see Ayden. She froze!
"Ayden…" she snuffed as she wiped her tears. "What- what are you doing here?" She zipped up.
"You have been ignoring me for two weeks now, three? Then I heard over in the news that the Purcells had a case in court… so I decided to give it a shot and try to see you."
"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry about that."
"What's wrong? Why have you been ghosting me?"
She wanted to tell him. Ingrid felt the words racing up her throat. He looked innocent, and all caring. His black curly hair swayed against the wind, dark eye bags ever so attractive. He pinched his nose as he looked on, wanting an answer from her. She heard her heart beating faster and faster and she gulped.
"I'm pregnant." she bolted the words at him.
Ayden ears exploded, eye brows drew in closely and a confused expression manifested itself on his face.
"You're joking right?" he chuckled. "Tell me you're joking."
"No," Ingrid shook her head.
"How, when? Who's responsible?" He questioned her standing in a frozen posture.
She explained everything to him in details; the graduation ceremony, the sex, the intoxication, the pregnancy symptoms, the testing and who knew. Ingrid left him baffled as he asked himself more and more questions.
"Wait… you weren't planning to keep it around were you?" He asked sheepishly. "You were gonna get rid of it right?"
"You mean like an abortion?" Ingrid asked him as she looked confused.
"Yes…"
"No… I'm not doing that." She snarled at him.
Ayden chuckled at her response. "Are you even paying attention to your own words? Ingrid this is a baby. We cannot raise a baby on our own! Not at this age."
"So you want me to kill it? Do I look like a murderer to you?"
The thought of aborting the pregnancy had crossed her mind every once in a while. But she couldn't find it in her heart to kill something so innocent and so pure. If she would have the guts to do it, then she wouldn't be present at the court telling Elena to think about her actions against her brother. She wanted to give life to it and only Ethan would have helped her through the process that it involved, so she thought. From confessing to her parents when she was ready till the day she would conceive. And the days that would consequently follow.
"No, you don't but babe, please… this is not the life we chose for ourselves. Don't do this to us. You know I love you so please don't destroy what we have built over time. Get rid of that thing, or I'm walking away." Ayden urged her.
"This was a bad idea. You know I was scared to tell you because I knew this is exactly how you would react."
"And how else did you want me to react? Grab you in my arms? Smile? Throw you up in the air?" The back of his right hand slammed against the palm of the other as if he was emphasizing a point. "Having unprotected sex with you was the bad idea Ingrid. I told you to take the pills… why didn't you? Why are you doing this to me?"