After Ryan gave his testimony it was Ria's turn, he lightly brushed his hand over hers when they walked past each other. "You can do this," he mouthed the words when she looked at him.
Richard attorney did his best to make him look like the victim and her the one in the wrong after she testified.
"Miss Sanders, are you in the habit of dating one man and leaving to sleep with another man?"
"Richard and I were not dating.
"But you went with him to your bosses party and left him, saying you were ill when in fact you left with Mr. Carter. Isn't that right Miss Sanders?"
She started squirming, everyone's eyes were on her. "Yes, I left with Mr. Carter."
"Isn't it true you slept with him?"
"My personal life is no ones business but mine," she answered angrily.
The judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Helm, may I remind you that Miss Sanders personal life has nothing to do with this case."
"Sorry, your honour." He turned back to her. "Isn't it true that you gave him a key to your apartment and have been sleeping with Mr. Hart for months now? Is it possible that when you returned home and Mr. Hart was waiting for you that you engaged in some rough s£x that got out of hand and when Mr. Carter showed up at your door you got scared and cried rape?"
"No, no that's not what happened. Richard and I were never involved and I never gave him a key, my landlord let him in when I was out. He hit me and pushed me down and tried to rap£ me and if it wasn't for Ryan, I mean Mr. Carter he would have succeeded. "I said no and told him to stop."
"That will be all," the lawyer said, then called Richard to the stand.
"Miss Sanders and I weren't dating exactly, we were more like lovers. She was always a handful, couldn't get enough of me. So yes, I was furious when she ditched me at the party and when she didn't come home till the next morning we fought. I was jealous that she slept with another man but I never hit her or tried to rap£ her
It was the other way around, she jumped me, wanted s£x and things got a little out of hand."
"How so Mr. Hart?"
"We started messing around and things got rough, Ria liked it rough, the rougher the better. I think she was embarrassed when Mr. Carter showed up so she called rap£."
"That's a damn lie," Ria yelled, getting to her feet but was pulled back down by Ryan.
More testimony was read, one from her landlord and a surprise witness who wanted to testify. A woman who claimed that Richard also tried to rap£ her after a date when she refused his advances.
A fifteen-minute break was issued so the judge could go over the facts and come to a judgment.
Ria and Ryan sat on the bench outside the courtroom. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "You didn't believe him, did you?"
He touched the side of her face with the palm of his hand. "Not for a second."
She tilted her head into his palm and closed her eyes. His gentle touch felt good against her skin and she was glad he was with her. Without him, she wouldn't have had the courage to come here today.
It was time to go back into the courtroom, he held her hand when they went in and sat down, waiting to hear the verdict.
"As there was no actual rap£ that took place, only attempted rap£ and assault the most I can do is find the defendant guilty of assault. I sentence you Mr. Hart to six months in jail."
"Ria looked at Ryan, her bottom lip quivered and her eyes teared up. "I don't believe this, only six months and no charges on the attempted rap£ even with that other woman's testimony." She lowered her head, placing it in her hands.
They were the only two left in the room so he put his arms around her, stroking her hair. "Something is terribly wrong with our justice system." He lifts her chin up so he could look at her. "Let's go back to your place so that you can grab a few things, you're staying with this weekend.