A Man Already Gone

The lawyer's eyebrows knitted together.

"You can't just say 'no' and expect us to believe you. This proof is the real deal!"

Harriet was wiping away tears.

"It was me... I recorded that while he was on top of me. I was fighting as hard as I could... Every word, every scream is true! How could you lie like that?!"

She was so upset that she could barely speak, her shoulders shaking.

I laughed, but there was no warmth in it.

"Lots of people sound the same. Why are you so sure it's my dad?"

The lawyer gave me a look and snorted. "If you think that's not enough, I've got something else."

He looked down and clicked on his computer.

A moment later, the big screen in the courtroom turned on.

A video started playing.

It was from the surveillance camera in my living room, showing footage from a night I was not home.

The lights were dim, and a man walked in.

He went straight for Harriet.

"You must be Harriet. Oh, he was right… You are pretty."

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

The bottle Harriet was holding clattered to the floor as she struggled weakly, her voice filled with fear.

"What are you doing? Let go! Somebody, help!"

The man quickly overpowered her, and with a few rough pulls, he lifted her by the waist and marched toward the bedroom.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang.

Right after, soft cries and the sound of a struggle leaked through the door gap, eerily similar to the recording played earlier.

The video ended there.

The plaintiff's lawyer faced everyone, his voice filled with grief.

"This is a surveillance video taken from the defendant's home camera!

"Experts have investigated. The man in the video, his build and clothes, all match Jethro Roberts perfectly!"

Then, he looked at me. "Sir, can you still say this isn't Jethro Roberts?"

Whispers spread through the courtroom:

"The evidence is undeniable! The video shows it all!"

"He was defiant earlier, but let's see what he has to say now!"

Some even stood up, shouting with passion.

"There's nothing to talk about with such a heartless accomplice! Judge, please sentence them! Make them pay for their crimes in jail!"

Feeling the heat of countless scornful and angry stares, I stood up slowly, my eyes fixed on Harriet.

"You insist it was my father. So, tell me, had you met Jethro Roberts before this?"

Harriet, holding her belly, got to her feet.

"I've been working at your house for three months. How could I not have met your dad?

"Besides, he opened your house door like it was nothing, and the man looked just like him. If it wasn't your dad, who else could it be?"

The crowd started hurling insults at me too.

"All the evidence is right there, yet you still deny it!"

"You're heartless! Helping a criminal hurt an innocent girl? You're the lowest of the low!"

"Just look at him. You can tell he's bad news, just like his dad!"

The courtroom was filled with mean words that hurt my ears. I took a deep breath and looked around at everyone.

"I already told you. My dad never forced himself on her!"

I turned to the judge.

"Their lawyer is just guessing who it was by what they looked like and what they wore. That's not fair!

"It makes total sense to think that the man in the security video isn't my dad!"

Their lawyer laughed meanly. "You just won't quit, will you?"

Then, he pulled out a paper from his folder.