Chapter 7*~

December 21^st, 2007- Trial part 98

“I pled with him to let me go, let me go home back to my family where I belonged. Where I was happy, and not in any danger.” Aaliyah said as she watched the prosecutor walk back and forth in front of her. She looked over at Matthew who was grinning at her. She looked away and focused back over at the district attorney.

“Has Justin ever hurt you?”

“Not intentionally.”

“Has he ever laid hands on you.”

“Objection! Relevance?”

“I have a reason, I’m getting there.”

“Then please get to the point. Answer the question Ms. Haughton.”

“Yes,”

“And isn’t it true that last time it sent you to the hospital.”

“Yes but it was an accident.”

“But isn’t it true that you’re ex just had your best interest in thought.”

“Objection! Will she stop badgering her?”

“Withdrawn...your witness...”

“Ms. Haughton, how many times has the defendant sent you to the hospital?”

“Forty-two times in the time we were together.” Aaliyah said and looked over at Matthew who still held a smug grin on his face. That son of a bitch.

“What was the worse that he has done to you?”

“I was holding the baby, our baby girl Sarah...he threw me down the stairs. Fractured my ribs, collapsed one of my lungs and killed my baby girl.” Aaliyah said through tears and pointed at him. “That bastard should rot in hell for what he has done to me! He should never see the light of day.”

“Mr. McCoy please calm your witness down.”

“Thank you Ms. Haughton, that’s all we need.”

~*4 hours later*~

I looked at Aaliyah who sat with her hands in her lap, her body was shaking. I had never seen her in this shape. She was completely traumatized to the point that she hadn’t even talked after testifying. That grin on Matt’s face. I looked over at the door as they opened it and looked at Aaliyah who just nodded.

“They’re ready...”

We entered the courtroom and took a seat. Hoping for the best. That’s all you could do.

“Has the jury reached a verdict?”

“Yes we have,”

“On the count of kidnapping of the second degree, we find the defendant Matthew Mason, guilty. On the count of endangerment we find the defendant Matthew Mason, guilty. On the count of murder in the first degree, we the defendant Matthew Mason guilty. And on the count of attempted murder, we the jury find Matthew Mason guilty.”

I looked at Aaliyah tears running down her cheeks. She had let out a sigh of relief because for the first time in her life she had actually taken a stand against him and had sent him where he belonged.

“Mr. Mason will be sentenced to Life in Prison with no parole. Courts adjourned.”

“That’s ok, your ass is mine Li. I would watch your back if I were you...”

Aaliyah followed Matthews glance as she grinned and did the one thing I wasn’t expecting of her. She had put up both of her middle fingers and laughed. I had always heard the girl could be wicked but I never knew she had that side to her. I looked at her and a smile had appeared on her face. The smile I hadn’t seen since the first day I met her. Her hand rested on her stomach and she looked at me and took my hand in her own, pulling it up to her stomach. “The baby is kicking, I think it’s a sign.”

I looked her in her eyes and smiled. “I think it’s a sign too, a sign of good things baby girl, a sign of good things.”