Chapter 78

The next two weeks become a blur. Mia leaked she was suing Eric to the media. Needless to say the public is in a frenzy.

We can’t so much as go grocery shopping without being bombarded by flashing lights and people shouting their opinions at us.

Even at night when I close my eyes I see contorted faces of strangers yelling at me, I hear their screams in my nightmares.

“Are you ready?” Eric asks sound as exhausted as I feel. My eyes are hooded with dark circles that no amount of concealer can cover.

I snap shut the passenger overhead mirror and sigh. “I suppose,” I tell him.

We step outside the car into the public courts parking lot. The usual sound of cameras clicking and voices hollering reaches our hears.

I duck my head, Eric takes my hand and leads the way. This has become our normal routine whenever we leave the house.

I’ve become aware of every scuff on my shoes and now have it in me that I need new pairs of sneakers and slip ons. I never noticed much the condition of my shoes u til I spent so much time looking down, avoiding eye contact with reporters and cameras.

The noise ceases for a brief moment as we enter the novel lobby of the court house, only to be replaced by business chatter into cell phones and clacking of computers.

At least here no one is paying us nearly as much attention.

The lobby style is our dated with the title flooring freckled with colors and wooden slates lining the poorly painted white concerted walls. Oil paintings of previous supreme judges hang

domineeringly over us. I already feel the condemnation of their judgment before our trial begins.

Technically I’m not the one being tried, Eric is and I’m here merely for support, but if we continue on together then both of our reputation is on the line.

A woman in a fitted black pant suit approaches us. She introduces her self as Marie and shakes Eric’s hand.

Usually when women meet Eric their eyes gloss over and their cheeks rosy, not this woman. If Eric’s handsomeness had an effect on her she didn’t show it.

Her hair is midnight black and slicked back into a neat bun. Her lips are red as are the thick square framing of her glasses.

She flips through pages on a clipboard asking Eric a series of questions.

“Are you under the influence of drugs or alcohol?” She asks her voice flat.

Eric ls eyebrows lift curiously. “It’s 9:00 in the morning,”I can smell the coffee on his breath that he chugged in the car as he answers her. Marie’s eyes lift sharply to the rim of her glasses.

“Are you under the influence of drugs or alcohol?” She repeats sounding annoyed at the time wasted.

“No,” Eric confirms. Marie’s eyes go back to the clipboard and she continues with other seemingly nonsensical questions about Eric’s mental and physical state of being.

When Eric’s answered all the questions Marie tells us to follow her.

She’s short but has a commanding energy about her. She walks the halls like she owns them, and honestly maybe she does.

Eric and I try to keep up at her pace. She leads us to a room that seems no different than the others we’ve passed except this one is the one where Eric will hear the charges brought against him.

I’m told to stay in the common people section while Eric is brought to the judges bench past a short gate that keeps us separated.

I choose a seat in the front row which is as close as I can be to Eric while still being kept in the common area.

I pick at my fingernails nervously. I’m being flooded with flashback memories of when I was a young girl and in court rooms similar to this as an orphan.

At the time I had no idea what was going on and I vaguely felt that none of the adults in the room knew what to do either as they all looked as me with pity.

Now, I’m the only one here looking at Eric with pity.

The attorney who led us here, Marie, regards Eric as nothing more than a number in the system.

A small part of her busy day as a lawyer.

If she’s the one that the court assigned to Eric than we’re screwed. I tried to convince Eric to hire his own lawyer but he insisted that would make him look guilty, even if he wasn’t.

Eric has had more experience in the limelight as an Alpha and he remembers his own childhood when his dad was brought to court. His dad hired his own lawyer.

I let it go. But now here we are with Marie has his lawyer who doesn’t seem to care one way or the other if he’s guilty or innocent.

The security guard up by the judges seat also as a stone-cold look about him. He reminds me of Andrew in his broad build and serious look, only difference is Andrew would defend Eric until death- this security guard looks as though he’s here to defend others against Eric.

“All rise,” the security guard says and though I’m the only one in the stands I quickly get to my feet.

This is a private hearing, meaning no public and no media are allowed inside except for family and since technically Eric and I are validly married- I’m family.

This hearing will determine if Eric’s case will go to trial or not.

The only upside to all of this is that even Mia isn’t here. I may not know anything about law but I’ve seen enough true crime to know that a damsel in distress is sure to always win against the accused abuser.

Her and Eric won’t see one another unless they appear before one another in trial.

The judge comes in, an older gentleman with kind eyes and black clock that he seems to be swimming in, yet is clearly comfortable being it, like it’s a second skin to him.

“Please be seated,” he says as he takes his own seat and fixes the rim on his glasses.

I start to calm down when I think about how he’ll be the one trying the case. He’s a harmless old man, no way he’s ever sent anyone to jail.

“Eric (last name?)” he says, his voice shaky with age.

“Yes, your honor,” Eric replies respectfully.

“Are you aware of the charges brought against you,” the judge asks looking at Eric.

“Vaguely, your honor,” Eric replies.

“Counsel?” The judge says curiously to Marie.

Marie clears her throat, the only time since we’ve met her that I’ve seen her look at all unsure about herself and the situation.

“My client has been debriefed, but it appears the information is not evidently clear enough,” she says as a way to put the blame on Eric for not understanding what he possibly could have done wrong, considering he has done nothing wrong, instead of taking ownership of her poor explanatory skills.

“Well,” the judge says and pushes aside his papers. “Let me make this clear then,” the change in his demeanor causes me to stand in attention even though I’m not the one he’s addressing.

Eric doesn’t respond, he just stands with his hands folded in front of him with his back straight waiting to hear what the judge says.

“A Ms. Mia Roselle is suing you for emotional distress. Specially, that you paid her for sexual intercourse as well as exploited her talents at Blue Moon Group Co.” though judges are supposed to remain metal, I can hear the anger in his voice at the idea that some man would do this.

Eric’s lawyer whispers something quickly in his ear and I strain my neck trying to hear it, but I can’t. Eric remains silent.

“How do you plead?” The judge asks and I have to bite my tongue from calling out.

“Not guilty,” Eric quickly answers.

The judges eyes, unreadable, linger on Eric for a moment.

The judge then addresses Marie in some legal lingo that goes over my head. Marie and the judge have a back and fourth. I watch the both of them as they speak like a ping pong match, but I’m not so sure where the ball lands.

Eric nonchalantly turns around and makes eye contact with me. He smiles at me quickly and I find myself amazed at his ability to remain calm on a time like this.

I try to smile back, but I’m sure it looks forced. It is forced.

I’m supposed to be the one smiling and calming down Eric, not the other way around.

I know he’s innocent, but I think of the evidence Mia has against Eric and it doesn’t look good.

Eric did pay Mia, Eric says they didn’t have sex, but could he have lied?

Mia is the conniving spoiled brat, but she would have no reason to lie about them having sex.

She could sue him for just the misappropriation of funds. Eric is the one who would have a

reason to lie about not having slept with Mia, because he didn’t want to hurt me.

Well I’m sure Mia is blowing this out of proportion, the reason I’m nervous isn’t because Eric is going to go to jail. If he really wanted to I’m sure he could pay himself out of that.

I’m nervous there’s more truth to Mia’s charges than I originally thought.