* This is a long chapter, but this is what you were waiting for. Prepare yourself. *

I drop the girls off at the airport, helping them get the luggage out of the trunk. I put the cases on the cart looking at my sisters. They both give me a huge hug, and I hold them for a bit longer. I know that after tomorrow, they won't look at me the same.

"I-"

"Thank you for our birthday; it was fun!" Kenna smiles, "Seriously- we had a lot of fun."

"I'm sorry we went out so late, Noah had a tough day at work." I apologise again, but Kinley shakes her head.

"No, it's okay. We understand." Kenna smiles, looking at her watch. "Our flight is leaving soon." She states, putting her phone in the new purse I bought her. When she opened it, she screamed with joy. She has been looking at this purse for a while, but Mom wouldn't buy it for her.

"Okay, you guys are gonna be late." I look down at my watch, giving me another hug. "I love you, both."

"Love you too." They repeat, but I repeat it again. Making them look at me like I was crazy. But little do they know that everything is about to change. I watch them as they enter the airport, I wave them goodbye, trying to ignore the camera's taking photos of us.

"Miss Marshall?" I hear someone clears their throat. "Miss. Marshall." I zone back in, looking at the judge. I give her an apologetic look, and she gives me a disheartening look.

"I would like to call another witness to the stand." My lawyer, Carol Williams, stands up, drawing looks from the people in the courtroom. I look to the left, seeing Jay and his lawyer. "We have a leading witness who discovered my client clinging for her life. Doctor Noah McGuire." I look behind me, seeing the packed room with video crews and photographers. I watch as Noah, dressed in a suit, stride onto the stand. Carol walks around the table, walking up to Noah. Noah looks at me, his eyes as if he is trying to make sure I am okay.

"Doctor McGuire. How are you today?" Carol asks, making Noah look away from me.

"I'm fine," Noah answers, adjusting himself in the hard wooden chair.

"My client, Miss Marshall, is your neighbour correct?" Carol asks, making Noah nod his head. "Please answer yes or no. Outloud."

"Yes, she is my neighbour."

"Could you describe for the jury what happened that day you discovered Miss Marshall?" Carol asks, pacing in front of Noah for a few seconds.

"Yes. I was coming back from a jog when I had a feeling to check on Miss Marshall. The night before I heard loud noises coming from her apartment and-"

"Objection! Tell your client to focus on the day of." The defence attorney yells, making me jump slightly.

"Doctor. Focus on the day of." The judge says, making Noah nod his head.

"I went upstairs after my jog and asked another neighbour what apartment Miss Marshall lived in. I wanted to make sure it was her place before I went knocking on strangers doors. Once I found her apartment, I knocked on her door, stating who I was."

"Doctor, from many eyewitnesses, even the owner of the complex said you were quite rude and eager to get into her apartment," Carol says, making Noah shake his head slightly.

"I was eager to get into her place because I heard Miss Marshall gasping for air as well as groaning in pain." Noah looks at me, but I can't look at him anymore. I don't know how much longer I can take of this.

"So that's when you convinced the owner of the complex, John Wells, to open the door of Miss Marshall's apartment?" Carol looks at the jury, then back at Noah.

"Yes."

"What did you find when Mr Wells opened the door?" Carol asks, fighting to not look at Noah. But I can't look anywhere else.

"I noticed her apartment was destroyed. Glass was everywhere. I look around to find Miss Marshall laying on the floor in the living room. She was on her side in a puddle of blood." Noah pauses, recalling the encounter. "When I examined her briefly, she had a large cut on her head, blood coming from her nose and blood flowing down her legs."

"I would like to show the evidence, photos that were taken from the crime scene as well as from the hospital," Carol says, putting the photos on the large television. "And I have to warn you what you are about to see is pretty horrendous." When she says that, images of myself battered and beaten pop up on the screen. The air leaves my lungs, making it hard for me to breathe. I watch as she flips through the photos, making everyone look at the screen. Most of these are from when I was unconscious and from when I was awake and willing to talk.

"Are these the injuries that you saw when you discovered her in the apartment?" Carol asks, "Or did you discover them after she was at the hospital?"

"I discovered a few of them at her apartment and the rest of them during surgery," Noah answers, looking at the photos then at me. I can't breathe properly, making me squeeze my nails into the palm of my hands.

"To bring us back into Miss Marshall's apartment. What happened after you noticed these injuries?" Carol asks, showing the injuries Noah mentioned on the television, pausing it on a photo of my trashed apartment.

"I told Mr Wells to call the ambulance, that's when she lost consciousness. The 911 operator told me they wouldn't arrive for over twenty minutes; that is when I made the decision to drive to the hospital." Noah looks at me, his eyebrows knit together slightly.

"What happened next?" Carol plays the slideshow, letting it go to the photos taken of me at the hospital.

"I told Mr Wells to call the police. For them to come to her place and then meet me at the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, Miss Marshall stopped breathing. She needed to be intubated, and after we did a quick ultrasound to her inflated abdomen, she needed emergency surgery." I look away, looking down at my hands now starting to bleed.

I can't look anymore, the moment I look away from the screen I can breathe again. My chest hurts, but I try to get myself to relax. This needs to happen to send him to prison, I remind myself.

"Can you tell us all the injuries, Miss Marshall got from being attacked by Mr Mathers?" Carol asks, making me close my eyes. I wish I could plug my ears right now...

"Miss Marshall had two broken ribs, and her left wrist was sprained. On top of those injuries, she lost over fourteen per cent of her blood. I had to remove her spleen since it was ruptured as well as major internal bleeding." Noah waits for a second, before continuing. "Miss Marshall had a mild concussion, a busted lip, a busted eyebrow and she has a tear in her uterine wall caused by a-" Noah cleared his throat. "By a blunt object." I gasp slightly, covering my mouth. This draws Noah to look at me, but I quickly compose myself.

"Thank you, Doctor." Carol walks away, sitting down next to me. I look up at Noah, watching as the defence attorney stands up, walking to Noah.

"Doctor, thank you for being here today. You have a tough job, very long and tiring."

"Objection. Relevance." Carol stands up quick, making me jump.

"Withdrawn." The defence lawyer walks in front of the jurors. "Doctor is it true that Miss Marshall and you are in a relationship?"

"I don't see-"

"Answer yes or no, Doctor." The defence attorney says.

"Yes. We are in a relationship."

"Which means, you have the motive to put my client away."

"Objection! Speculation!" Carol yells, making the defence lawyer back off.

"I have no further questions." He says, sitting back down.

"Thank you, Doctor. You may step down." The judge says, and Noah stands up walking out of the stand and sits behind me.

"I'd like to call up my client, Miss Marshall to end this ruling," Carol says, making me look at her. I stand up, feeling weak. This is my first time being on the stand and so many people are watching me right now. "It's okay, Phoebe," Carol reassures me, making me push my nails further into my hand.

I almost stumble getting into the stand, I sit next to the judge. Getting a good look at everyone in the room...

"Hello, Miss Marshall. How are you feeling today?" Carol asks I swallow the lump in my throat. Feeling so uncomfortable.

"I'm okay," I answer, looking at her and no one else. Just focus on her and remember to breathe.

"I'm sorry we had to go over those photos, it must still be traumatic for you." I don't do anything...

"I'm going to get right into it, and ask- do you see the person who sexually assaulted you in this courtroom?" Carol asks, looking at me then at the jurors.

"Yes." I nod my head, "He's right there." I point at Jay, feeling tears fill up in my eyes.

"I'd like to point out that she is pointing to the defendant, Jace Mathers. Miss Marshall, how long did Mr Mathers sexually assault and abuse you for?"

"Six years," I say, making the audience talk with one another. I look around, finding Noah's eyes.

"Breathe." Noah's mouths to me, and I do as he says.

"Silence in my courtroom!" The judge says, banging the hammer. Once the room goes silent, she lets us continue.

"Within those six years, did you ever tell Mr Mathers 'no.' That you didn't want to have sex with him?"

"Yes. I said 'no' every single time. But he never listened to me. He- he would tell me to shut up and that he would hurt me worse if I didn't."

"Can you describe the things he would do to you?" Carol says, making me close my eyes. Tears fell down my face.

"He- he would force me into doing oral sex, vaginal sex and even anal. And when he didn't get what he wanted he would tie me down and do it anyway. Then he would leave me there, so I would bleed all over the covers and even... Even use the bathroom on the bed."

I can't look at Noah anymore... I'm too horrified and embarrassed.

"Please, continue." Carol hands me the tissue box.

"He would then, untie me and tell me to clean up the mess. I would have to do this completely naked so he could watch me. After I was finished, he would tell me to clean myself up and that I look like a cheap whore. Then he would lock me in the bathroom for days on end without giving me any food."

"We have footage, from the elevator at the complex that you live in. This is evidence 3C." She plays the footage and it's Jay, covered in blood. Drinking a glass of alcohol. "Was this what he was wearing that night he attacked you at your home?"

"Yes." I nod my head finally feeling numb... The crying has stopped and I'm getting so tired.

"We also have evidence from the multiple visits to the hospital with injuries that indicate multiple sexual assaults and abuse," Carol adds on. Showing the evidence to the jury. "That's it. Thank you, Miss Marshall."

"I don't have any questions." The defendant lawyer says.

"You may step down." The judge says. I stand up, walking slowly back to my seat.

"We will take a recess so the jury can make their decision." The judge says as everyone stands up leaving the room. I am escorted out by police officers. Noah and my lawyer are by my side.

They walk me down a long hallway, a bunch of cameras and video cameras trying to be shoved in my face. All I hear is yelling. People asking me a bunch of questions.

"No comment!" My lawyer yells as we get escorted into a private room to wait. The cops block the door so no one can get in. Noah helps me sit down and asks for some privacy.

"Talk to me." Noah bends down in front of me, putting his hands into mine. But I can't seem to speak... "Baby-" I quickly run to the nearest trash can, puking more than I have in my entire life. Noah grabs my hair, making sure it's not in my face and rubs my back. "It's okay. It's okay." He repeats as I keep puking.

Once I'm finished, my lawyer hands me a bottle of water and tells me that I did so good. But I don't feel like it... There is a knock on the door, drawing looks from everyone.

I look at my lawyer and she says that the jury already has their decision.

"That was fast," Noah says, looking at Carol than at me. "You okay?" He asks and I nod my head. I feel much better since I threw up. But now I'm anxious about what they are going to say...

We all walk back into the room, and I take a seat in my chair. Noah is behind me, and we wait until the judge walks into all stand-up.

"All rise." The police officer says and everyone in the room stands. Once she sits down we all are instructed to sit down.

"Members of the jury, have you reached your verdict?" The judge asks.

"We have your honour." A man stands up with a piece of paper.

"On the felony account of third-degree rape and assault, how do you find?" She asks, making it hard for me to breathe.

"We find the defendant, Jace Mathers... Guilty of all charges."

Finally, I can breathe.

"Members of the jury, the court thanks to you for your service. You are free to go." The judge says, making everyone have a small talk between themselves. I hear the clicking of cameras going off. I stand up, getting embraced by Noah.

"Let's go," Noah says, but I need to watch this... I need this.

I watch as they handcuff him, and they escort him past me. Jay tries to get close to me, but Noah blocks him. He doesn't take his eyes off me as they walk him out of the door.

"Phoebe. He's going away for 25 years without the possibility of parole. We did it!" Carol says, pulling me into a hug.

"Baby, it's over. It's over." Noah hugs me, kissing me on the head. "It's over."

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* If you liked this chapter, please consider giving it a vote and answer the questions below. *

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*Authors Notes*

Sorry for the long chapter, this is was needed. But I also paid for the Story Report (Beta), and they basically told me my writing sucks. So all day today I was depressed.

Questions:

1. How did this chapter make you feel?

2. Are you happy with the juries decision?

- Anna