Acrimony: Until Death

Never Knew

*Vote and Comment. We peeping yall.... that's all imma say for now🤨*

"Tell me about court." The first court date was...... that shit was scary. How would you feel knowing you had to go in and see your crazy ass abusive ex husband alone just to make sure you kept your house? It took everything in me to go inside. I wanted to leave. I could feel my body tense up. It was like I could barely breathe. "What got you inside?" I called Derrick right before. He kept telling me that I was stronger than I was allowing myself to be. He told me to fight through to get what I needed and that he'd be waiting for me on the other side. I took so many deep breaths before finally going in. As soon as the door opened, Robert's eyes were instantly on me. I tried to hide on the other side of my lawyer but it didn't seem like Robert cared about anyone noticing him staring at me. I can only assume that was the look my mother saw when she told me to leave him alone.

"Your honor, my client has proof that Mr Gayle stole from, cheated on and abused my client. We don't feel it is fair that Mr Gayle could attack my client's integrity then attempt to take her home from her. A home that her family lived in for over 4 decades. A home that she was given. A home that should've never been mortgaged. A home that my client worked her fingers to the bone to keep day in and day out for 14 years. A home that Mr Gayle almost burned down. A home that my client has finally had the ability to pay off this year." Robert snarled at Mel's lawyer. He should've burned the house down but then where would they have stayed? With her sisters? Yeah he'd rather die.

"Why was the home mortgage twice Mrs Gayle?" Robert smirked. Yeah that was Mrs Gayle. Always and forever. "He forced and coerced me." "In what way?" Do you know how hard it is to say he beat me, in front of people? I only recently just talked to 2 of the closest people to me about Robert beating my ass and now they wanted me to say it out loud for public records. It didn't help that Robert was glaring at me. I could just hear him saying I dare you. "He ummm....." Looking at Robert, the judge sensed the heavy tension. "I will hold you in contempt if you do not stop haunting this woman Mr Gayle." Snapping his eyes at the magistrate, Robert put on his best face for a second. "I understand your honor. I do apologize for the distraction." The woman hummed as she turned her focus back onto Melinda.

"Continue on." "He'd do things like that when he wasn't bruising my ribs because I didn't do something or because I questioned him or anything really." "I'm not seeing any police report filings except a restraining order." "No ma'am. My client was threatened to believe that Mr Gayle would kill her if she did attempt to report him. We do have photos from the last time he abused her as well as security footage of him violating the restraining order and being aggressive with my client," Mr Clarke mentioned as he held up a remote to play the video. The lawyer turned to look at Robert, disgust covered her face. "You were informed of the restraining order Mr Gayle, were you not?" "No ma'am. I didn't know your honor." He sounded so convincing but I think she saw through it.

"Why do you say that?" Her face. She looked like she truly despised men like Robert. He was standing there with a smile on his face and she was livid. He was acting like no one saw him gawking at me the whole time! "I find that hard to believe that you weren't informed of the order placed against you. Aside from you violating the restraining order, I am not taking the aggressive behavior and abuse lightly. And you're petitioning for........ 2 million? Ha okay we'll see if that stands. Now the bank accounts. What happened there Mr Gayle?" "We shared one account. Yes my name wasn't added to the account but we never felt the need to do so. I was able to withdraw what I needed and the money I made, I gave to her to deposit."

"YOU HAD NO MONEY!" "Mrs Gayle! I will have order in this courtroom. I do not allow outbursts. Mr Clarke contain your client." I didn't need to be contained. I needed someone to say that he was lying. "That's what your lawyer was there for. To prove your innocence." Yeah well he wasn't doing it fast enough in my opinion. He whispered some shit but I didn't hear it. I was sulking. Had Derrick been there I would've gotten an earful about being in the play room when we got home but he wasn't there, so I did as I pleased. "I was in a terrible crash. Damn near lost my life just to have my wife abuse me in the hospital bed while I was in such a vulnerable state. Then for her to pack up what she felt was mine and leave it waiting at the neighbors house. I had nothing to my name. She closed out our account and disappeared."