Behind These Walls

40

CRYSTAL'S POV

A few weeks ago, we had went to report Richard, and today we are going to court. I was restless the whole night and I kept getting nightmares, but Chris was there with me, quietly comforting me. Starr slept over here, so it would be easy for us to just go to court. We all woke up and got ready.

Breakfast downstairs was tense, my mom was stiff and she was far away with her thoughts. This is actually quite hard for both of us, it isn't easy but we have to do it. We all gathered our strength and went to the car. The ride to court was very quite and uncomfortable.

Looking at the gates, it is surrounded by alot of journalists. People want to know what happened, and with my dad being a sort of well know businessman, it makes everything worse for him. I didn't want a lawyer, I wanted to talk for myself and stand up on my own for once. I didn't want someone to represent me on something they didn't go through so it's better if I talked for myself and mom will do the same.

We were escorted to our seats, my mom and I as the victims. Chris and Starr as the witnesses were also taken, where I don't know. I looked at him as he climbed the stairs, handcuffed and badly beaten. I've heard that other prisoners hate men who abuse women and children, so I figured they found out why he was inside and beat him up. He looked at me with and emotion I didn't think he still had, regret, he looked sorry, he really did, but there is no backing down now.

His eyes shifted next to me and they opened like saucers. I'm sure he couldn't believe she was here. Tears started pooling his eyes and they fell repeatedly. The policeman that was holding him shoved him forward. That's when I realized he had stopped walking when he saw us. He was taken into his box and he sat down. A few minutes later, an official shouted for us to rise. The judge walked in looking like she owned the world. She looked gorgeous, and her eyes, her eyes looked even prettier, they held so much love and wisdom it was overwhelming.

We all sat down after her. The judge called us up, one by one until we had all told our story and what Chris and Starr witnessed. It was a very emotional journey and all he did there was sit and look down. "Before we bring out the evidence, how would the accused like to plead."

My hands were sweating. He stood cleared his throat and he said loud and proudly. "I plead guilty your honor". Did I believe it, no. Mom looked at him shocked, I was too, he seriously just gave in but there is nothing he could have done because the evidence would put him straight into jail. The official brought the evidence and I couldn't watch, but mom did. I cried hearing my screams and me begging him to stop.

I couldn't carry on and listen so I asked for them to stop it. They did hopefully because they  understood the trauma it held for me. I also wanted it to stop because I didn't want to see how he killed Lewis as much as I know he did it, I didn't want to see how. The just soon told Richard about his fate."I hearby sentence Richard Diamond, 15 years in prison for physical abuse towards Crystal Diamond, 10 years in prison for physical abuse towards Sofia Monic Smith Diamond, 20 years for rape and a life sentence for the murder of Lewis Smith. Court dismissed". He definitely won't be coming out soon.

I am a free person. We all stood up as the Judge left the court room. The police took Richard. Before he went down the stairs, I walked up to him and broke down. I cried for all the pain I had endured over the years, I wanted to forget how much it hurt me that my father has been the one who has caused me so much pain. I couldn't be any happier than I was right at this very moment. "I can't even begin to apologise to you. I've done you and your mother very wrong, I just want you to know that, I love you and I am so sorry, will you tell your mother that for me. It was never meant to get this bad Crystal, I don't know what is wrong with me but I'm sorry I truly am." I looked at the floor and rose my head as I chuckled a little bit.

"Ahh of course the tables do turn, look who is apologising, weren't my apologies worth hearing when you beat me to a pulp, you let my apologies fall into deaf ears but you want me to hear yours. I apologised with more than half of my life, being at your beck and call. I did everything you told me to do, I apologised to you the day you took my innocence, but you carried on, you tore my soul and broke me Richard. I am no longer going to bow down to you, I will become a worthy woman and I will become so much more than what you had ever thought of me.

you are my father, whether I like it or not, and as much as I hate it, I forgive you, not for you but so I can have a peace of mind and carry on with my life. I don't need you in my life anymore, you have proven to do more bad than good and I don't need such in my life. I don't want anything from you or anything to do with you, hopefully you will be able to forgive yourself as well, but as for me and you, I can't, I won't even try and tell you that I'll visit because I won't. I'm done playing your slave. You are my father at the end of the day but you are not deserving of a place in my life from this point onwards. Till we meet again, goodbye Richard."