Dope Luv | Jack Harlow ✍︎

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

𝔰𝔲𝔯𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔩

❝ 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 ❞

𝔰𝔲𝔯𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔩

𝕴𝖙 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 seemed a bit surreal for Valerie Morgan. Sitting in the seat beside the prosecutor while Jevon Baltimore sat on the adjacent table with his defense attorney. The trial had been ongoing for about two days with most to all of the littlest situations to the paramount attack being listed off as evidence to discuss.

About a month had passed from that incident, it was reaching the middle of September. She only really knew that from checking the date this morning, she mosly kept the situation rooted in the back of her mind, letting the days go by as they came. Just so that she didn't have to count down until when this would all be over and she would be with Jack again.

Harlow was on tour. He'd already rescheduled the first three days of the tour to be able to stay with Val and support her, but his management were weary that the whole thing could be a detriment to his career. She knew that too. So she forced him to go, despite the tedious hour they argued about it, she implored that she didn't want to be a burden to him. He accepted and got on the next flight to his first tour spot.

The one thing that sat on her mind was the hope that he wasn't blaming himself for not being there for her, sitting in the gallery and keeping her calm as she sat in the witness booth.
"Miss Morgan, please answer the question." the judge instructed from beaide her, breaking her train of thought. She lifted her gaze to the prosecutor standing at the podium anticipating her answer. She cleared her throat and sat up.
"Uh, sorry. Could you repeat the question?"
"How long were you and Mr. Baltimore together for?" he quizzed.
"Um, two years or so."
"How often would you say you had serious verbal disagreements with Mr. Baltimore?"
"Every so often."
"Specifically?"
"About once or twice a week."
"And what would these disputes be about?"
"The way I would dress to work, I work as a dance choreographer so I don't usually wear things that would make me too hot. He would block me from leaving my apartment and make me late until I'd covered up completely. Other times would involve money, he would ask me to buy him things oe just lend him money which he would spend on other woment he spoke to during our relationship, and then refuse to pay me back when I asked." Val explained, trying to be as clear as possible. The corrosponding evidence was highlighted on the projection, showing messages between Val and Jevon asking him for her money back.

"Now, how often would you say that those verbal altercations would turn physical?" the prosecution then asked.
"Most times. He would push me so hard that I would fall over, slap me, strangle me, threaten to hurt me if I continued to bring things like that up, or if I said anything he didn't like."
"As you can see here, Your Honor, this piece of evidence shows exactly that, stating in this text message that he would 'slap her ass up if you continue with that attitude'. And now this shows that he did exactly that." He flicked to the next slide that showed photos of the bruises and marks that Val took proceeding the time of those text messages.

Murmurs filled the courtroom, as Val glanced away from the screen.

All Valerie tried to do was remind herself that it would be over soon, but it still didn't change how surreal it felt to see it all again after she'd begun to heal.