Forced II: Whatever Happens

Chapter 1 - Six Months Later

18th of April, 2008
Michael is 49, Angela is 44

Angela: "I'd like to call Mrs. Angela Brown-Jackson to the stand, please."

I pushed myself up carefully, holding my lower back as I waddled to the stand.

I took the oath, then sat back down when I was asked to.

"Mrs. Jackson," Rob started. "We've heard a lot of versions of your life and relationship with Mr. Jackson, over the last couple months. How all this information effects this custody trial is still not very clear to me, but we'd like to hear your version today."

I nodded.

Rob smiled, "Tell me how you met Michael."

"Um, it was at his birthday party back in 1994," I said. "My boyfriend at the time, Jake, was a very good friend of his. He was working at the rehab center Michael was admitted to in 1993. That's how they met... So he introduced me to him when we were invited to his party."

"Did you have a good relationship with Michael back then?"

I shook my head. "I actually didn't like him that much. But we did visit Neverland, a lot. Jake and I even got married there, in a very private ceremony. Michael was the best man.

"Our kids grew up together. Michael had Prince and Paris while Jake and I had Lily and Eric. And then-"

I stopped myself when my throat became a little scratchy from the tears that threatened to spill.

"Do you need a break, Mrs. Jackson?" the judge asked.

I shook my head, then continued. "It was the end of 2003, Michael was charged with child molestation again. Jake, being a really amazing friend, drove all the way to Santa Ynez to be there for Mike. He got into a car crash, and was killed on the spot.

"It was a week later when his attorney gave me his will. When I read it, I couldn't  believe my eyes. I thought he was crazy when he said he wanted me to marry Michael. I mean, we didn't get along, so marrying him? And giving him a child? Crazy."

"But you did it." Rob raised his eyebrows.

"Of course I did. I felt so obligated to Jake... I truly loved him, I still do. And thinking I could've stopped him from driving to Neverland so late, I had to do it. The truth was, I was a widow with two little kids. Yes, I had a great job and enough money, but Lily and Eric needed a stable home and a loving family. They got exactly that when I married Michael. And I did too. I've never felt so loved before.

"So Michael and I had a plan, that we'd 'date' for a while, then he'd propose, and finally we got married. I got pregnant with Rose and Jared about 4 months after the wedding. During those long 8 months, I realized why Jake wanted me to marry him. He's the most loving father a child could have. He won't let anything happen to his kids, ever. And as it turns out, he was a good husband too. Always taking care of me, making sure I had everything. In the process of it all, we fell in love... I don't know how it happened, but it did."

"Thank you, Angela. That's all from me, your honor." Rob sat back down.

Amanda Goodwin, Debbie's attorney, stood up and walked in front of me.

"Mrs. Jackson," she said my name coldly. "Would you say Jake, whom you claim you loved and loved you back, forced you to marry Mr. Jackson?"

"No, no at all. He simply wished for it; I'm the one who decided to do it eventually."

"But you claimed you and Mr. Jackson never got along. Was it really worth it at the time?"

"Yes. My kids and I needed some steadiness in our lives." I said.