The Street Fighter|✔️

Epilogue

Two months later:

I was startled awake by two things: the first was a nightmare where I relived one of the worst beatings I've ever received, and the second was the searing pain in my arm which was also the cause of my screaming.

Immediately Tino sat bolted up and wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head trying to calm me down.

"Do you need your medicine?" He asked softly, reaching over to his nightstand before I could even nod.

I quickly took the pain meds and laid back down in bed and facing Sage.

As I sat there running my fingers through his silky brown hair I thought about how he always knew if I needed something before I even knew myself.

He explained it to me one time, he said he just gets this feeling that I'm in pain or about to be. It's a sinking feeling in gut that doesn't settle down until he checks on me.

"Are you ready for today?" He asked kissing the tip of my nose.

"I suppose I have no other choice," I shrugged.

"Well it's five o'clock so I suggest we get changed since we're already awake," he said.

I quickly nodded and immediately ran to the shower before he could steal all the hot water.

Once I was done I put on the court clothes I had picked out a month ago and started to put on my makeup.

It was simple, not enough to cover every scar on my face, just enough to make me look a little younger.

My lawyer wold me that in order to emphasize the point I was trying to get across the jury had to see the lasting imprints my father had made on my body, she also said it wouldn't hurt to use makeup to my advantage and look younger and thus more vulnerable.

I suppose she was right, when I looked in the mirror I saw a broken innocent girl who would no longer be able to live out the rest of her life the way she planned.

Everyone had already started spreading rumors about what happened to me, but after today everyone would know the full story of what happened to me.

From this day forward looks of pity would constantly follow me wherever I went.

"Mitch called, said he wanted to take you out for breakfast," Sage mumbled, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Tell him I would love to go to breakfast with him," I grinned.

While I was in the hospital Mitch was one of the people who visit me everyday. It had surprised me at first but I enjoyed the company and we had grown quite close during that time.

At this point he was basically my brother, and he even declared to everyone we knew that I was now his little sister.

"Are you nervous?" Sage asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"A little," I admitted. "I obviously don't want to come face to face with him again, but I'm more nervous about how people will react once they hear my story."

"Well you have an entire army of people who'll support you no matter what," he said, kissing my cheek. "That's all that matters."

Four hours later the breakfast Mitch bought me was threatening to come back up as I slowly made my way to the stand where I would tell the world about my past.

"Ms. Wright you may give your statement now," the judge said.

I took in a deep breath and prepared myself.

Any doubts I had completely vanished as I made eye contact with the man who was supposed to protect me no matter what.

I remembered how happy he was before mom died. The eyes that were once filled with joy were now lifeless and broken. It hurt to see my father like that, but I hoped that after my statement, once he was sent to jail for good that they would find a doctor who could help him with the deep depression he fell into.

So I told them everything. I told them about how happy my family once was. I told them about how my mother died and the deep depression my dad had fallen into. I told the story about all the times he had ever hurt me and nearly broke down in tears as I spoke. 

I told my story not only for myself, but also in hopes that my father would be given the help he needs to recover from this disease that took over him.

When I was done I locked eyes with Sage and it felt as if all the pain and guilt that had been thrown on my shoulders had finally even lifted off them.

I was finally free to live my life again.