Until the Very End

Chapter 65

Don did as the bailiff told him to and he looked straight at Meryl to answer the questions as he was being sworn in. "So help me God, everything I am about to say is the truth and for the wellbeing of the love of my life, and our family."

"That boy." Mike reached over to hold Meryl's hand as he could see the tears in her eyes and knew how nervous she was. "He's laying it on kind of thick, isn't he?"

Meryl laughed at her husband's chosen father as she wiped away her tears with the handkerchief Mike gave her. "That's my Don Man, through and through."

"Mr. Gummer." Larry began. "I want to start at the beginning. Can you tell me about the first time you knew about Mr. Raymore?"

Don nodded as he took a deep breath. "Meryl's youngest brother, Dana, introduced the two of them. Our second Thanksgiving together, about a week after our oldest child was born, Dana made a comment about how he was sorry he had introduced someone to Meryl as part of a setup. I really didn't understand, Meryl told him not to worry about it since she was now happily married, and we just had our first baby. About 3 weeks later, I learned why that interaction between Meryl and Dana was so tense."

"Go on, Mr. Gummer."Judge Allers said.

Don nodded. "It was a Saturday. Our son Henry was about a month old. It was right before Christmas. I had gone down to get our mail and noticed Meryl had a piece of mail and it was addressed to Meryl Streep. We had been married for over a year at this point, and all of her mail that wasn't related to her career came as Meryl Gummer. So, I thought that was weird. I thought it was fan mail, but it made me worry about how a fan could get our home address. I take my wife and our children's safety VERY seriously." Don said as Meryl smiled. "I gave Meryl the envelope and her mood immediately changed. I asked her if she was okay and she said she needed to go out. She was gone for HOURS, which was unlike her. When she got back, I yelled at her when I shouldn't have, I was just worried. It was heated. I said something that was out of line, again it came out of my worry for my wife, and she raised her hand and I grabbed it before things spiraled out of control. She thought I was going to hit her, which broke my heart. I have NEVER laid one finger on my wife or children, I never would."

"He never has." Meryl said quickly. She didn't care if she was held in contempt of court. "Don has protected me above all else."

The judge couldn't help but smile at Meryl. "Don't worry, Mrs. Gummer, he isn't the one on trial here. Mr. Gummer, please continue."

"Thanks, Darl." Don winked at Meryl. "I grabbed her hand, softly, just to stop things from spiraling out of control. She cowered and begged me not to hurt her, she was transported back to the time with Raymore. The letter she had received was from him. He told her she didn't deserve happiness. That she was nothing. That she deserved to be beaten."

Larry nodded, it was hard for him to hear, and he couldn't imagine how hard it was for Don. "What happened then?"

"I wanted to find him and track him down for hurting her like that, for scaring her like that." Don sighed. "But that's not what my wife needed. She needed to know she was loved and safe, so that's what I did. I will always make sure my wife and children feel that way. I did make sure that our address wasn't out there. Years later, he tried to kill me during a hit and run where he targeted me, he had been working with my wife's rapist who somehow had gotten out of prison and they were working together during the year he was out. However, when Mann came after us again, he eventually was thrown back in prison and this was Raymore's revenge. He was sentenced to life in prison after that. Over the years he has targeted and stalked my wife. This has been going on for over 35 years. He has stated he wouldn't stop until we were all dead. It stops. It stops NOW."