CHAPTER 7: JUDICIAL INTERFERENCE

MARIE I stood outside the courtroom and took several deep breaths as my heart raced with unexpected anxiety. I was eleven minutes late to the proceeding, but the mere thought of seeing Damian in such a setting was more significant than my tardiness. I'd planned something else for us, for our future. I breathed out a sigh as my hand subconsciously glided over my stomach. “What are we going to do?" I whispered, then immediately straightened as I heard footsteps behind me. "Good afternoon, Miss." "Good afternoon," I replied with an awkward smile as the older man walked past me. I breathed in and gave myself a mental part of encouragement before finally pushing the door open and slipping into the courtroom. Everyone who deserved to be there was already seated when I made my way to the front row, carefully and intentionally avoiding any eye contact with Damian. "You are late," my lawyer began immediately after he saw me, "thankfully, the judge is running a bit late too." She added, shaking my hand. "Are you ready?" he implored after we sat down, and I nodded, even though my stomach was a nervous, knotted mess. "I was going to stay home, though," I blurted out. "Then why didn't you?" He asked, his voice tinged with slight confusion. "I…I just needed to see the whole thing myself," I answered, wondering why I'd even revealed my unwillingness to be in court right then. "All rise!" A female clerk suddenly yelled as the judge walked into the room and made straight for her seat. The soft murmur of conversations in the courtroom immediately ceased as everyone stood up, our eyes fixed on her, until she lowered herself into her high-backed chair and slid on her glasses. "The court is now in session!" the clerk yelled again before taking her seat, and we all did the same. I still refused to look to my right, although I knew his presence. The judge shifted the gavel slightly, her gaze sweeping the room with a practiced air of calm authority. I felt the knots in my stomach tighten and even slide up to my shoulders, making me tense. I'd been dreading this moment for weeks, and if Damian had just signed the papers without a fuss, we wouldn't have been here. The judge's eyes narrowed slightly as she reviewed the papers on her desk. "So, let's get started." She stated in a firm, clear voice. "This is a divorce proceeding between Mrs. Marie Albert Callaghan and Mr. Damian Callaghan." She dropped the paper and stared at my lawyer, "Barrister Ralph, you're representing Marie. Please proceed with your opening statement." My heartbeat increased significantly, and my fingers clenched into nervous fists as my lawyer stood up, his eyes locked on the judge. "God, please. Let me have this…" "Your honor," Ralph started, "this case is solely for the divorce proceeding between Marie and Damian, hinging the dissolution on irreconcilable differences that have negatively affected my client." My heart skipped a beat when Damian's attorney stood up. "Your honor, we contest the grounds of the divorce and, at this moment, seek a reconciliation." I bit my bottom lip as my hand instinctively rose to my stomach, and my fingers traced over it. "Very well," the judge replied, "Barrister Ralph, you may proceed." "Thank you, Your Honor." He said with a slight nod. "Marie and Damian have been married for five years, but the relationship has deteriorated significantly over the past two years. Despite attempts at counseling, they have steadily grown apart, and reconciliation is no longer viable. We have evidence of—" I gasped when Damian suddenly jumped to his feet. "Objection! Your honor! But this is all lies to get out of our marital commitments!" I didn't know we could object; I thought it was just for the lawyers. "Sit down, Mr. Callaghan," the judge ordered coldly. "You will have time to speak, continue Barrister," she said, gesturing to my lawyer. "As I was saying," Ralph continued, picking up a piece of paper. "We have evidence of Damian's volatile and aggressive behavior," he flipped the paper as if the judge could read it from her seat. "This is a doctor's report, your honor, and the authorities cleared it before I brought it in today." "Objection!" Damian's lawyer yelled, "It is highly unprofessional and unethical to bring in evidence, " he said air quotes as he said, "into a court session." The judge raised an eyebrow. "It is?" "Yes, your honor," the councilor replied enthusiastically. "This so-called evidence might be nothing but a hearsay or a speculation." "We might never unless we hear or see now, would we?" The judge queried calmly, "Your objection is overruled, councilor. Please go on." I dared to cast a tiny look in Damian's direction and immediately regretted it because his eyes were already on me, and questions were shining. I was sure the one about the evidence was a part of it, but I didn't even have the answer as I didn't know what evidence Ralph was discussing. "As stated earlier, this divorce is solely for my client's protection due to Mr. Callaghan's violent tendencies." He picked up a few more things I was too confused to identify, then walked to the judge and handed them over. "And as shown in one of those papers," he continued, "Mr. Callaghan severely attacked and injured one Mr. Charlie Douglas, who's a close friend to my client." "Barrister Lee, please present your case." She called out as her eyes scanned the papers. Were those pictures? Damian's lawyer stood up and began spewing about how our marriage had always been healthy and how his client was a dedicated, loving husband to me. I couldn't help but scoff at the 'loving' part because Damian did not know what love was. When he finished, the judge promptly picked up her gavel and banged it once on the table. "Recess for ten minutes!" The clerk yelled, and I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. We all trooped outside, and I immediately held Ralph back, my brows furrowed with curiosity. "Who authorized you to use the fight between Damian and Charlie as backup?!" I asked, and he studied my face silently before shrugging. "I…oh shit." He murmured, his eyes focused on something behind me, and I spun around to see Damian stalking towards us.