“You can’t do this!” Sterling the lawyer screamed. “I know the Governor!”
“Call him,” Halloway said, standing up. “Tell him Bill Halloway said hello. And tell him that in my court, we don’t protect men who beat women. Bailiffs, take him into custody.”
Part 5: Justice Served
Mark screamed as they pulled him out of the wheelchair.
“My leg! You’re hurting my leg!”
“You’ll get used to it,” the bailiff muttered, hauling him up.
I watched him go. The arrogance was gone. The money couldn’t save him. The expensive suit couldn’t protect him. He was just a small, scared man facing the consequences of his own cruelty.
I stood up. My knees popped. I felt every year of my age, but I felt lighter than I had in decades.
Lily was waiting in the back of the courtroom. She was wearing sunglasses to hide the bruising, but she was smiling.
She ran to me, burying her face in my chest.
“It’s over, Dad,” she sobbed.
“It’s over,” I said, holding her tight.
Judge Halloway stepped down from the bench. He walked over to us, his black robes rustling.
“John,” he nodded.
“Bill,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” Bill grunted. “I just read the law. But between you and me? If you hadn’t broken his knees, I might have.”
We walked out of the courthouse together. The sun was shining. The storm was over.
Mark went to trial six months later. With the body cam footage, the medical reports, and Lily’s testimony, it was a slam dunk. He got twenty years. He’ll be an old man when he gets out. An old man with a limp and no money, because Lily sued him for everything he had in the divorce settlement.
Part 6: The Soldier’s Rose Garden
One Year Later
The roses were blooming early this year. The vibrant red petals stood out against the green of the manicured lawn.
I was on my knees, pruning shears in hand, deadheading the faded blooms. The sun was warm on my back.
“Dad! Lunch is ready!”
I looked up. Lily was standing on the porch. She looked healthy. Her hair had grown back, shiny and long. She was wearing a sundress, and she was laughing at something on her phone.
