Episode Sixteen:Under Oath
823 Words
The seat on the witness stand was harder than I expected.
Not physically—though it was—but emotionally. There was something about sitting there, elevated and exposed, while strangers watched me from all angles, that made it feel like I was peeling off layers I hadn’t realized I’d worn.
I looked toward Jace.
He didn’t smile. He didn’t nod.
He just looked at me like I was something solid.
Something he trusted.
Our lawyer began.
“State your name for the record.”
“Ethan Michael Reed.”
“And your relationship to the plaintiff?”
I looked to Jace again, then back at the judge.
“We’re partners.”
“Romantically?”
“Yes.”
“And how long have you known Mr. Ward?”
“About seven months.”
“Can you tell the court, in your own words, when you became aware of Mr. Avery’s presence in Mr. Ward’s life?”
“Early on. I met Jace shortly after he ended things with Lucas. But Lucas didn’t stay gone for long.”
“Did you witness any interactions between the two?”
“Yes. Several. Most of them were subtle—comments, proximity, messages. But there were threats. Surveillance. Stalking.”
She nodded. “And when did you first suspect Mr. Avery was attempting to sabotage or manipulate your relationship?”
“When I received an email. A photo. It was a threat, aimed at me—meant to make me doubt Jace’s loyalty. His truth.”
“Did you?”
I paused.
Then: “For a minute. But not anymore.”
Lucas’s lawyer stood.
He approached slowly, expression unreadable.
“Mr. Reed. You were engaged when you met Mr. Ward, correct?”
“Yes.”
“To a woman?”
“Yes.”
“And during that time, you began an emotional and physical relationship with Mr. Ward?”
“Yes.”
“So would it be fair to say your judgment at that point was… complicated?”
I leaned forward slightly. “It would be fair to say I was lying to myself. Not to him.”
“And when did you become aware that Mr. Ward had previous unresolved history with Mr. Avery?”
“Shortly after we began seeing each other.”
“And that didn’t concern you?”
“It did. But I listened.”
“You didn’t find it concerning that someone with a self-admitted history of unstable relationships might also be exaggerating events for sympathy?”
Objection.
The judge sustained.
The lawyer rephrased.
“Would you say Mr. Ward’s past made you question his version of events?”
“Yes. At first. But the more I listened—and the more evidence I saw—the more I believed him.”
“And now?”
“I don’t just believe him,” I said clearly. “I’ve seen what Lucas is capable of.”
The lawyer tilted his head. “You’ve never seen physical abuse.”
“No.”
“You’ve never seen him act violently.”
“No. Not directly.”
“So why are you so certain?”
I paused.
Because this was the moment.
The moment I knew Lucas was watching.
That he was expecting me to waver.
“I’ve seen Jace wake up from nightmares that weren’t dreams,” I said.
“I’ve watched him flinch when someone raises their voice.”
“I’ve held him while he remembered things he never gave consent to forget.”
I looked toward Jace.
“He doesn’t have to bleed to prove he was wounded.”
There was silence after that.
The lawyer moved on, but the questions felt hollow.
By the time I stepped down, my pulse had steadied.
And for the first time since this all began, I felt like I’d truly shown up for Jace.
The break between testimonies was short.
When we returned, the judge called for closing remarks.
Jace and I sat shoulder-to-shoulder at the plaintiff's table.
Lucas still hadn’t looked at either of us.
But I didn’t need him to.
The damage had already spoken for itself.
Outside, it was raining.
Not heavy. Just steady. A cold, gray kind of rain that softened the world and soaked through jackets.
We didn’t run to the car.
We walked.
Let the cold settle into our bones.
Let it remind us we were still here. Still feeling. Still alive.
Back at the apartment, we said little.
Jace changed into a hoodie and climbed into bed fully dressed.
I joined him minutes later.
We didn’t sleep for hours.
But we held each other.
And that was enough.
Two days later, the verdict arrived.
The judge ruled in Jace’s favor—
And granted an extended protection order against Lucas.
But it wasn’t over.
Because a new email landed in my inbox.
Anonymous.
Short.
Direct.
“You think you won. You haven’t even seen the worst of it yet.”
- Writer
