Chapter 59: Chapter 59

"It all started when I went round to confront Jane. I found out she was cheating on my brother." Ivory starts, her voice a timid whisper.

"Miss Melvin, you're going to have to speak up." The judge responds firmly. Ivory nods, her eyes wide with fear. I notice her body trembling and she's staring at the floor, a glazed over look in her eyes.

"Jane was cheating on my brother, Tobias Melvin. When I found out, I went to confront Jane. On my way to her house, I passed an alleyway and it was dark." Ivory continues, emotion lining her words. Beside me, Jake's right hand clutches mine and his left holds Tobias'.

"I saw Dylan, he was arguing with Jane. I knew it was Jane because she was screaming at him and I recognised her voice. She was holding a baseball bat. I went to shout her name but the next thing that happened caused me to freeze in shock. Jane lifted the baseball bat and hit Dylan on the side of his head. All I remember hearing was a loud crunch." Ivory cries out, tears running down her face.

A prison officer silently steps forward, placing a box of tissues beside her. She takes one and dries her eyes, taking a moment to compose herself.

"She hit him over and over again, like an anger filled monster. Eventually I screamed out and it stopped Jane. She turned towards me and I could see the evil in her eyes. She appeared scared for a second before she lunged after me. I turned to run, I was scared she was going to kill me the same way. I ran for a few minutes before I tripped up and everything went black." Ivory says, her voice shaking.

"What happened next?" A lawyer calls out, urging Ivory to continue.

"When I woke up, I was in the storage room with no windows. The door was locked shut and I couldn't get out. She'd taken my phone from me. Later that night, Jane showed up whilst I was sleeping. I woke up as I felt her inject me but it was too late. Every day, she injected me. I protested every single time until I realised I began to crave it. So eventually I allowed her to continue, knowing I would never escape." Ivory cries softly, her shoulders shaking.

"She made me addicted to drugs!" Ivory yells, her face contorted in pain and fear. A tense silence falls upon the court room and I hold my breath, feeling sick to my stomach.

"What happened on the day you were found?"

Ivory takes a deep breath, composing herself. She looks directly at me and I give her a small smile, encouraging her to continue.

"I didn't know what time or day it was. I remember sounds coming from the room next to me and then the door opened. I was high on drugs at the time so I don't remember much and what I do remember is blurry. I remember seeing Emily's face and knowing I was going to be okay. I remember Ben holding me and whispering to me that he was going to fix everything. That's all I remember." Ivory finishes, breaking down in sobs.

Beside me, Jake becomes rigid. His entire body tenses up and as I glance at his eyes that are covered in a glossy sheen. He stares straight ahead, in a different direction to where Ivory is standing. I guess it's too painful for him to look at her.

"Thank you, Miss Melvin."

Ivory nods silently and steps down from the witness box. She looks around like a deer caught in the headlights before making her way over to us. My eyes drift over to where Jane stands, her head hung low. Members of the jury shake their head, a look of disgust written across their features. My eyes burn holes into Jane and I vow to myself that I'll make sure the bitch goes down for years.

I don't just want her locked up. I want her to suffer for the pain she's caused.

"I call Emily Wentworth to the stands." A voice booms out and I inhale deeply, standing up. My hand rests on my bump and beside me, Jake whispers a good luck. I slowly begin to make my way to the witness stand, feeling my nerves grow. All eyes are on me and my hands begin to tremble in fright. I briefly pass Jane and pause, turning my head to look directly in her eyes.

I hope she see the burning hatred in my eyes for her. She stares at me for a second before dropping her gaze, admitting defeat.

"Miss Wentworth, you're the one who found Ivory Melvin. Is that correct?"

I clear my throat, leaning forward to speak into the microphone.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Can you tell us your version of the events?"

I nod silently, bracing myself. It's a struggle to remember everything and I don't want to miss out any important details. I glance over at Jake who's watching me proudly. He gives me the courage to speak —

"Jane was acting odd and I was desperate for Jake and Tobias to be released from prison. I knew they didn't commit the murder so I decided to find out who really did. I followed Jane for a few days to see where she went. She led me and my friend over to a storage locker. The next night, I decided to check it out. I took Ben and Trish with me." I explain.

"They're your friends?"

"Yes." I respond.

"We all began searching the area. I saw a storage locker that looked to be used frequently." I said.

"What happened next?"

I sigh, hesitant to speak my next words — "I broke in."

Members of the jury release a small gasp and I close my eyes, blowing out the breath I'm holding. My heart thumps against my chest in fear. Low murmurs of disappointment can be heard coming from the audience. A loud banging causes me to jump —

"Order in my courtroom," Judge Hendrick booms out, his voice full of authority.

"Miss Wentworth, please continue."

"The only reason I broke in was because I strongly believed she was guilty! I knew she was involved in the murder and Ivory's disappearance. All I needed was the proof. Looking back now, I'm glad I broke in to that storage room. If I didn't, we never would have found Ivory and we never would have found Dylan's real killer." I said fiercely, holding my head high.

I glance at Jake and notice a look of approval flash through his eyes before he gives me a small nod.

"There was a door in the far end of the storage room. I entered it and what I found will always haunt me till my last breath. Ivory was lying on a filthy mattress. Her eyes were rolling to the back of her head and she was murmuring words I couldn't understand. She was thin and pale and she looked like she was days away from dying. It broke my heart. There was a stash of needles on the floor, dirty needles." I exclaim in disgust, glaring at Jane.

"Jane entered the room which I knew she would. I'd already planned to record her confession on my phone." I add, grateful to be nearing the end.

"How did you get a confession?"

I hesitate again, knowing I have to tell the truth considering I'm under oath.

"I yelled at her a lot. It's all on the tape." I respond, my voice growing quieter.

I begin to feel dizzy and disorientated, the size of the court room becoming overwhelming. All eyes are on me and the pressure begins to take its toll on my body. I reach over for a glass of water, taking a large gulp to calm my shaking nerves.

"Are you feeling okay Miss Wentworth?" The Judge asks me and I faintly nod, my face draining of colour. He gives me a small nod in response, showing no emotion in his features.

"Thank you Miss Wentworth."

I take a step down before inhaling deeply, feeling my shoulders relax in relief. I quietly walk back over to my seat and sit down, closing my eyes.

"You were brilliant," Jake whispers in my ear, placing an arm around my shoulders. I merely nod, feeling my stomach churn with nausea.

"Let's hope its enough to put her away for life." I tell him, my voice a hushed whisper. Behind me, Trish places a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"You did so good Em," she smiles, leaning forward. I place my hand over hers, turning briefly so I can see her properly.

"Thank you Trish," I whisper, feeling an overwhelming sense of love for my friends surrounding me. We may all be one big dysfunctional family but we all have each others back's. . .

And that's all that matters.