Chapter 11: The Plea
The fluorescent lights of the downtown courthouse were harsh, casting long, uninviting shadows across the polished marble floors. David sat on a wooden bench in the hallway outside Courtroom 4B, adjusting the collar of his suit. He had left Noah with his sister, Sarah, for the morning. The courthouse was no place for a seven-year-old trying to heal.
Today was the preliminary hearing. Marissa’s defense attorney had been aggressive in the weeks leading up to the court date, attempting to paint David as a vindictive ex-fiancé and Noah as a troubled child prone to tall tales. But the physical evidence was an immovable wall.
The heavy wooden doors swung open, and David’s lawyer, a sharp-featured woman named Elena, stepped out. She looked entirely composed, offering David a tight, professional smile.
"They're cracking," Elena said, taking a seat next to him. "Her lawyer just approached the District Attorney. They want to discuss a plea deal."
David turned to her, his jaw set. "What kind of deal?"
"Aggravated child abuse and reckless endangerment," Elena listed smoothly. "She serves a minimum of three years in state lockup, followed by five years of strict probation. In exchange, the DA drops the attempted manslaughter charge, and you and Noah don't have to testify in a public trial."
David let out a long, slow breath. The thought of putting Noah on a witness stand, forcing him to recount the terror of the scratching in the dark while Marissa stared him down, had been a weight on David’s chest for weeks.
"Will she be allowed anywhere near him?" David asked, his voice hard.
"Never," Elena confirmed. "The permanent restraining order will be bundled into the plea. If she comes within a thousand feet of either of you, she violates her parole and goes straight back to a maximum-security cell."
David looked down at his hands. He wanted Marissa to face the absolute maximum penalty. He wanted her to rot for what she had done to his boy. But more than vengeance, he wanted peace. He wanted to close this dark chapter and never look back.
"Take the deal," David said firmly. "I want it signed today. I want her gone."
Elena nodded, standing up and smoothing her blazer. "I'll let the DA know. You're making the right choice, David. You're protecting your son."
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An hour later, David walked out of the heavy glass doors of the courthouse and into the bright November sunshine. The air felt incredibly light. He pulled out his phone and dialed his sister's number.
"Hey, Sarah," David said when she answered, hearing Noah laughing at the television in the background. "It's done. I'm coming to pick him up. Let's go get some ice cream."
