Chapter 19 - Victor’s Trial Begins
Victor’s trial began four months after the kitchen assault.
Claire was eight months pregnant.
Her doctor warned against unnecessary stress.
She chose to testify through a protected arrangement with frequent breaks.
Victor entered court wearing a dark suit.
Without the house, company image, and family surrounding him, he looked smaller.
The prosecution presented the 5:00 a.m. video first.
The jury watched in silence.
Victor raising the stick.
Claire rolling away.
Helena eating.
Raúl watching.
Nora recording.
Then Alex’s voice from the doorway.
“Why did she send me this?”
The prosecutor paused the recording.
“Because this was not the first time.”
The blue folder followed.
Photographs.
Financial records.
Basement footage.
False medical documents.
The protection ledger.
Victor’s attorney argued the recordings lacked context.
The prosecution provided context.
Five years of it.
Victor planned to claim the stick was only meant to strike the floor.
A forensic specialist explained the swing path.
The stick would have hit Claire’s thigh if she had not rolled.
Even a non-abdominal impact could have caused a fall dangerous to the pregnancy.
The defense tried to separate the financial case from the violence.
The prosecutor connected them through the forced signature.
Victor used physical intimidation to obtain access to Claire’s home equity.
The assault served fraud.
The fraud explained motive.
Claire watched from the witness room.
She did not enjoy the collapse of Victor’s defense.
She felt tired.
Each exhibit represented a moment she once hoped would be the last.
Now strangers studied them.
Alex sat beside her.
“You can leave.”
“No.”
“You don’t have to prove anything by staying.”
“I know.”
Claire watched Victor lean toward his attorney.
“I’m staying because I want to hear him answer.”
For years, Victor had demanded explanations from her.
Why did she question him?
Why did she call Alex?
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Why did she need separate money?
Now he would answer questions in a room he did not control.
