Page 38 of Under Rusted Stars
“...And how much of a cut his boss got for men raping me,” I whimper. “How much debt was taken off for his boss raping me.”
“For the record, can you state who this boss you are referring to is?”
“Uhm,” I say, my eyes darting around the room. I find Bodhi, and he nods once, telling me I’m okay. “His name is Miguel Martinez.”
“Are you referring to Senator Miguel Martinez, Olivia?”
“Yes,” I answer through tears, and the court is in an uproar immediately.
“Quiet!” Judge Henderson shouts, banging his gavel on his bench.
“Olivia, I can’t help but notice that you are overwhelmed with emotion right now. Why?” Amy asks.
“Because… Friday, Miguel came to my home and threatened to kill me if I named him… Said he knows everything. He was specific about what he said that no one but a few people would know… He shot the floor beside my head… I’m scared of him.”
“Why wasn’t the police called?” Amy asks.
“Because… I was afraid that the person I fear is relaying information to Miguel would find out…” I say. “I went to the FBI instead.”
“Who are you afraid is relaying information? Local police?” she asks.
“No, Detective Jeramy Garcia,” I say. “He was trying to get me to introduce the SD card during court to you, and not the cops. He was supposed to file the restraining order, but didn’t. He told me that Jason was trying to say I was the one… he said I might go to jail for trafficking… I wanted to stay away from him because I don’t trust him… So I went to the FBI.”
“No further questions, Your Honor,” Amy says, returning to her seat next to Jett.
Something in the air shifts when Jason stands. He adjusts the cuffs of his suit before approaching me. I drop my head and sink down in my seat a bit. “Olivia,” he says smoothly. I hate how my name sounds coming from him. “You testified that you were scared of me.”
“Yes,” I say quietly.
“Yet you stayed married to me for ten years.”
“Objection,” Amy barks. “Argumentative.”
“Overruled,” The judge responds.
“Answer the question, Olivia,” Jason says. He is standing directly in front of me with his hand on the bench. He’s too close, and I can’t breathe. I can smell his cologne, and suddenly it doesn’t matter that we are surrounded by people because my body reacts as if we are alone.
“I wasn’t allowed to leave. You wouldn’t let me,” I say quietly.
“But you eventually did,” he states.
“Yes.”
“When you left, did you drain our joint accounts before disappearing?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Nearly two hundred thousand dollars, correct?”
“Yes,” I say again, quieter this time. “My name was on the account. It was mine, too.”
“But you took it without my knowledge.”
“Because I thought you’d kill me.”
Jason tilts his head to the side and smirks at me. “Interesting. You were afraid of me, yet you stole from me?”
“Objection!” Amy scoffs.
