Chapter 24 - I TESTIFY ABOUT LYING
I wore a dark green suit.
No sling.
My wrist had healed enough that most people would not notice anything.
I noticed.
Cold rooms still made it ache.
The prosecutor asked:
“How did you fracture your wrist?”
“Trent grabbed my upper arm and pulled me backward while I was trying to leave. I missed the stair and fell.”
“Did he push you down the stairs?”
“No.”
Important.
“Did he intend to break your wrist?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you tell the emergency department that?”
“No.”
“What did you say?”
“That I fell.”
“Why?”
“Because I was afraid of what would happen if I said more.”
Defense stood later.
“You lied to medical staff.”
“Yes.”
“You told them no assault.”
“Yes.”
“You later accessed Trent’s work laptop without permission.”
“Yes.”
“You copied documents.”
“Yes.”
“Changed metadata.”
“Yes.”
“You were angry.”
“Yes.”
“You wanted him removed from the family.”
“After the bathroom, yes.”
The attorney paused.
“So the jury should accept your later version over your contemporaneous statement?”
I looked at him.
“They should evaluate all the evidence.”
Not:
believe me because I am Sylvia Grimaldi.
That answer felt important.
Then:
“You had told Trent to leave his own marital home.”
“I told him I wanted space.”
“Were you angry?”
“Yes.”
“Did you pull away when he touched you?”
“Yes.”
“Could that movement have caused your fall?”
“It contributed to my losing balance because I was trying to get away from his grip.”
Precise.
No need make his hand a catapult.
Then the bathroom phone.
“Were there copied work documents on it?”
“No. Those had been turned over to counsel.”
“Was there a camera video?”
“Yes.”
“Were you afraid he would delete it?”
“Yes.”
“Did he ever say, ‘I will hurt you if you do not give me the phone’?”
“No.”
“What did he do?”
“He broke the door.”
May you like
The jury had seen it.
That was enough.
