Her Sweet Betrayal (10 page)

Honey

To say that I was nervous to be in court today would be the understatement of the year.

The case before ours ended yesterday.

Walking into the courthouse I was happy that I called Tywanda yesterday and asked her to come.

“Good Morning Honey. Are you ready?” she asked pulling me into a hug.

“No,” I honestly replied.

“I know sweetie. No one is ever ready to look into the face of the person that hurt them.”

“Honestly I don’t think I can do this,” I replied putting my head down.

“Yes you can because…”

“We can do anything through Christ who strengthens us,” we said in unison.

“Honey it’s time,” Nutella said grabbing my hand and leading me into the court.

I walked in with Nutella on my left and Tywanda on my right. My mother was bringing up the rear. She left her hand on my shoulder, letting me know that we’re in this together.

Taking a seat on the right side of the courtroom, I watched as they brought out Bull, Tommy and Stephan. They wore all black suits and handcuffs. I quickly turned away to face the empty judges seat.

Five minutes later we were advised to rise for the Honorable Earnestine R. Brown.

She was beautiful black woman with snow white hair. However she was a very short lady.

“Please be seated,” her voice boomed over the courtroom.

After taking my seat, I kept my head down as they started with the proceedings.

“Good morning everyone my name is Nutella Splenda, and I’ll be representing the people during this indictment. This ladies and gentlemen is a Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor indictment. Yes ladies and gentlemen, those three men sitting over there Tommy Warner, Robert Mills also known as Bull, and Stephan Harris, brutally filmed and raped fifteen year old Honey Bee Jones. On July 18, 2012, Honey walked into her kitchen to get a snack. It was then when she noticed her stepfather, Stephan Harris had company over. She quickly grabbed her snack and went back into her room. Approximately ten minutes later she was tossed around her bedroom by three grown men. Luckily for Honey, Derrick Vance left his watch at the house and heard her screams upon his return to the home to retrieve it, and called the cops. To this indictment the defendants plead not guilty; if we prove them guilty, you must too find them so. During this trial be prepared as the defendant’s attorney will paint them to be saints; just remember that you can’t spell the word saint without sin.”

After Nutella did her opening statement, Seymour Bowie did his, and just like Nutella said he painted them to be perfect gentlemen.

Once the opening statements were conducted I was called to the stand.

“Please state your name and age for the record please.”

“My name is Honey Bee Jones and I’m sixteen,” I nervously replied.

“Good Morning Honey is it okay for me to call you just Honey or do you prefer to be called Honey Bee,” Nutella asked.

“Honey is…fi…ne,” I answered as my lip started trembling.

“Honey you seems nervous, are you nervous?”

“Yes,” I said.

“It’s okay to be nervous. But I’m going to need you to do me a big favor.”

“Okay.”

“Close your eyes and take a deep breath.”

Doing as I was told, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

“Good now slowly open your eyes.”

Opening my eyes I noticed my mother had tears in her eyes and that Tywanda was giving me the thumbs up.

“Now Honey I’m going to ask you to do the unthinkable…I’m going to ask you to tell me what happened on July 18, 2012, and please don’t leave anything out.”

Taking another deep breath I went back to the worst day of my life.

“I went downstairs to get a snack. I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I entered the kitchen and that’s when I noticed that Stephan had company. So I grabbed some crackers and ran back up the stairs. A few minutes later Stephan came barging into the room, yelling about my attire. We got into an argument that led to him raping me…Sometime later his friends joined in and next thing I remembered was waking up in the hospital.”

“What kind of t-shirt were you wearing,” she asked.

“A white one,” I replied as my palms started to sweat.

“Is this the shirt,” she asked holding up a shirt.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“There are millions of white t-shirts sold daily, how can you be sure that this your white t-shirt?”

“Because the shirt is ripped from where Stephan ripped it during our fight,” I answered.

“Honey according to Dr. Tywanda Johnson after the rape you was unable to stay in the home, so your mother was forced to move into a new home. Can you tell me why you were unable to stay in the home you grew up in?”

“Because that house was no longer my home,” I honestly replied.

“So it’s safe to say that this incident caused a lot of turmoil in your life?”

“Yes.”

“No further questions your honor,” Nutella said taking a seat.

Now it was time for Mr. Bowie’s cross examination.

“Hello Honey my name is Seymour Bowie, but you can call me Seymour. I’m going to ask you a few questions. I need you to answer yes or no. Please don’t explain until asked to,” he said walking up towards me. “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good let’s begin…Were you a virgin at the time of the incident?”

That question knocked all the air out of my lungs. I wasn’t and still am not prepared to answer that question.

“Objection.”

“Her sexual history is important in a case such as this one.”

“Overruled,” Judge Brown declared.

“Honey answer my question please ma’am…and with the truth.”

“No.”

“Can you tell us who your first partner was?”

“Objection…What does her past sexual activities have to do with this case?” Nutella said standing up.

“I promise that the question hold relevance your honor,” Seymour responded.

“I’ll allow it but it better prove relevant.”

“Honey, your first partner was who?”

“Stephan,” I answered putting my head down.

The courtroom gasped and Nutella started demanding a brief recess.

I couldn’t believe that Stephan would use that against me.

I needed Nutella to be granted her recess because I could use a break.

Unfortunately for us we were denied one.

And Seymour was allowed to continue to question me.

“Did he rape you the first time?”

I nodded yes as the tears continued to fall.

“I need you answer either yes or no.”

“Yes he raped me once before,” I answered never holding my head up.

I didn’t want to see the judgment in their eyes.

“If that’s the case why is there no record of this incident on file?”

“Because I was scared,” I lied.

“Well according to Mr. Harris it’s because you two had an agreement. Is he lying?”

“We had an agreement, but the only reason I agreed was because I was scared.”

“According to Mr. Harris you got into trouble the night before for having sex with your boyfriend in your living room, is this true?”

“Yes.”

“You see ladies and gentlemen of the jury they want you to believe that these three men stole her innocence, but to me it seems she was giving it to any man that wanted it…”

“I’M NOT A WHORE!!!”

“Counsel, control your witness,” Judge Brown voiced Boom across the room.

“I’m not a whore,” I cried out.

“Can I have that recess now,” Nutella asked as I continued to cry on the stand.

“Yes you may,” Judge Brown said slamming the gravel down. “Court will adjourn in ten minutes.”

Walking down off the stand I ran out the courtroom and into the bathroom. Locking the door, I slid down on the floor and cried.

“Honey, open the door,” Nutella demanded.

“No…I’m never coming out.”

“Honey, get your narrow ass out of this bathroom,” mom demanded as she beat on the door.

Getting up I opened the door.

“Honey why didn’t you tell me about the first rape or the sex with the boyfriend scandal,” Nutella asked.

“Because I didn’t think it was important.”

“Your creditability is very important, and right now it’s shot to pieces. Had you told me about your past we could’ve been prepared. Is it anything I need to know?”

“No,” I said praying that Stephan hadn’t mentioned the girl on girl action.

“Good now let’s get back into the courtroom.”

Catching a glimpse of the hurt in my mother eyes, I quickly turned my attention to my grandparents.

How could they stand by him after what he did to me?

Walking back into the room, I was advised to go back to the stand.

“First of all Miss Jones I will like to offer my sincerest apology. I never meant to make you feel like anything other than a sweet young lady…Now I have just one more question for you. Had Derrick Vance not walked in on the incident, would you have told anyone?”

“Yes.”

“No further questions your honor.”

“Honey did Stephan threaten you after the first incident?”

“Yes.”

“Did he threaten your life?”

“Yes.”

“So it’s safe to say that you were scared for your life and that’s the main reason why you didn’t tell.”

“Yes.”

“No further questions your honor.”

“You may step down from the stand…Call your next witness.”

“The people call Tina McLean to the stand,” Nutella said as I took a seat next to Tywanda.

I watched as my mother nervously took the stand.

“Do you promise to speak the truth and nothing but the truth so help you GOD?”

“Yes.”

“How are you doing today, Tina?”

“I’m okay given the circumstances.”

“How long had you been married to Stephan Harris?”

“Thirteen years.”

“So he’s been Honey’s father for all of her life?”

“Yes he was the only father Honey knew.”

“Did you trust your husband with your daughter?”

“Of course I did.”

“I know that you just found out about the first incident where, she lost her virginity.  Did you notice any change in character at any time before the second incident that would have warned you?”

“Yes.”

“Please elaborate.”

“She became very disrespectful the day after her birthday. She would talk to me any type of way then she went to her grandparent’s house and disrespected them.”

“So she became very disrespectful the day after her birthday. How do you address that situation?”

“I didn’t.”

“Why not,” Nutella asked.

“Because I was too wrapped up in the disrespect that I didn’t care about the reason.”

“Do you work?”

“Yes.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a nurse.”

“Do you keep long hours?”

“Yes.”

“No further questions your honor.”

I watched as Nutella sat down and began writing something down. I think the questions she asked mom were elementary.

“Good Morning Tina, I’m Seymour Bowie and you may call me Seymour. I’m going to ask you a series of questions. I’m going to need you to answer either yes or no. If asked a question that requires a different response, give me straight facts no assumptions. Do you understand?” Seymour asked mom just like he did me.

“Yes.”

“Good…How long did you know Stephan before you married him?”

“Three months,” she answered.

“So only after meeting this man three months prior, you knew that he was the man for you and your daughter?”

“Yes.”

“Can you elaborate please? Because, I’m still trying to figure out how after only three months of dating, you knew that he was good enough to be a father to your two year old daughter.”

“After meeting Stephan, we started heavily dating since day one. After dating and seeing him almost every day, I just knew that he was the perfect guy for the job.”

“Have you ever cheated on Stephan?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“What does he mean is she sure? My mother isn’t a whore, she loved that man,”
I thought, as I waited for her to put him in his place.

“I had a text buddy,” she replied shocking me.

“I’m sorry sweetie, you see Seymour may be handsome but I’m still old. Explain to me, what’s a text buddy?”