Chapter 9 - The Subpoena
A week later, a sharp knock echoed through my small apartment while I was cooking dinner.
I opened the door to find a serious-looking process server holding a thick manila envelope.
He asked to confirm my identity, handed me the documents, and quickly walked away.
I sat down at my kitchen table and carefully opened the official federal subpoena.
I was officially being ordered to testify as the primary star witness in the criminal trial of Thomas Vance.
My heart beat a little faster, but my hands remained completely steady as I read the court date.
I knew that facing my abuser in a public courtroom would be the hardest thing I had ever done.
I spent the next three weeks working closely with the federal prosecution team to prepare my statements.
They were incredibly impressed by the level of detail and organization in the files I had provided.
The lead prosecutor, a tough woman named Sarah, promised me that he would never walk free again.
"He is going to try to intimidate you on the stand, Maya. You cannot let him break you," Sarah warned me.
I looked her dead in the eyes, feeling the cold steel of my resolve hardening in my chest.
"He broke me a long time ago, Sarah. Now, it's my turn to return the favor," I replied confidently.
I bought a sharp, tailored black suit specifically for the upcoming trial.
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I was no longer the weak, bleeding girl crying in the alleyway behind the mansion.
I was the executioner, and my weapon was the absolute, undeniable truth.
