Chapter 3 - The Bail Hearing Scandal
At two o'clock that afternoon, I sat in a wheelchair inside Courtroom 4B of the Manhattan Supreme Court, flanked by my father and a legal team of six top-tier attorneys. Though Dr. Hoffman had advised against leaving the hospital, I insisted on attending. I needed Derek to see that I was no longer his silent captive.
Derek stood at the defense table in a tailored charcoal suit, his hair meticulously combed back. Despite the handcuffs removed for the proceedings, his demeanor was insufferably arrogant. Beside him sat his mother, Eleanor Ashford, wearing a platinum brooch and an expression of icy contempt directed straight at me.
"Your Honor," Derek’s lead defense attorney, Arthur Pendelton, began in a booming voice. "This entire situation has been wildly sensationalized by my client's father-in-law, Mr. James Caldwell. My client, Mr. Derek Ashford, was reacting to an acute psychological crisis suffered by his wife. The physical contact was an unfortunate attempt to keep her from harming herself and their unborn child in a crowded room."
A soft murmur rippled through the gallery.
"Is that why there are purple handprints embedded into her neck tissue, Mr. Pendelton?" Judge Margaret Reyes interrupted sharply, glaring at the defense over her reading glasses. "I have read the preliminary medical report from St. Jude’s Trauma Center. The victim suffered severe laryngeal trauma."
"The medical report is exaggerated by doctors on Mr. Caldwell's payroll!" Eleanor Ashford spoke out loudly from the gallery before her lawyer could stop her.
"Silence in the gallery, or I will have you removed, Mrs. Ashford!" Judge Reyes slammed her gavel.
Our chief litigator, Robert Sterling, stood up calmly. "Your Honor, we submit into evidence not only the unedited high-definition video of the assault, but also a forensic audio recording made from Mrs. Ashford’s phone less than twelve hours ago, in which the defendant explicitly threatens to destroy her and steal her child if she does not drop the charges."
Sterling hit a button on his tablet. Derek's chilling voice echoed through the courtroom speakers: “Nobody believes a crazy pregnant woman over an Ashford. You come home tonight, or I will make sure you lose everything—including that child in your belly.”
Derek’s face drained of color. He shot a deadly glare toward our table, his composure finally cracking.
"The defendant represents an immediate, lethal threat to the victim and her unborn child," Sterling asserted firmly. "We request remand without bail pending trial."
Judge Reyes looked down at Derek, her face dark with disgust. "The court finds the defendant to be an absolute risk to the victim. Bail is denied. Mr. Ashford, you will remain in custody at Rikers Island until your preliminary hearing."
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"You can't do this!" Derek screamed, thrashing against the court officers as they grabbed his arms. "Victoria! You tell them! You tell them to let me go! You're nothing without me!"
As they dragged him through the side door, Eleanor Ashford stood up, her eyes burning with hatred as she locked eyes with me. "You will pay for this, Victoria," she whispered under her breath before sweeping out of the room.
