She read it aloud. It detailed three separate visits where I had high blood pressure and unexplained bruising. I had told the doctor I fell. The doctor had noted in the file: “Patient shows classic signs of domestic abuse but refuses to report. Suspect husband is monitoring her.”
It was over. The web of lies had been torched by the truth.
Lauren, Daniel’s sister, stood up.
“I want to testify,” she said, her voice shaking.
“Lauren, sit down!” Victor hissed, grabbing her arm.
“No!” She yanked her arm away. “I’m not going to jail for you people!”
Judge Holt looked at her. “Approach the bench.”
Lauren took the stand. She was a hostile witness to her own family.
“Tell us what happened that morning, Lauren,” Ms. Darden asked.
Lauren began to cry. “They planned it. Mom told Daniel to wake her up early. She said Sarah needed to be ‘broken’ before the baby came so she would be obedient. They wanted to make her a servant.”
“I stood there,” she sobbed. “I watched him hit you. And I didn’t do anything because I was scared he would hit me next. He used to hit me when we were kids. Mom always let him.”
She turned to Daniel.
“You’re a monster, Daniel. And Mom and Dad made you one.”
Daniel stared at her with pure, unadulterated hatred. If looks could kill, Lauren would have dropped dead.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour.
When they returned, the foreman didn’t look at Daniel.
“We find the defendant, Daniel Mercer, guilty on all counts. Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Domestic Battery. Reckless Endangerment of a Minor (Unborn Child).”
“Daniel Mercer, you have shown zero remorse. You have conspired with your family to terrorize a pregnant woman. You are a danger to society.” Continue reading…
