A/N: I sincerely apologize for the delay. This chapter really took my time and I didn't want to rush it just to meet up with my schedule.

Anyways, enjoy.

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Ijeoma's POV

"You say that my client abused you physically, emotionally and sexually?" Kunle's lawyer asked.

I was currently seated on the witness stand, getting cross-examined by Kunle's attorney. Kunle had taken the stand before me and he stuck to his made-up story while I stood by mine. They had really thought this one out because even when aunt Chisom cross-examined him, she wasn't able to get much out of him that would help our case.

Narrating my story in front of a room filled with strangers was very nerve-wracking and uncomfortable. I didn't know if they believed me or not, the feeling of not knowing what was going through their minds was nerve-wracking. My eyes never left Noah's face whilst telling the story, he was my safe space in all of this.

"Yes," I said

"What evidences do you have to prove that these allegations are true?" He asked

"I don't have one"

"So how can we believe what you're saying is true, if there's no evidence backing up your statements?"

"When the man who is supposed to be the love of your life and father of your child hits you, running to create evidence would not be the first thing that comes to mind" I replied calmly

"Okay. What about the subsequent times he allegedly hit you? You were already aware of what he was capable of, why didn't you file a report against him?" he asked

I chuckled humorlessly. "You talk like you're not from this country. You need money to do almost everything in this country. To get the police to even issue an arrest or even look into my case would involve money"

"Miss Ijeoma, how are we supposed to believe you when your story is based on word of mouth?"

"Just like his story is. I have two written statements from both establishments I worked at when he lost his job, so how can I run away due to lack of financial support when I clearly was the one providing for the family" I shot back

I could see from the man's facial expression that I had rendered him speechless. I thanked God in my mind because under my calm and brave front, I was scared shitless.

"No more questions," he said and I returned back to my seat.

"I'd like to call my first witness to the stand" he announced to the court. "Mrs Blessing Okafor"

Mrs Okafor was on our witness list but both lawyers could call witnesses on each other's list. I watched as Mrs Okafor walked to the stand. The court clerk picked up the holy bible and did the whole swearing process before Kunle's attorney began his questioning.

"Mrs Okafor, you were the next-door neighbour to Miss Ijeoma. Am I right?" he said

"Yes" she nodded

"How will you describe Miss Ijeoma's relationship with her child?"

"I would say, very good" she replied.

"You would say?"

"I don't live with Miss Ijeoma in her home but from the little I see, she loves her daughter very much and so does her daughter," she said

"How frequently does she spend time with her child?" he probed

"She spends her weekends with her daughter"

"Does that mean that during weekdays her child stays with you?"

"Yes"

"Are you in any way related to Miss Ijeoma?"

"No"

"So you were basically strangers before she moved into her apartment?"

"Yes"

"Okay, one last question. Did Miss Ijeoma ever leave her daughter with you to go out on dates?"

Mrs Okafor fell silent and her eyes immediately made contact with mine. I could feel my heart rate slowly pick up and my mouth go dry. I blinked my eyes slowly as if to say 'you can say the truth'.

"Let me rephrase. Did Miss Ijeoma ever leave her daughter with you to go out with her current boyfriend?" he said

Mrs Okafor slowly nodded her head. "Yes"

Kunle's lawyer turned to us with a smirk on his lips and said. "Your witness"

Aunt Chisom sent a subtle glare in Kunle's lawyer's way before walking over to Mrs Okafor to cross-examine.

"Mrs Okafor, how many times has my client left her daughter with you to go on dates with her boyfriend?"

"Just once," she said sharply

"Would you regard the relationship between my client's daughter and her boyfriend as a good one?"

"Yes. Her daughter was always excited to see him and would always talk about what he bought her when she was with me"

"Thank you," Aunt Chisom said to Mrs Okafor before walking back to her seat.

"I would like to call on my next witness. Miss Angela Ucho" Kunle's lawyer announced as he walked to the front of the courtroom.

Angela had changed drastically from when I last saw her. She was no longer the skinny Angela who we teased had no flesh but stack bones. She had added flesh in all parts of her body giving her a thick look but not overweight.

The court clerk repeated the swearing action with the holy book before she took her seat on the stand.

"Miss Angela, you housed Miss Ijeoma throughout her pregnancy and for a while after delivery?" he said

"Yes"

"Can you describe to the court how Miss Ijeoma's was during her pregnancy?"

"She was mostly sad. Always looking lost in thoughts and only eating when necessary. She also cried a lot" she replied

"Did she tell you why she was unhappy?"

"She didn't want to talk about it but I knew that her boyfriend had abandoned and her parents threw her out so I didn't bother asking"

"Did she express any objections towards her pregnancy? Or show any signs of hatred for the child she was carrying?"

"I wouldn't know because I wasn't in the house all the time but when I was, she was always sad and moping around." She said.

"How often did Miss Ijeoma attend antenatal care?"

"I'm not sure. I'd only seen her go twice"

"Thank you," he said to her and walked back to his seat.

"Miss Angela, you said that my client was sad throughout her pregnancy, always mopping around and crying, right?" Aunt Chisom took over.

"Yes"

"Have you ever heard of depression?"

Angela paused for a while before replying. "Yes"

"Do you understand what it means?"

"Yes"

"Did it ever occur to you that my client must have been depressed? I mean, it wouldn't be normal for a person to cry all nine months of her pregnancy"

"Objection! Asked and answered" Kunle's lawyer shot from his seat.

"Sustained." the judge said

"My client was an emotional wreck throughout her pregnancy and you never tried to find out what must have been the problem? She was your friend, right?'

"Objection! Badgering the witness"

"I'm simply trying to find out why she never showed concern for someone she had called a friend" Aunt Chisom defended

"Sustained." the judge said

I could see that Aunt Chisom was getting annoyed.

"Would you say, looking back that my client was sad or depressed?"

"Uhm, I- I would say she was depressed" Angela stuttered

"I would like to call on my first witness" Aunt Chisom turned to face the court. "Dr Hussein Lawal"

A middle-aged man with a balding spot, dressed in a black suit, blue dress shirt and a black striped tie walked over to the witness stand.

"Dr Hussein, you are a doctor who specializes in gynaecology and obstetrics and you are known to be one of the top doctors at LUTH. Am I right?" Aunt Chisom said

"Yes, I am"

"How long have you been in that field of medicine?"

"Next month would make it my 20th year"

"And with so many years of experience, would you say that you have witnessed various cases including one relating to my client?" she asked

"Yes. I have in fact come across patients who undergo postpartum depression during pregnancy?"

"Do they exhibit the same symptoms my client did?"

"My patients all exhibit their symptoms differently but yes, they do share the general symptoms she did" he replied

"Thank you" Aunt Chisom concluded

As she returned to her seat, Kunle's lawyer got up almost immediately to cross-examine Dr Hussein.

"Dr Hussein, you say that patients can experience postpartum depression during pregnancy?"

"Yes" he replied firmly

"And how do these patients get over the depression?"

"With therapy and appropriate medications. Having a good support system also helps the recovery process" Dr Hussein said

"Miss Ijeoma never had therapy nor was any medication taken and we all know that there wasn't much of a support system. Is it possible for postpartum depression to dissipate without any of these solutions you mentioned?"

"It is very rare but yes. I have heard of cases where patients acquire the help they need through religion. They say that their belief in God helped them through their different time" he replied

"No further questions" Kunle's lawyer muttered, clearly not satisfied with Dr Hussein's answer.

Aunt Chisom rose from her seat with a smile on her face and returned to the front of the courtroom. She called on my friend, Fola asking her questions relating to when I stayed with her and my interactions with Zozo. She answered adequately to both aunt Chisom's question and Kunle's lawyer's cross-examination.

Each time Kunle's attorney rose to cross-examine any of our witnesses, my heart would begin to race and I would hold my breath with anticipation and dread.

"I'd like to call my final witness to the stand," aunt Chisom said. "Mr Noah Wilson"

Noah confidently walked over to the witness stand and his aunt asked him questions pertaining to how we met and his interactions with Zozo. I unconsciously held my breath when it was time for his cross-examination.

"Mr Noah, is it true that my client's daughter regards you as her father and even refers to you as her dad"

"Yes" Noah replied

"Is it possible that your emotional connection with my client's daughter and Miss Ijeoma could be blinding you to the fact that Miss Ijeoma is an incompetent mother?"

"Objection! Speculations" Aunt Chisom spoke up

"Sustained"

"If by any chance, your relationship with Miss Ijeoma doesn't go further. What will happen to the little girl?"

"First of all, my relationship with Miss Ijeoma is solid and it will be that way for the longest of times. Secondly, if by chance it doesn't, her daughter would always be mine and would always have a place in my home and family" Noah stated

Kunle's lawyer was about to speak when a young man dressed in a white dress shirt and ash coloured slacks noisily walked into the courtroom, drawing attention to him.

"A minute, my lord" Kunle's lawyer said before meeting with the young man at the bar railings.

The young man spoke in hushed tones with Kunle's attorney before giving him a file. My stomach knotted with anxiety, a feeling of dread immediately washed over me. Something was up and I had a terrible feeling about it. I watched him place the file on his desk and walked to face the judge.

"My lord, I would like to recall Miss Ijeoma to the stand," he said and my heart plummeted into my stomach.

Something was definitely up.

Aunt Chisom gave me an encouraging nod and I slowly stood to my feet and took slow, heavy steps to the dreaded stand. The glint in the lawyer's eyes didn't dissipate the nervousness I was feeling.

"Miss Ijeoma, how would you describe your pregnancy journey?" he asked

"I don't understand," I said

"I'll rephrase. Were there any complication with your pregnancy?"

My heart rate increased and my mouth went dry again. I could feel perspiration forming on my forehead and back. I licked my lips to try and moisten it but to no avail. A knot formed in my throat and words seemed to fail me.

"Miss Ijeoma, can you answer the question?'

"N-no" I muttered on impulse.

A subtle smile made its way to the lawyers face and I knew I had fallen into his trap. He rushed back to his table to grab the file like a child running to get candy.

"My lord, I would like to present the court with Miss Ijeoma's hospital delivery records" Kunle's lawyer raised some pieces of paper into the air.

"Objection, my lord. This was not part of the discovery files"

"My lord, it had just been brought to my attention and it's very important to this case" Kunle's lawyer retorted.

"Overruled. Let's see it" the judge said and waved him over.

Kunle's attorney handed a copy to the court clerk who passed it unto the judge and then gave another copy to aunt Chisom before placing one right in front of me.

"Miss Ijeoma, can you tell us what the contents of the report say?"

I slowly lowered my gaze to the piece of paper in front of me and my breathing hitched as I read the contents.

No, no, no. This cannot be happening.

I looked up at Kunle and I felt anger bubble inside me. "How could you do this? How dare you do this?"

A sleek smile appeared and disappeared as quickly as it came. He shrugged his shoulder indifferently and I lost it. I didn't realize when I rose to my feet and propelled myself in his direction.

"HOW DARE YOU?!!" I screamed at him.

Before I could reach him, I felt hands hold me back and I struggled I notice they were those of security guards. At this moment, I just wanted to wring Kunle's neck or smash something against his head. I wanted him to feel pain, lots and lots of it.

"LET ME GO!!" I screamed as I tried to push the guards off me.

As I was being pulled out of the courtroom, I heard aunt Chisom ask the judge for a short recess in order to speak with me and get me calm.

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"Relax. Breathe in... Out" Noah said

We were taken to one of the offices in the court building to discuss privately. I deeply inhaled and exhaled as Noah suggested. Noah rubbed his palm over my back in circular motions as he kept chanting 'breathe in and out' to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed aunt Chisom standing to the side with her arms crossed over her chest.

Once I had calmed down and my breathing had regularized, Noah asked for the paper that had me so riled up. I watched as Noah's eyebrows creased with confusion as he read through the paper.

"Why are there reports of a deceased baby on your hospital records?"

With tears brimming in my eyes, I said. "Because Zozo was a twin"

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(Deeply sighs) What are your thoughts?

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