Chapter 8 - My Father Finally Chose the Truth
Dad's testimony lasted nearly four hours.
Diane's attorney tried to make him appear confused.
Forgetful.
Vindictive because of the divorce.
But Dad had brought records.
He described how Diane took control of finances.
How she discouraged him from discussing money with me.
How she repeatedly characterized me as unstable after Lily was born.
Then prosecutors played the mower recording.
Dad cried on the witness stand.
Not dramatically.
He simply lowered his head while Diane's recorded voice filled the courtroom.
"I sharpened the blades so it'll be quick."
Nobody moved.
Then came the enhanced sentence.
"Once the baby is gone, she'll have no reason to stay."
A juror covered her mouth.
Diane stared straight ahead.
Dad was asked one final question.
"Mr. Hale, when your daughter told you your wife had driven toward the baby, did you initially believe her?"
Dad's voice broke.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because believing her would've required me to admit I'd ignored years of warnings."
The prosecutor paused.
"And do you believe her now?"
Dad looked at me.
"The evidence showed me what I should have been willing to investigate from the beginning."
That answer mattered to me more than any dramatic declaration could have.
Dad wasn't rewriting history.
He wasn't pretending he'd always supported me.
He told the truth.
And sometimes the truth is the only apology that means anything.
But the next witness threatened to destroy everything.
Ryan took the stand.
And Diane's attorney asked him one question I wasn't prepared for.
"Mr. Cole, isn't it true that Emily once told you she wished Diane were dead?"
Ryan looked toward me.
Then answered:
"Yes."
The courtroom erupted in whispers.
May you like
And for the first time during the trial, I saw Diane genuinely smile.
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