If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 26
On the day the civil case went to trial, my mother insisted on coming with me.
Her condition had stabilized, though her face was still a little pale.
Before we entered the courthouse, she gripped my hand.
“Coralie, if I hadn’t started that argument in the hospital room, maybe you wouldn’t have…”
“Mom.”
I cut her off.
“Your heart condition isn’t your fault.”
“And losing the baby wasn’t your fault, either.”
“The people responsible for what happened that day are in there.”
My mother nodded, her eyes red.
In court, Ellis said “I’m sorry” three times.
The first time, he admitted the video had remained in his possession after being filmed.
The second time, he admitted that Tessa had used his accounts for years.
The third time, his voice broke completely when he saw my mother’s medical records presented as evidence.
“Mrs. Ricci, I am so sorry.”
My mother didn’t look at him.
She only said to the judge, “When my daughter begged him for help, he protected Tessa.”
“When I collapsed, he didn’t care.”
“And when my daughter was bleeding, he didn’t care then, either.”