Everyone In Town Thinks My Friend’s Dad Is A Monster. I Just Found Out The Real Monster Is His Mother, And Now She’s Coming For Me. How Do I Stop Her?
The Testimony
The judge, a stern woman named Rodriguez, called the hearing to order. Catherine’s lawyers immediately moved to exclude my testimony, calling me an emotionally disturbed child with an unhealthy obsession.
“Your Honor,” one lawyer said, “this boy has stalked my client, posted defamatory videos, and encouraged a hate campaign against a protective mother.”
Mr. Chen stood up.
“Your Honor, this boy uncovered evidence of systematic abuse that authorities missed. His testimony is crucial.”
Judge Rodriguez studied me for a long moment.
“I’ll allow it, but I’ll be watching for any signs of coaching.”
Catherine testified first. She was good. Really good. She cried at all the right moments, her voice breaking as she described Brian’s dad’s violent temper and how she’d lived in fear for years. She showed photos of bruises conveniently cropped to hide their age.
“I only wanted to protect my son,” she sobbed. “But his father poisoned him against me.”
Then came the cross-examination. Mr. Chen pulled up Sarah’s video on a laptop.
“Miss Davidson, do you recognize your own voice saying ‘I made sure nobody would believe him when he tried’?”
Catherine’s face went white.
“That’s taken out of context. I was young, dramatic.”
“Were you being dramatic when you locked your son in a storage unit?”
“I was protecting him! He was going to run to his father!”
“By imprisoning him?”
Catherine’s lawyers objected repeatedly, but the damage was done. Her mask was slipping.
Brian testified next. His voice was quiet but steady as he showed the judge his burn scars. Explained the pattern of abuse. Catherine kept trying to catch his eye, mouthing “I love you” whenever the judge looked away.
“She’d hurt us then cry and say we made her do it,” Brian said. “She’d say if we told anyone they’d take me away forever.”
Then it was my turn. My legs felt like jelly as I took the stand. Catherine stared at me with pure hatred. Her lawyer attacked immediately.
“Isn’t it true you have no friends except Brian?”
“I have friends.”
“But Brian was your first real friend, wasn’t he? You’d do anything to keep that friendship.”
I remembered Mr. Chen’s advice: Stick to facts.
“I saw evidence of abuse. I reported it.”
“You mean you saw what Brian wanted you to see? You took photos without permission, stalked my client?”
“I investigated the truth.”
“You’re 12 years old. What makes you qualified to investigate anything?”
I straightened up.
“Being 12 doesn’t make me stupid. It just means adults think they can lie to me.”
Gasps rippled through the gallery. The lawyer’s face reddened.
“Your Honor, this child’s disrespect is…”
“Honest,” Judge Rodriguez interrupted. “Continue, young man.”
I told them everything. The timeline. The evidence. Catherine’s threats. Her lawyers kept objecting but I stayed calm, factual. When they showed the stalking videos, I explained the context Catherine had edited out.
“She knew I was gathering evidence, so she gathered her own,” I said. “But she had to edit it because the truth didn’t support her story.”
