Chapter 7 - THE TESTIMONY THAT BROKE THE COURTOn the fourth day of the trial, the prosecution called its final witness.
“The state calls Ethan Vance.”
David held his breath as his 14-year-old son walked down the aisle toward the witness stand. Ethan looked taller, stronger than he had on New Year's Eve, wearing a dark suit his father had bought him. His voice was steady as he took the oath.
Eleanor leaned forward, attempting to catch Ethan’s eye, flashing a pathetic, pleading smile meant to manipulate him one last time.
Ethan didn't look at her. He looked only at the prosecutor and his father.
“Ethan,” Prosecutor Vance said gently. “Can you tell the jury what happened on the night of December 28th, when your grandmother and aunt left?”
Ethan took a slow breath and spoke into the microphone.
“Grandma packed her bags around 10 PM. I asked her where she was going because Noah’s formula was running low and the radiator in our room was making a strange clicking noise and turning cold. I told her I didn't know how to mix the powder properly without warm water.”
“And what did your grandmother say to you, Ethan?”
“She told me to stop complaining,” Ethan said, his voice echoing clearly through the courtroom. “She said Dad didn't care about us because he went to Germany. She told me if I called my dad, he would get angry and leave us forever. She said... she said I was the man of the house now, and if anything happened to Noah, it would be my fault.”
A female juror covered her mouth, fighting back tears.
“How did you feel during those three days, Ethan?” Prosecutor Vance asked softly.
Ethan looked down at his hands, then lifted his head, locking eyes with Eleanor for the very first time.
“I was terrified,” Ethan said, his voice cracking slightly with emotion, but remaining firm. “Every hour, I held Noah against my chest inside my coat because I was afraid if I put him down, his heart would stop beating. I didn't sleep for two days because I had to keep checking if he was still breathing. I thought my dad had forgotten about us... until the door opened on New Year’s Eve and I saw him.”
Ethan turned to look at David in the gallery.
“My dad came back for us. He saved us.”
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Silence gripped the entire courtroom. Even the court reporters had stopped typing.
Eleanor’s defense lawyer declined to cross-examine Ethan. There was nothing to cross-examine. The 14-year-old boy’s testimony had permanently destroyed any lingering doubt.
