Chapter 3 - The Corrupt System
I stared at the silver handcuffs swinging in the officer's hand. I screamed that I was the victim and my husband was the one who tortured me. The officer coldly replied that Victoria had signed an arrest warrant for me an hour ago. My husband had filed a sworn statement claiming I burned myself to frame him and steal his assets. David tried to argue with the police, but they threatened to arrest him for obstruction. They chained my wrist to the metal bed rail, treating me like a violent criminal. I was completely trapped in a hospital bed with a high-risk pregnancy. David promised he would find a way to help me before the officers shoved him out the door. The room fell silent except for the horrifying click of my handcuffs against the rail. Later that evening, the hospital door opened and my husband walked inside. He was wearing a tailored suit and a smug, arrogant smile. His mother followed close behind him, carrying a large designer handbag. I pulled against the metal chain, but the pain in my stomach forced me to stop. He laughed at my helpless struggle and sat in the chair next to my bed. He explained that Victoria had frozen all of my bank accounts and credit cards. He pulled a legal document from his jacket and placed it on my lap. It was a medical power of attorney giving him full control over my healthcare decisions. His mother smiled and said they were going to schedule a surgical termination of my pregnancy tomorrow morning. She claimed the state would allow it since I was supposedly facing a long prison sentence. I spat in his face and swore I would die before I let them touch my baby. He wiped his cheek slowly and leaned in close to my ear. He whispered that Victoria had also seized David's phone and permanently deleted the video evidence. Without that video, I had absolutely no proof that the abuse had ever happened.
