Never Give You Up
Chapter 26
Addison’s POV
Three Months Later
My pregnancy was proceeding well. I haven’t had a lot of morning sickness, but I am showing. I won’t be able to hide my pregnancy much longer. I was already at the five–month mark. My aunt goes with me to each of my doctor’s visits, as does my grandmother. The day that I had my ultrasound two weeks ago to determine the baby’s s*x, it was standing room only. My aunt, uncle, grandparents, and Evan were in the room with me. Bryson wanted to be there but
had a test and couldn’t miss class that day.
Evan was mistakenly identified as the baby’s father, but we quickly clarified that. I am sure they assumed that because he doesn’t look anything like me, and we are close to the same age. So I could understand how the tech would be confused. I guess fathers usually come to the gender ultrasounds. Everyone was overjoyed to find out that I was having a boy.
I had been watching the televised college games for Garrett. He was a first–year student but better than the senior quarterback. I am ashamed to admit I wanted to know if he missed me. I wanted to reach out and tell him that I was pregnant, but I always pushed those thoughts
back down. I didn’t want him to be with me or marry me out of obligation. I wanted him to
want to marry me because he loved me. Because he wanted to be with me. That was the only
acceptable reason.
I knew he wasn’t with Tammy, as the case had just gone to trial a month ago, and he had provided testimony against her. His sister and parents did as well. They testified that Tammy
had been in their home, and that she was the one who made the video. My uncle had gone to
the trial to make sure things went well. My aunt stayed with me at home. They didn’t want to expose me to the stress of the trial. I was allowed to give video testimony to keep me from having to go there in person. They made sure the video was done in such a way as to prevent my pregnancy from being noticed.
It was allowed, as the judge had been made aware of my situation. They were trying to keep me from getting upset. Her attorney allowed it, even without knowing why I wasn’t there. He knew, just like my attorney did, that my being there would have caused the jury to be even more sympathetic towards me over this. I still can’t believe that she would go so far as to do something like that. When Tripp and Alden got up to testify against her, the jury was initially
not sympathetic to them.
1/4
Never Give You Up
After hearing why they did it and successfully passing a lie detector, everything pointed back to Tammy. It didn’t help that she immediately jumped up and started yelling at Tripp as he was still on the stand. As disgusting as their actions were, everything that happened was due to her releasing that video and lying to both of them. I knew they only believed her because
they wanted to think it was true.
It was not because they thought she was telling the truth. They knew what was going down in that video she took over me. They felt like they had a chance at getting to have s*x with me, too. Tammy may have gone to them and planted the idea in their heads. But she didn’t make them speak to me like they did. She didn’t make them do what they did to me. Tripp went much further than Alden had, but I was still in therapy because of their disgusting actions.
They didn’t listen to me or allow me to leave. I know that the real reason they flipped on her was because I wasn’t a pitiful orphan anymore. They didn’t want a record and they made a deal. It wasn’t because they were innocent. They were scared of ruining their lives by listening
to that snake. They were saving themselves.
My uncle had told me that they had both come forward once they knew who he was. They asked him to apologize to me for their actions and seemed quite contrite about what they had done. He said that they did seem apologetic. But the fact remains that they had done it because they thought that I was alone and helpless. They did it because they felt that they could get away with it. They are only sorry now because they got caught on video, and I had a
damn good attorney.
I firmly believe that if I had been alone in my home. They would have come back and tried to assault me again. I saw their eyes. They would not have stopped if they had come after me a second time. My skin crawled at the thought of it. I don’t want to be around either of them ever
again.
The only good thing that came from it was Tammy had finally been exposed as the snake she was. She couldn’t hide her true nature anymore. Garrett had made sure that he mentioned how she stole his football and then framed me for it. He pointed out that she had done it to eliminate her competition. It made me happy to hear him mention that to the courtroom. He
also mentioned how much he cared for me and wanted me back to my Uncle Nash.
That made my heart ache to hear Uncle Nash mention that to me. My uncle had a conversation with the Pearsons, and they had told him that Garrett had changed. That he was trying to become the man I needed him to be. But I was still very hurt. I know what I saw. He allowed her to touch him after spreading that video around the school. I had been told that her parents had been shocked when everything came out. Unfortunately, the trial didn’t end that day. It was very frustrating, but at least I heard about it.
2/4
+8 Poin
Never Give You Up
When things didn’t go her way, she blamed her public defender. She claimed he had not adequately defended her and disclosed their relationship during the trial. She ended up costing him his license. Tammy then apparently snapped and lost it. She was screaming and yelling at her attorney. She was pissed, and she didn’t care what she was saying in the courtroom. I have seen it several times now, as Evan went that time and recorded some of it. My favorite part was just a brief moment. You had to pause the video to see it as it happened so quickly. The horrified expressions her parents had on their faces when Tammy yelled out into the courtroom, “I had to sleep with him. How else was I going to get a fair trial? My parents refused to help me.”
She thought that exposing her lawyer like that would make it all go away. She was surprised when the judge advised the jury, “You are all dismissed at this point.” A smirk crossed her face at his words. She didn’t care that her attorney was going to be punished at all. Not as long as she got to escape getting in trouble. Too bad for her, the judge’s next words were, “A new jury will be selected when it is time for the trial to resume.”
Tammy was surprised that our lawyer had received a gift from her former public defender. He knew exactly how devious she was and wanted some insurance against her. He had a ten–minute video during their pillow talk, a recording in which she admitted to making and distributing the video. She admitted that she did it because she was jealous of me. She admitted to everything, including sending Tripp and Alden after me. She laughed about how easy it all was, especially getting Garrett to turn his back on me.
That part was tough for me to hear. It was a reminder that he didn’t even ask me about it. He was willing to believe a stranger over me. Hadn’t we been best friends for fifteen years? Yet all
it took to ruin our longtime friendship was his willingness to believe the worst about me. I don’t have many friends. I can’t check to make sure he is not dating anyone or if he is just saying that to try to win me back. The worst part is that he betrayed my trust twice. Both times he did it, he went to Tammy. The silver lining we found was that the judge assigned Tammy a female public defender. She won’t be slipping out of it again. This would be her only chance, but she can’t win.
How could I possibly believe a word out of Garrett’s mouth again? The trust we had between us was destroyed five months ago. I gave him another chance. I did that despite still not knowing why he destroyed our friendship. He was the one to laugh last. Not only did he sleep with me and then toss me away like a piece of trash. He didn’t do what he said he was going to do. Less than twenty–four hours later, he was back at it again. Allowing Tammy to touch
him intimately at his pool party.
He had just claimed me the night before. He knew I could see what was going on back there. How could he intentionally hurt me like that? Or was that his purpose the whole time? For me
3/4
Never Give You Up
+8 Point
to give in and sleep with him, only to see them together and know that I had been played for a
fool. They didn’t have to go to that extreme with their plans. Garrett had destroyed me again. I have had enough pain for a lifetime. They didn’t have to release that video. The pain I felt that day when I saw him back with her is permanently stored in my memory.
They were not satisfied with Garrett, breaking my heart. They had to drive me away from the only home that I had ever known. They decided to do this while I was at my weakest point. They struck at the worst possible time, but they got me. I was glad I was in bed now so no one could hear me cry. My sobs refused to be quieted tonight. I felt a movement in my stomach like my baby was trying to get my attention. My sobs slowed, and my hand rubbed my growing belly.
It was like my baby was trying to get my attention off my pain. He reminds me that no matter what happens, it is us against the world. Just that little action helped to calm me down. That was the first time I felt him. He had kicked me, and I fought back a laugh. My baby didn’t want me to be unhappy. My heart was broken, but I knew that my life could be so much worse. I had a family that loved me and a baby on the way.
Despite his father’s actions, our baby had been created in love. I believed what Garrett had said to me that night. I could see the love he had for me shining in his eyes. So, no matter what, I will hold onto that. I will tell my baby when he asks that his father had loved me and loved him, too, but he had to go away. I will tell him the whole story one day, but not until he is much older. I pushed the pain back down. I can do this. Life comes with struggles. We all have them. Thankfully, my struggle came with a beautiful parting gift. One that I will never allow Garrett to take away from me.
