Chapter 9 - Amelia Had to Account for Her Own Retaliation Too
The legal case did not turn Amelia into a flawless heroine.
She struck Preston.
She shoved Veronica.
Context mattered.
She had been sprayed in the face.
Kicked to the floor.
Then Veronica reached for her again.
Knocking Veronica’s hand away and creating distance were clearly connected to immediate self-protection.
The slap across Preston’s face was more complicated.
He had already kicked her.
He remained near her.
She was frightened and enraged.
But she was also upright again.
Her attorney told her:
“We don’t need to pretend every reaction was ideal to establish what happened first.”
Amelia appreciated that.
During her statement, she said exactly what she remembered.
“I slapped him because I was furious.”
Not:
“I had no choice.”
Not:
“I was protecting the baby.”
She didn’t even know about the pregnancy yet.
As for shoving Veronica, Amelia explained that Veronica lunged after her and she pushed her away.
No additional violence followed.
Truth was enough.
May you like
She did not need moral perfection to deserve protection.
---
