BooksBarbecue
Back When We Were Bright and Beautiful
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Part One
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. Part Two
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. Part Three
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. Epilogue
  68. Author’s Note
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. About the Author
  71. Also by Jillian Medoff
  72. About the Publisher

Why is DeFiore so hung up on that night? What am I missing? I remember finding Lawrence in the celebration room. “Be right there,” he said. Upon leaving, I bumped into Diana, who was in the hall, holding a porcelain vase upside-down. “That’s from the Ming dynasty,” I snapped. “I’m sorry,” Diana said, caught. She put down the vase gently. “I’m so sorry.”

“When did you realize that my client’s porn-watching problem was problematic?”

“Late July, early August.”

“Ms. Holly, I’m confused. You testified that you and my client discussed the future in November, correct? Yet now you’re saying his habits were so problematic for you in July that you broke up with him soon after. Isn’t it true, then, that my client’s habits don’t bother you at all? That your objection to him watching porn is merely a story you believe you have to tell for the sake of this trial?”

“Objection!” Anderson jumps to his feet. “Badgering the witness.”

DeFiore holds up his hands, surrender-style. “Withdrawn. New question, Ms. Holly. Isn’t it true you brought up marriage to my client one week after your first date? And you continued to bring it up, even after my client asked you to stop?”

“I don’t remember.”

“And wasn’t it Billy, not you, who tried to break off the relationship in September? And wasn’t it you who refused?”

“No, it didn’t happen that way.”

“Well, isn’t it true that you texted my client twenty times in a one-hour period?”

“I don’t remember.”

“And in these texts, you begged him to stay with you, correct?” DeFiore marches over to the defense table. He motions to Felicia to hand him a stack of papers with multicolored exhibit stickers hanging off the side. He shows the stack to Anderson, who nods, and then DeFiore requests permission to approach the witness.

“You may approach,” the judge says.

“Diana, I’m going to show you what has previously been marked as Defendant’s exhibit L-432. Have you ever seen these before?”

Yes, Diana says. I’ve seen those before. Yes, I’m familiar with the contents of this exhibit. Yes, those are my texts with Billy.

“Ms. Holly,” Judge McKay says. “Can you read these messages into the record?”

“Don’t do this, Billy. We love each other. You know you love me. Please, Billy. Call me. Why are you ignoring me?”

“Ms. Holly, I believe you were dishonest in your testimony today when you described your relationship with my client. Isn’t it true that the pornography complaint is irrelevant?”

“I wanted to connect with him any way that I could.”

“Were you trying to connect with him or trap him in a relationship with you?”

“I did not want to trap him. You’re twisting my words.”