Neighbor Sued My Son for Assault, But He’s a Dog

The first day I moved into the apartment complex, my new neighbor sued me.
She stood in court, tears streaming down her face, and accused my son of assaulting her daughter.
My Dahlia just turned eighteen, and that pervert, that monster Coke Miller, violated her! she shrieked. Hes an animal with no upbringing, and he deserves to be locked away for life!
Her daughter sobbed, insisting it was true.
Coke he said if I didnt take off my clothes, hed strangle me I was so scared
The gallery erupted in outrage, the jury members muttering amongst themselves, their faces masks of fury. They were already demanding justice for the poor girl.
Hes a monster! That Coke Miller is a monster!
Throw away the key! He cant get away with this!
But when the judge called my son to the stand, a stunned silence fell over the courtroom.
Because my son, as it turns out, really is an animal.
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Ms. Miller! Your animal of a son had the guts to defile my daughter, but now hes too cowardly to show his face in court?
My neighbor, Karen, glared at me from across the courtroom, her eyes burning with a hatred so intense it felt like she wanted to peel my skin from my bones.
Hiding him wont do you any good! I wont let this go! Your son needs to be put away, and you need to pay my daughter half a million dollars for her pain and suffering!
Her daughter, Dahlia, wept beside her, a perfect picture of innocence and terror.
I met their performance with an icy calm. My son did not assault Dahlia Peterson, nor could he have, I stated clearly. Youve got the wrong person. Stop trying to drag my son through the mud.
I never imagined my first interaction with my new neighbors would be in a courtroom. The day my son and I moved in, Karen had been incredibly welcoming, helping me with boxes and insisting that if I ever needed anything, she was just a door knock away. When she heard I had a son, her face lit up. She told me all about her daughter, Dahlia, and said it must be fate.
That night, everything changed. She was at my door, pounding on it with both fists, a disheveled Dahlia cowering behind her. She screamed that my son, Coke, had assaulted her.
I was completely bewildered. When I finally processed what she was saying, I tried to explain that it was impossible, that my son would never do such a thing.
But Karen wouldnt listen. She was convinced it was him, and Dahlia, sobbing, backed her up, claiming my son had cornered her in the stairwell and dragged her to the roof.
No matter what I said, they were like a pair of wolves who had locked onto their prey. They demanded a million dollars in compensation and insisted that my son marry Dahlia to make things right. If I refused, they would go to the police and make sure he rotted in jail.
I knew my son was innocent, and their demands were ludicrous. I refused.
And so, they sued me.
My firm denial only made Karen angrier.
Impossible? Open your eyes, Miller, and look at the bruises on my daughter! She ripped open Dahlias jacket, revealing a constellation of ugly purple marks on her skin. Your animal son did this to her! My Dahlia is only eighteen!
Dahlia looked at me, her eyes brimming with tears. Aunt Sarah, Coke did this to me. He threatened to kill me if I didnt I was so scared!
Karen hugged her daughter, and they both burst into loud, theatrical sobs. And there I was, the mother of the accused, watching them with what must have looked like cold, unfeeling detachment.
The gallery started murmuring, their angry whispers directed at me.
Shameless! Her son commits a monstrous crime, and she just denies it!
Like mother, like son. A bad tree bears bad fruit.
That poor girl this will leave a scar for life.
The criticism washed over me. I didn't care. It had nothing to do with me.
My indifference only made Dahlia cry harder.
Aunt Sarah, why wont you just admit it was him? Im only eighteen how am I supposed to face anyone now? How am I supposed to live?
She started beating her own head with her fists, a picture of despair that brought tears to the eyes of several people in the jury box.
Karen, her heart apparently breaking for her daughter, pointed a trembling finger at me. You have a child too! How can you be so heartless? If it were your daughter who had been attacked, would you be this cold?
I laughed, a short, sharp sound. My son is being falsely accused. Whats wrong with defending him?
I knew, with absolute certainty, that Coke could never have done what they claimed. But in their eyes, I was just making excuses. The murmuring in the courtroom grew louder.
This woman is unbelievable!
Shed throw away her conscience to protect her son.
With a mother that vile, no wonder the son is a monster.
The courtroom was descending into chaos. The judge frowned and banged his gavel. Order! Since the two parties have conflicting accounts, you will each present your evidence.
Dahlias lawyer immediately stood up. Your Honor, we have sufficient evidence to prove that the defendant, Coke Miller, assaulted my client, Dahlia Peterson.
She prompted Dahlia to recount the events of that night.
Dahlia took a shaky breath. It was ten oclock at night. I was coming home from my tutoring class. The elevator in our building was broken, so I had to take the stairs. When I got to the 26th floor, someone grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth. I fought, but Coke was too strong. He dragged me up to the roof and and he told me he wanted to play.
I raised an eyebrow. How do you know it was my son, Coke?
Her eyes met mine, and her voice choked. I I saw his face, of course!
He tried to force me to take off my clothes. When I refused, he put his hands around my neck and said he said he would kill me if I didnt do what he wanted I was so terrified, I had no choice
She broke down completely, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, her hands twisting the hem of her shirt.
Everyone in the room was filled with sympathy for her. I was the only one who knew she was lying.
Youre lying, Dahlia, I said, my voice cutting through her sobs.
She flinched as if struck, then screeched at me, her composure shattering. Lying? Why would I lie about something like this? Why are you being so cruel?
Look at my bruises! she screamed, clawing at her own clothes. Look at what your son did to me!
Her lawyer rushed to her side, wrapping a protective arm around her. Objection! How dare you accuse my client of lying? The bruises on her body are proof! Your baseless accusations are causing further trauma to the victim!
I turned my cold gaze on the lawyer. If she had ever actually met my son, I said, enunciating each word, she would never have made such a ridiculous claim.
The day we moved in, Karen and Dahlia had only seen me. My son, Coke, had never once made an appearance. If they had seen him, even for a second, they never would have accused him of assault.
The lawyer scoffed. And why is that? Is your son some kind of saint that my client would need a reason to falsely accuse him with her own reputation on the line?
Dahlia quickly added, I did see him! I saw him leaving your apartment when I was going to my class. We even took the elevator down together. He told me his name was Coke Miller and that he was the new neighbor.
Karen jabbed a finger at me. Dont think you can confuse everyone and get your son off the hook! My daughter saw him with her own eyes. She even knows his name! You cant deny it!
Watching their coordinated performance was almost laughable. Dahlia was so confident because she knew the stairwell and the rooftop were blind spots for the security cameras. They had found a loophole and were exploiting it for all it was worth.
I didn't bother arguing with them further. Instead, I addressed the judge. Your Honor, the plaintiffs testimony is full of contradictions and inconsistencies. It is not sufficient evidence to prove that my son, Coke Miller, committed this crime.
Seeing the judge nod thoughtfully, Karen panicked. She shot up from her chair. Contradictions? Inconsistencies? Stop trying to twist things! Every word my daughter said is true! Her bruises are the proof!
I smiled. You think you can convict my son based on nothing but her word? The law doesnt work that way.
My words made Karens face flush with rage. Dahlia looked like she was about to faint. The jury, however, seemed to think I was the one being unreasonable.
This woman is delusional! The evidence is right there, and shes still arguing!
Its a shame it wasnt her child who was assaulted!
The mother is a bitch, so of course the son is an animal!
They attacked me with their words, trying to wear me down, to force me to submit. But I stood tall, my back straight, and swept my gaze over them.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm, the truth has yet to be determined. Be careful youre not being used as pawns in someone elses game.
They didn't know the facts. They were just spouting nonsense based on a misguided sense of justice. Fools.
My words silenced them for a moment, then someone shot back.
Pawns? Your son is the criminal here!
Yeah, a young girl wouldnt joke about something like this!
Seeing that she had allies, Karens confidence returned. She shot me a smug, triumphant look. You want proof, Miller? Well, youre about to get it! Lets see how you talk your way out of this!
She exchanged a look with her lawyer, who then produced a document and held it up for the court to see.
In my hand, the lawyer announced, her voice ringing with authority, I have a lab report confirming the presence of bodily fluids belonging to the defendant, Coke Miller, on my client, Dahlia Peterson!
The announcement was like a bomb exploding in the courtroom.
Every eye, including mine, was fixed on that piece of paper.
Dahlias lawyer held it high, like a trophy.
This report states that DNA highly consistent with the defendants son, Coke Miller, was found on Ms. Petersons undergarments and on her person!
Ms. Miller, she said, turning to me with a victorious smirk. The evidence is ironclad. What do you have to say for yourself now?

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