Chapter 4 - The Police Report
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Officer Ramirez arrived at the hospital room thirty minutes later, holding a notepad and a digital camera. He was a tall, soft-spoken man who introduced himself with a gentle demeanor, clearly trained to handle domestic violence victims. A hospital social worker named Brenda sat quietly in a chair in the corner, offering a supportive presence.
Skylar sat upright on the examination bed. Half of her face was now covered in thick, white sterile bandages, and the painkillers had taken the sharp edge off the agony, leaving her with a dull, throbbing ache and a remarkably clear mind.
"Mrs. Foster, Nurse Teresa informed me that your husband caused these injuries," Officer Ramirez said, clicking his pen. "Can you walk me through exactly what happened this morning?"
"My name is Skylar Bennett," she corrected him immediately. "I kept my maiden name. And yes, Derek threw a cup of boiling coffee at my face."
She methodically detailed the morning. She explained the ongoing financial coercion, the demands for her bank card to fund his sister's lifestyle, and the moment the ceramic mug shattered against the wall. Ramirez took diligent notes, stopping only to take several high-resolution photographs of the blistering burns on her neck and jawline.
"It's often difficult in these cases when it becomes a matter of his word against yours," Ramirez cautioned gently. "However, your injuries are substantial, which provides strong physical evidence of an assault."
"It’s not just his word against mine," Skylar said.
She reached into her canvas bag, pulled out her laptop, and opened it on the tray table. She loaded the audio file and turned the volume all the way up.
The quiet hospital room was suddenly filled with Derek’s voice, cold and demanding, followed by the undeniable sound of violence and her own scream.
Officer Ramirez stopped writing. He stared at the laptop screen, then looked back at Skylar with a mixture of shock and profound respect. Brenda, the social worker, let out a slow, heavy breath.
"He told me to leave his house," Skylar said, closing the laptop with a definitive click. "But the apartment is in my name. I bought it before I ever met him."
"Ms. Bennett," Ramirez said, closing his notepad. "With this audio, the medical report, and your statement, I have more than enough to file a felony aggravated battery charge. We can have him arrested today."
"No," Skylar said quickly. "Not yet."
Ramirez frowned. "If you go back to that apartment, you are in immense danger."
"I am not going back today," Skylar clarified, a cold, strategic plan forming in her mind. "But I need a few days to secure my finances and my property before he realizes the trap is springing. If you arrest him at work today, his sister will drain my accounts to bail him out before I can stop her."
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Ramirez nodded slowly, understanding her logic. "I can delay executing the warrant for forty-eight hours. But you need to file for an emergency protective order immediately."
"I will," Skylar promised. "By the time he finds out what's happening, he won't have a single dime to fight me with."
