Colton denied deliberately injuring me.

The prosecutor ultimately pursued charges supported by the evidence, and the case entered a process that involved months of hearings and negotiation.

Nothing about it felt triumphant.

I worried about Theo, about my own credibility, about whether people would believe a woman who had stayed after an earlier incident.

I learned that fear does not invalidate testimony and that leaving can be a process rather than a single brave moment.

When the case resolved, the outcome included court-imposed requirements and continuing limits on Colton’s contact with me.