I let it.

A judge did not need me to act like an action hero.

The truth was that I had been terrified, and I had chosen the safest thing I could think to do: preserve the evidence and call the police.

After the testimony, the court entered temporary restrictions on direct contact and addressed how personal belongings could be retrieved while the matter remained pending.

The precise terms were narrower than Elaine had requested, but they gave us clear rules and an enforceable boundary.