Chapter 8 - The Verdict
Two months later.
The state courtroom was packed to maximum capacity for the final sentencing hearing of State v. Victoria Sterling.
The trial had been short, brutal, and utterly devastating for the defense. The defense attorney’s arguments—claiming that Victoria was an elderly woman suffering from emotional distress—had completely collapsed under the weight of the smart-hub audio recording and Dr. Alexander Reed’s precise, undisputed medical testimony.
I sat in the front row of the gallery, dressed in a sleek, tailored navy blue dress. Alexander sat right beside me, holding my hand beneath the wooden desk, his warm fingers providing a steady, constant stream of strength.
On the other side of the courtroom, sitting behind the defense table, was Victoria.
She looked fifty years older than she had three months ago. Her dark silver hair was completely grey, tied back in an unkempt bun. She wore a orange jumpsuit, her wrists bound by heavy steel handcuffs attached to a waist chain. Her face was hollow, her eyes darting nervously around the room until they finally landed on me.
For a second, a flash of her old, arrogant malice flared in her dark eyes, but it was instantly snuffed out by the cold reality of her surroundings.
Dominic sat in the second row behind her, wearing a cheap, ill-fitting suit he had purchased at a thrift shop. He looked exhausted, defeated, a shell of the confident young executive who had once driven through the city in an Aston Martin.
The court bailiff announced the entry of the judge, and everyone in the courtroom stood up.
Judge Katherine Vance—a formidable woman with short grey hair and sharp blue eyes—sat behind the bench, adjusting her glasses as she reviewed the final sentencing documents.
"In the matter of State v. Victoria Sterling," Judge Vance began, her voice echoing with heavy authority. "The defendant has been found guilty of Aggravated Assault with Great Bodily Injury, as well as Criminal Negligence resulting in the termination of a pregnancy."
Victoria began to tremble, her breathing becoming fast and shallow.
"The court has reviewed the victim impact statement provided by Mrs. Audrey Vance-Sterling," Judge Vance continued, looking down at Victoria over the rim of her glasses. "Mrs. Sterling, your actions were not merely negligent. They displayed a chilling, deliberate malice toward a vulnerable woman under your roof. The tape recorded your exact words prior to the assault—words that demonstrate a total lack of human empathy."
"Your Honor, please..." Victoria whimpered, her voice cracking. "I am an old woman... my health..."
"Silence," Judge Vance ordered sternly. "You showed no mercy to a pregnant woman at the top of a stone staircase. You will find none in this courtroom."
Judge Vance picked up her gavel.
"It is the order of this court that Victoria Sterling be remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections to serve a period of twelve years at the State Correctional Facility for Women, without the possibility of parole for the first eight years."
Bang!
The gavel struck the wooden block.
Victoria let out a blood-curdling shriek of agony, collapsing forward onto the defense table. "No! Twelve years?! I will die in there! Dominic! Help me! Dominic!"
The bailiffs immediately grabbed Victoria’s arms, hauling her up from the chair. She thrashed and screamed, her voice echoing off the high wood-paneled walls as she was forcibly dragged toward the heavy steel door that led to the holding cells.
"Dominic! Don't let them take me! Dominic!"
Dominic stood frozen in his seat, tears streaming silently down his face. He watched as his mother was pulled through the door, her screams fading into the distant concrete corridors until the heavy door slammed shut with a definitive, absolute thud.
The courtroom began to clear out. Dominic stood alone in his row, his head bowed, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
I stood up, smoothing down my dress. I walked down the center aisle toward the exit, my footfalls firm and steady.
As I passed his row, Dominic raised his head, his bloodshot eyes meeting mine.
"Audrey..." he whispered, his voice empty. "Are you happy now?"
I stopped, looking at him with gentle, clear eyes.
May you like
"No, Dominic," I said softly. "I’m not happy that a life was lost, or that your mother chose hatred over love. But for the first time in three years... I am at peace."
I turned and walked through the heavy doors of the courtroom into the bright afternoon sunlight, leaving him behind in the shadows of his own creation.
