Chapter 9 - The Sentencing
Six months later, the courtroom was packed.
Vanessa looked completely different without her expensive haircuts and designer red dresses.
She wore an orange jumpsuit, her face pale, and her eyes hollow.
Tyler refused to look at her as he took the stand, delivering the testimony that buried her.
When the judge asked if I wanted to read a victim impact statement, I stood up.
I walked to the podium and looked directly into Vanessa's eyes.
"You thought because I was a woman, and because I was far away, that my family was defenseless," I said, my voice echoing in the silent room.
"You forgot that my father raised a soldier."
"You locked the woman who raised me in a cage, and you stole the life of the man who gave me everything."
"You are not a mastermind, Vanessa. You are just a coward who lost."
The jury deliberated for less than three hours.
Guilty on all charges.
Life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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As the bailiffs put her in handcuffs and dragged her away, she didn't smile.
She just stared at the floor, finally realizing she had absolutely nothing left.
