Chapter 11 - The Confession
Despite the damning testimony, Vivienne couldn't help herself. Her narcissism demanded that she have the final word. Against the desperate advice of her own legal counsel, Vivienne Sterling took the stand.
She wore a demure grey blouse, attempting to look like a victimized housewife. But the moment the prosecutor began questioning her about Tommy’s poisoning, the facade cracked.
"I did not poison that child!" Vivienne snapped, gripping the edges of the witness stand. "He was always sickly! He probably ate dirt off the floor of whatever filthy apartment his mother raised him in!"
"Mrs. Sterling," the prosecutor said calmly, pulling up a blown-up photograph of the hidden wall safe on the projector. "We found two vials of liquid thallium inside your personal safe. The fingerprints on the glass were a 100% match to yours. Can you explain that?"
"I bought it for rats!" she shrieked. "We live near a lake! There are pests everywhere!"
"Pests?" The prosecutor stepped closer to the stand. "Like Sarah? Like her son?"
"They were draining my life!" Vivienne screamed, completely losing control, her face turning an ugly shade of red. "She was a peasant! She was nothing! I gave her the privilege of living in my house, of serving my family, and she dared to ask for time off? She dared to put her pathetic, dying brat above my schedule?!"
The courtroom fell dead silent. Even the judge stared at her in absolute shock.
Vivienne realized what she had just said. She covered her mouth, her eyes darting frantically toward the jury box, but it was too late. The sheer malice, the utter lack of humanity in her voice, had echoed off the walls for everyone to hear.
She hadn't just confessed to the abuse; she had revealed the monstrous core of her soul.
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"No further questions, Your Honor," the prosecutor said quietly, walking back to his table.
Vivienne was escorted off the stand, trembling violently. I looked at Sarah. She was crying, but for the first time, they weren't tears of fear. They were tears of profound, overwhelming relief.
