Chapter 16 - The Final Verdict
The federal trial of Julian Vance was the most widely broadcast legal event of the entire decade, dominating every news channel.
I sat in the witness box, wearing a sharp, tailored navy suit, looking directly at the man who used to terrify me.
Julian looked completely hollowed out, his expensive haircut messy and his posture slumped under the weight of his crimes.
When the prosecutor asked me to recount the night he shoved me down the stairs, I did not hesitate or cry.
I spoke loudly, clearly, and with absolute, undeniable conviction, ensuring every single person in the courtroom heard the horrific truth.
The jury completely visibly recoiled as the prosecution played the security footage of him leaving me bleeding on the floor.
Julian's high-priced defense attorneys tried aggressively to paint me as a hysterical, lying wife, but they completely failed.
The financial documents I stole perfectly corroborated the extensive federal investigation into his massive racketeering operations.
After a grueling six-week trial, the jury deliberated for less than eight hours before returning to the silent courtroom.
The foreman stood up and completely read out the word "Guilty" on every single one of the forty-two federal charges.
Julian didn't look at me as the heavy gavel slammed down; he just stared blankly at the wooden table, totally defeated.
The judge showed absolutely no mercy during the sentencing phase, citing his violent abuse and total lack of remorse.
Julian Vance was sentenced to seventy-five years in a maximum-security federal penitentiary, completely guaranteeing he would die behind bars.
I walked out of the heavy courthouse doors into the bright, warm sunlight, entirely unbothered by the flashing cameras of the paparazzi.
I took a deep, clean breath of fresh air, feeling the final, heavy chains of my past completely shatter into dust.
I drove straight back to my small apartment, where Sarah was happily babysitting a giggling, energetic baby Leo.
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I picked my son up, spinning him around in the bright living room, laughing louder than I ever had in my life.
We were finally, completely, and entirely free.
