Chapter 7 - The Final Verdict
The jury deliberated for less than three hours, a remarkably short time for such a highly complex criminal case.
The tension in the courtroom was incredibly thick as the jury foreperson stood up holding a small piece of folded paper.
Doña Victoria stood next to her heavily defeated public defender, her jaw clenched tight and her eyes completely devoid of any remorse.
"On the serious charge of attempted aggravated assault, how do you find the defendant?" the stern judge asked, his voice echoing loudly.
"We find the defendant unequivocally guilty," the foreperson read clearly.
"On the severe charge of mass conspiracy to commit life insurance fraud?"
"Guilty."
"On the multiple counts of extreme forgery and deliberate extortion?"
"Guilty on all counts, Your Honor."
Doña Victoria did not dramatically faint or burst into fake, manipulative tears this time.
Instead, she slowly turned her head and locked her cold, dead eyes directly onto mine.
"You took absolutely everything from me," she hissed viciously across the silent courtroom.
Alejandro immediately stood up, completely blocking her line of sight with his broad, commanding frame.
"No, Mother," Alejandro replied loudly, his voice echoing with absolute, undeniable finality.
"You completely destroyed yourself because of your own endless, disgusting greed."
The judge slammed his heavy wooden gavel down, loudly demanding absolute order in his courtroom.
"Victoria Vargas, your heinous actions display a complete and utter disregard for human life and your own family," the judge scolded harshly.
"I hereby sentence you to forty-five years in a maximum-security federal penitentiary, without any possibility of early parole."
The heavy steel handcuffs clicked loudly as the bailiffs grabbed her arms to drag her away.
She fought wildly against them, screaming horrible, venomous curses until the heavy wooden doors completely shut behind her.
The absolute silence that followed was the most beautiful, peaceful sound in the entire world.
It was entirely over.
The dark, suffocating cloud that had hung heavily over our lives for the past year had finally evaporated.
We walked out of the massive courthouse and stepped into the incredibly bright, warming afternoon sunlight.
May you like
Alejandro pulled me in for a deep, passionate kiss right there on the concrete steps.
"Let's go home to our beautiful daughter," he smiled, his eyes completely free of the heavy burdens of the past.
