Chapter 9 - The Verdict
The jury deliberated for exactly forty-five minutes.
Rachel held her breath as the foreman stood up.
"On the charge of Aggravated Assault on a Minor, we find the defendant... Guilty. On the charge of Child Endangerment, we find the defendant... Guilty."
Vanessa’s knees buckled. She wailed, looking back at her parents for help, but Richard and Eleanor just sat there, broken and defeated, realizing their money could not buy their way out of this.
The judge looked down at Vanessa with utter contempt. "Vanessa Vance, for your cruel, calculated actions against a defenseless child, I sentence you to fifteen years in state prison, with no possibility of parole. You are a danger to society."
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As the handcuffs clicked around Vanessa’s wrists, she locked eyes with Rachel. There was no smugness left. Only terror.
Rachel didn't smile. She didn't gloat. She simply turned her back on her sister and walked out of the courtroom, into the bright sunlight.
