Chapter 19 - The Trial
The criminal trial of Garrett Hartford became a massive, sensational media circus.
His powerful friends immediately abandoned him, terrified of the massive financial fraud investigations.
I walked into the courtroom surrounded by my family and my brilliant, ruthless attorney.
Garrett looked drastically different; he was pale, thin, and completely devoid of his arrogant charm.
I took the stand, completely terrified, but I forced myself to look directly into his cold eyes.
I told the jury everything about the night he broke my arm, the hidden cameras, and the extreme isolation.
The defense tried to break me, but Sarah’s undeniable evidence was completely bulletproof.
The jury saw the offshore accounts, the stalking files, and the brutal medical records.
They deliberated for less than three hours before returning a completely unanimous verdict.
Guilty on all absolute charges.
The judge sentenced him to twenty years in a maximum-security federal prison, completely without the possibility of early parole.
As the bailiffs led him away in chains, Garrett turned back to look at me one final time.
May you like
He expected to see fear, but I simply turned my back on him and walked out of the courtroom.
He was finally nothing to me but a closed, horrific chapter in an otherwise beautiful life.
