Chapter 7 - Justice Delivered
The jury deliberated for less than four hours.
When the court reconvened, the foreman stood up to read the verdict. The silence in the room was so profound you could hear the hum of the overhead air conditioning units.
"On the count of aggravated domestic assault resulting in serious bodily injury, how do you find the defendant, Arthur Vance?"
"Guilty."
"On the count of manslaughter in the termination of a pregnancy, how do you find the defendant?"
"Guilty."
"On the counts of felony coercion and abuse, how do you find the defendant?"
"Guilty on all counts."
Arthur slumped forward in his chair, burying his face in his hands as a female deputy stepped behind him. Helen, sitting at the co-defendant table, stared blankly ahead, her face locked in a mask of bitter disbelief as the judge read her own guilty verdict for conspiracy and criminal negligence.
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When the judge delivered the sentence—twenty-five years without parole for Arthur, and fifteen years followed by federal deportation for Helen—the weight that had crushed my chest for years finally lifted completely.
As deputies led them away through the back exit, Arthur cast one last, desperate glance toward the gallery. I didn't look away. I met his eyes with a cold, absolute indifference that told him he no longer had any power over me whatsoever.
