Chapter 7 - The Courtroom Destruction
Six months later, the criminal trial of Daniel Carter and Vanessa Brooks commenced.
The media dubbed it the "Corporate Betrayal of the Decade." The courtroom was packed with journalists, investors, and onlookers.
I sat in the front row, wearing a sharp navy blue suit, my blonde buzzcut styled flawlessly, with Ethan sitting right beside me, holding my hand firmly in his.
Daniel and Vanessa sat at separate defense tables, refusing to even look at each other. The stress of jail time had ruined them both. Daniel looked aged by ten years, and Vanessa’s fake glamour had completely washed down the drain.
The trial was a slaughter.
Marcus Sterling, acting as a consultant for the prosecution, dismantled every lie Daniel’s cheap lawyer tried to spin.
When Vanessa took the stand, she cried and played the victim, claiming Daniel manipulated her into the fraud. But on cross-examination, the prosecutor played the security footage of Vanessa aggressively attacking me with the scissors.
The jury watched in horror as the true nature of her character was exposed.
Then, it was my turn to testify.
I walked to the stand with my head held high. I didn't cry. I didn't shake. I answered every question with cold, undeniable facts.
“Mrs. Carter, how did your husband react when he saw you bleeding in the restroom?” the prosecutor asked.
“He looked at his mistress and asked her what she was thinking,” I replied clearly. “He did not ask if I was okay. He covered for her crime, to protect his ego and his secrets.”
When I stepped down from the stand, Daniel couldn't even lift his head.
The jury deliberated for less than four hours.
The verdict echoed like a thunderclap through the courtroom.
Vanessa Brooks: Guilty of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Sentenced to four years in the state penitentiary.
Daniel Carter: Guilty of Accessory to Assault, Corporate Embezzlement, and Wire Fraud. Sentenced to eight years in federal prison.
As the bailiffs handcuffed Daniel, he turned to look at me one last time. His eyes begged for a mercy he didn't deserve.
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I didn't smile. I didn't gloat. I simply turned away, linked my arm through Ethan’s, and walked out of the courtroom into the bright sunlight.
The garbage had finally taken itself out.
