Chapter 10 - The Reckoning
The trial took place three months later in the county criminal courthouse.
The gallery was packed with journalists, former social friends, and curious onlookers.
Victoria sat at the defense table in a plain black suit, her posture bowed, her arrogance completely drained.
Lily took the witness stand, wearing her simple red dress once again. She sat tall in the wooden chair, her small feet dangling above the floor, her voice steady and clear as she answered the prosecutor's questions.
When the video was played for the jury on the court's wide screens, the silence in the room was absolute.
The jury deliberated for less than ninety minutes.
Guilty on all charges.
The judge sentenced Victoria Sterling to two years in state custody, with mandatory anger management rehabilitation and three thousand hours of community service upon release.
As Victoria was led away in chains, she looked back toward the gallery one last time.
She saw Arthur sitting in the back row, signing the final divorce decree on his knee.
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She saw Claire holding Lily’s hand as they walked out into the afternoon sunlight.
And for the first time, Victoria understood the terrible, weightless gravity of her own choices.
