Chapter 8 - The Verdict of Justice
The courtroom was packed on the day of Rose Davis’s sentencing. She had ultimately pleaded guilty to Attempted Feticide, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Grand Larceny, realizing a trial would only guarantee the maximum possible sentences.
I sat in the front row, holding Ethan’s hand. In his arms, wrapped in a pink blanket, was baby Hope. She was now two months old, thriving, healthy, and completely cleared by her cardiologists. Her heart was beating perfectly.
Rose was brought forward to face the judge. Even now, she tried to squeeze out fake tears, addressing the bench in a shaky voice. "Your Honor, I am a deeply remorseful mother. I love my daughter. It was an accident born of panic..."
The judge, a no-nonsense woman named Justice Elena Vance, banged her gavel down with a sharp, thunderous crack.
"Enough, Ms. Davis," the judge said, her voice dripping with disgust. "I have watched the footage. I have read the medical reports of your infant granddaughter. There was no panic. There was only greed, cruelty, and malice. You used a deadly weapon against your own pregnant child. You showed less empathy than a predator in the wild."
The judge leaned forward. "For the charge of Attempted Feticide, I sentence you to twenty-five years in state prison. For the charges of Grand Larceny and Forgery, an additional ten years, to be served consecutively. You will serve a minimum of thirty years before you are even eligible to whisper the word parole."
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Rose gasped, her eyes flying wide as the reality of a life behind bars crashed down on her. She turned to look at me, screaming, "Maya! You did this to me! I am your mother! You monster!"
The bailiffs firmly grabbed her arms, dragging her screaming and flailing through the heavy double doors of the courtroom, out of our lives forever. Kyle followed shortly after, sentenced to five years in a medium-security facility.
