Chapter 13 - The Federal Sentencing
Six months later.
The grand courtroom of the Federal District Court was standing-room only. Cameras and reporters lined the gallery as guards led Marcus into the room.
Marcus was thin, pale, and dressed in a bright orange federal inmate jumpsuit, heavy chain shackles clanking around his ankles. His former arrogance had completely evaporated, replaced by a hollow, broken stare.
Clara walked into the courtroom wearing a tailored navy suit, her posture tall, proud, and unwavering. She sat beside her legal counsel at the victim's table, carrying a small framed photo of her six-month-old healthy daughter.
The federal judge struck his heavy wooden gavel against the desk, silencing the room instantly.
"In the matter of United States v. Marcus Vance," the judge proclaimed, his voice echoing through the chamber. "The defendant executed a harrowing, barbaric act of imprisonment, physical abuse, and financial fraud against his heavily pregnant spouse."
The judge looked directly at Marcus with complete contempt.
"The court sentences you, Marcus Vance, to forty-five years in federal maximum-security penitentiary, without the possibility of early parole."
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Marcus collapsed back into his seat, burying his face in his cuffed hands as low sobs shook his frame.
👉 What did Clara say to Marcus as she walked past his table toward the courtroom doors?
