Chapter 8 - The Trial of Marcus Vance
The trial lasted six harrowing days.
The courtroom was packed every single morning. On the fourth day, the prosecution called its key witness to the stand.
The room fell silent as I walked through the double doors. I was dressed in a simple, elegant navy blue suit. My hair was styled, my skin was restored to health, and my posture was straight and proud. I was no longer the broken, naked woman bleeding on a cold metal floor. I was a survivor.
I took my seat in the witness stand, placing my hands calmly over the mahogany railing.
“Mrs. Lin,” Prosecutor Vance began gently. “Can you identify the man who locked you in a cage for three weeks while you were nine months pregnant?”
I raised my arm and pointed my finger directly at Marcus. “The defendant. Marcus Vance.”
Marcus refused to make eye contact, staring intensely at the defense table.
For the next three hours, I detailed every horrific moment. I described the starvation, the rotten apples, the taunts with the tablet, the cold metal floor, and the terrifying waves of labor pains while hearing his guests laughing upstairs.
When Sterling stepped up for cross-examination, he tried to rattle me.
“Mrs. Lin,” Sterling said, stepping closer. “Isn’t it true that you suffered from severe depression during your pregnancy? Isn’t it true that you spent time in the basement voluntarily to seek quiet?”
I looked Sterling straight in the eyes, unbothered. “Did I voluntarily weld the cage door shut from the inside, Mr. Sterling? Did I voluntarily starve myself while my husband ate ribeye steaks upstairs? Did I voluntarily tie rope burns onto my own wrists?”
Sterling opened his mouth, but no words came out. He looked back at the jury box and saw twelve pairs of eyes staring at him with pure hatred.
“No further questions,” Sterling muttered, sitting down defeated.
Then came the final blow. The prosecution called Eleanor Vance to the stand.
Wearing her orange jail jumpsuit, Eleanor took the stand and pointed at her own son. She detailed how Marcus bought the dog cage three months prior, how he hired a welder under a fake name, and how he planned to dispose of my body in a nearby lake after stealing my baby and my inheritance.
Marcus snapped.
“You lying old hag!” Marcus roared, jumping out of his chair and throwing himself toward the witness stand. “You told me to do it! You said she was garbage!”
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Four court bailiffs tackled Marcus to the floor, slamming him down in front of the entire jury while he screamed, kicked, and raged like a rabid animal.
The judge ordered him restrained and gagged for the remainder of the proceedings.
