"Mr. Sterling?" Miles's voice seemed to come from very far away. "We need to move to the other courtroom."
"She came," I heard myself say.
Miles followed my gaze. Understanding flickered across his face. "Yes. She did." A pause. "We can talk about what that means later. Right now, we have a sentencing to attend."
I forced myself to move, to walk out of the courtroom, to navigate the hallway to Courtroom B. But my mind was back in that doorway, stuck on the image of Claire standing there like an apparition, like a second chance I didn't deserve.
She came.
The criminal courtroom was smaller, more austere. Judge Harrison was a stern man in his sixties, known for his no-nonsense approach and his particular contempt for defendants who showed no remorse.
Victoria was already seated, her white dress now seeming less like innocence and more like a costume she'd forgotten to change out of. Her lawyer sat beside her, shuffling papers with the air of someone preparing for inevitable defeat.
I took a seat in the gallery this time; the state was prosecuting, not me. But I was listed as a witness, available if needed.
Claire slipped in a few minutes later, finding a seat three rows behind me. I could feel her presence like a physical weight, like electricity in the air before a storm.
"All rise."
Judge Harrison entered, his expression already suggesting he'd made up his mind before walking through the door.
"Be seated. We are here for the sentencing of Victoria Sterling, who has been found guilty of reckless endangerment and assault with a deadly weapon." He opened a folder, scanning its contents with obvious distaste. "Mrs. Sterling, do you wish to make a statement before sentencing?"
Victoria stood. This was her last chance, her final performance.
"Your Honor." Her voice trembled with practiced emotion. "I am devastated by what happened. I never meant to hurt Millie. She's my stepdaughter, and I love her like my own child. The stress of the divorce, the pressure from my husband's controlling behavior, the constant scrutiny... I wasn't myself that day. I made a terrible mistake, and I will regret it for the rest of my life."
She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.
"I'm asking for mercy. For the chance to get the help I need. For the opportunity to make amends."
Judge Harrison's expression didn't change.
"Is that all?"
"I... yes, Your Honor."
"Sit down."
She sat, her composure faltering.
"Mrs. Sterling," Judge Harrison began, his voice flat and cold, "I have reviewed the evidence in this case. I have watched the security footage of your vehicle striking a seven-year-old child. I have read the medical reports detailing her injuries: a serious concussion, a broken arm, and three broken ribs. I have also watched the footage of your behavior outside the hospital where that child was recovering."
He leaned forward.
"What I saw in that hospital footage was not a woman devastated by guilt. What I saw was a woman enraged that she was being held accountable. What I saw was a woman attacking the character of an innocent bystander because she dared to visit the child you injured."
Victoria's face went white.
"Your statements today ring hollow. Your tears appear manufactured. And your claims of loving your stepdaughter are contradicted by every piece of evidence in this case." Judge Harrison's voice hardened. "You didn't make a 'terrible mistake.' You made a choice. A choice to commandeer your vehicle toward a child. A choice to use a two-ton weapon against a seven-year-old girl."
"That's not fair!" Victoria's composure was completely shattered. "I didn't mean to, it was an accident?—"
"The footage says otherwise." Judge Harrison picked up his gavel. "Victoria Sterling, you are hereby sentenced to eighteen months in a state correctional facility, with eligibility for parole after twelve months. You will also be required to complete an anger management program and submit to a psychiatric evaluation before any parole hearing."
The gavel fell.
Victoria screamed.
