Chapter 14 - The Iron Bars
Two hours later, the jury returned.
The foreman stood up.
"We find the defendant, Preston Vance, guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon."
"We also find him guilty of child endangerment."
My mother wailed.
It was an ugly, theatrical sound.
My father just stared blankly at the wall.
The judge didn't waste any time.
Because of the severity of the attack and the public nature of the trial, he wanted to send a message.
"Mr. Vance, you have shown zero genuine remorse."
"You abused a position of trust and attacked a vulnerable child."
"I sentence you to seven years in the state penitentiary."
Preston collapsed into his chair.
The bailiffs moved in immediately.
They pulled him to his feet.
They slapped the cuffs on him one last time.
As they led him away, he looked at me.
He was expecting me to save him.
He was expecting his little sister to finally fix his mess.
May you like
I just turned my back on him.
I walked out of the courtroom, into the bright sunlight.
