Chapter 12 - The Ultimate Sentencing
The heavy,
imposing oak doors of the grand,
federal courthouse swung open with a loud,
echoing thud,
signaling the absolute,
unavoidable beginning of Julian Mercer's final,
devastating criminal sentencing.
I walked smoothly,
confidently into the massive,
crowded courtroom,
wearing a sharp,
immaculately tailored black designer suit that radiated absolute,
unquestionable power and quiet,
deadly authority.
Eleanor walked closely,
protectively right beside me,
flanked securely,
tightly by our massive,
intimidating team of highly trained,
ruthless corporate lawyers and heavily armed,
serious security personnel.
The courtroom was completely,
utterly packed to the absolute,
straining maximum capacity,
filled entirely,
densely with eager,
gossiping reporters and curious,
greedy financial spectators who wanted to witness the massive,
historic downfall of a once-arrogant,
cruel man.
Julian was led slowly,
pathetically into the bright,
harshly lit room,
wearing a cheap,
scratchy,
and incredibly bright orange prison jumpsuit that hung loosely,
awkwardly on his thin,
rapidly deteriorating frame.
His previously styled,
expensive hair was currently,
completely a messy,
greasy disaster,
and his pale,
sickly face was deeply,
heavily lined with extreme,
suffocating exhaustion and pure,
unadulterated terror.
When his sunken,
desperate eyes finally,
inevitably met mine across the massive,
crowded room,
he flinched violently,
visibly,
as if he had been suddenly,
forcefully struck by a heavy,
invisible physical blow.
I did not blink,
flinch,
or look away for a single,
solitary fraction of a passing,
fleeting second.
I simply stared at him coldly,
calmly,
and with absolute,
utter indifference,
letting him fully,
deeply realize that he meant absolutely,
completely nothing to me anymore.
The stern,
unsmiling federal judge banged his heavy,
wooden gavel loudly,
sharply,
instantly,
immediately silencing the loud,
buzzing murmurs of the massive,
excited crowd.
"Julian Mercer,"
the judge began,
his deep,
booming voice echoing loudly,
powerfully throughout the large,
silent space,
"you have been thoroughly,
undeniably found guilty on forty-seven distinct,
severe counts of massive,
blatant wire fraud,
extensive,
systematic tax evasion,
and cruel,
malicious domestic embezzlement."
Julian swayed slightly,
weakly on his tired,
shaking feet,
looking as though he might completely,
suddenly collapse onto the hard,
polished wooden floor.
His cheap,
publicly appointed defense attorney stood nervously,
quietly beside him,
looking completely,
utterly defeated and incredibly,
deeply embarrassed to even be standing there.
"The massive,
overwhelming mountain of absolute,
irrefutable evidence provided generously,
swiftly by the Vance corporate legal team paints a truly,
deeply disturbing picture of a greedy,
manipulative,
and incredibly heartless man,"
the judge continued harshly,
relentlessly,
glaring down at Julian with pure,
unmasked disgust.
"You deliberately,
cruelly targeted a vulnerable,
pregnant woman,
attempting to completely,
systematically destroy her life for your own selfish,
insatiable financial gain."
Julian let out a small,
pathetic whimper,
tears of pure,
cowardly fear streaming rapidly,
uncontrollably down his pale,
sunken cheeks.
"Therefore,"
the judge announced loudly,
firmly,
"it is the strict,
unwavering decision of this honorable,
federal court that you be sentenced immediately,
permanently to forty-five consecutive,
unforgiving years in a maximum-security,
federal penitentiary,
without any possible,
remote chance of early,
lenient parole."
The entire,
massive courtroom erupted instantly,
violently into loud,
shocked gasps and frantic,
excited murmurs.
Julian let out a loud,
blood-curdling scream of pure,
absolute agony,
his knees completely,
finally buckling as he collapsed heavily,
pathetically onto the hard,
unforgiving floor.
"No!"
he shrieked loudly,
hysterically,
struggling wildly,
futilely as two massive,
heavily armed federal marshals grabbed his weak,
trembling arms to drag him roughly,
forcefully away.
"Clara,
please,
you have to stop them,
you have to show me some tiny,
shred of basic,
human mercy!"
I stood up slowly,
gracefully,
smoothing the front of my expensive,
immaculate designer jacket with a calm,
steady hand.
I looked down at the broken,
sobbing,
and completely ruined man who had once proudly,
arrogantly promised to completely,
utterly destroy my entire,
innocent life.
"You told me I would never,
ever survive without you,
Julian,"
I said quietly,
softly,
though my clear,
steady voice carried easily,
perfectly over his loud,
pathetic sobbing.
"But look at me now,
and look closely,
carefully at exactly,
precisely where you are currently,
miserably going."
I turned my back on him completely,
permanently,
and walked smoothly,
elegantly out of the large,
stuffy courtroom,
leaving his frantic,
May you like
desperate screams echoing loudly,
uselessly behind me forever.
