Chapter 6 - The Trial of the CenturyThe trial lasted precisely nine days, broadcasted across national news networks as a chilling cautionary tale of domestic predation and corporate-level narcissism.
When the jury returned with their verdict on a crisp Friday afternoon, the foreman read out guilty verdicts on all twelve counts: attempted first-degree murder, serial aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and unlawful administration of toxic substances. The judge wasted no time, handing down a consecutive sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, followed by an additional forty years for federal financial crimes. As the bailiffs hoisted Luke up by his arms to drag him down to the subterranean holding cells, he twisted his head around, screaming my name in a final, pathetic plea for mercy. I didn't flinch, I didn't look away, and I didn't grant him even a fraction of an acknowledgment. I simply watched him disappear behind the heavy oak doors, knowing that the ghost who had haunted my life for a decade was finally locked away where he could never hurt another living soul.
