Chapter 7: The Trial of the Decade
The media ruthlessly dubbed it the "High Society Scandal of the Decade." News vans clogged the courthouse steps for weeks. When the trial finally commenced, Eleanor sat at the defense table, stripped of her arrogance and jewels, looking small and defeated.
Sarah sat in the very front row of the gallery, wearing a simple navy dress, holding Julian's hand so tightly her knuckles ached. Testifying had been a grueling ordeal, forcing her to publicly recount the exact seconds she thought she and her baby were going to die. But the true turning point came on the third day.
The prosecution team dimmed the lights and played a recently recovered piece of security footage—a hidden angle from the estate's smart-home hub that Eleanor hadn't known to delete. The high-definition video clearly showed Eleanor's face twisted in rage, her hands forcefully shoving Sarah down the staircase. A collective, horrified gasp echoed through the courtroom. Combined with the undeniable paper trail of financial ruin found in the suitcase, the defense attorney simply hung his head. The case was completely airtight.
