Chapter 9: The Verdict
The verdict came after three hours of deliberation.
Guilty.
On all charges.
Aggravated assault on a pregnant woman.
Attempted harm to an unborn child.
Domestic violence.
Gero Müller was sentenced to eight years in prison.
The judge called it “a clear case of systematic abuse hidden behind the mask of a successful marriage.”
Gero stood in shock as the handcuffs were placed on his wrists.
He looked at Beate one last time.
She did not look away.
She did not smile.
She simply held her belly and watched the man who had broken her walk out of her life in chains.
The courtroom erupted in whispers.
Thomas hugged his daughter.
“You did it,” he whispered. “You survived.”
Beate closed her eyes.
The verdict was not joy.
May you like
It was justice.
And for the first time in years, she could breathe.
