Chapter 8

The trial moved quickly. Stanley was charged with assault causing serious injury, and the evidence was clear. When the judge read the verdict, Stanley stood at the defendant's table, hunched over, as if 20 years had been added to him overnight. My lawyer had done his part, submitting evidence that Mandy had long been under Stanley's psychological control and pressure. The judge accepted the evidence, recognizing the severity of his actions, and sentenced him to seven years in prison. Stanley's mother visited him in detention. She cried on the other side of the glass, calling him a fool and saying the Sinclair family would be better off without him. She told him to straighten out and that when he got out, he shouldn't even think about going home, as his presence would bring nothing but shame. His father never went. None of his drinking buddies showed up either. When the powerful fell, everyone jumped ship. Prison life was harsh. Justin had a few connections and could occasionally