Three months passed before the final criminal court trial date arrived in summer.
Mark sat quietly on the polished bench inside the large city courtroom.
He wore a clean dark blue suit and a neat conservative tie.
His expert divorce lawyer sat beside him organizing heavy legal paper files.
Lawyer: The financial forensic investigation report is completely rock solid today Mark.
Mark: Did you find where all the missing inheritance trust money went?
Lawyer: Yes she transferred huge sums directly into illegal offshore gambling accounts.
Mark shook his head in quiet sorrow as he listened to details.
The side doors opened and Sarah was led in wearing bright orange clothes.
Her hair was unkempt and she looked tired weary and deeply aged.
She refused to make direct eye contact with Mark across the room.
The honorable judge banged his heavy wooden gavel down three loud times.
Judge: We are now in session for the case of State versus Sarah.
The prosecutor stood up firmly behind his long dark wooden desk table.
Prosecutor: Your Honor the state presents evidence of premeditated attempted life murder.
He held up clear plastic bags containing the glass cup broken pieces.
Prosecutor: Lab results confirm high lethal doses of dangerous pest poison liquid.
A collective loud gasp echoed throughout the crowded city courtroom bench gallery.
Sarah's defense lawyer stood up slowly to address the stern old judge.
Lawyer: My client suffers from severe stress and deep financial panic disorder.
Prosecutor: Stress does not give anyone the legal right to murder their spouse!
The judge looked down sternly at Sarah over his thin wire glasses.
Judge: Mrs. Johnson how do you plead to these dark heavy charges?
Sarah began weeping softly into her hands at the defense table side.
Sarah: Guilty Your Honor I admit to everything I did that morning.
Mark let out a deep long breath he had been holding in.
The legal fight was finally coming to a decisive and permanent end.
Judge: I sentence you to twenty years inside the state penitentiary facility.
The judge struck his wooden block hard to finalize the criminal sentence.
Sarah was led away by guards through the heavy rear exit doors.
Mark stood up and shook his attorney's hand with immense deep relief.
He was finally free from the dark shadow of a terrifying betrayal.