Author
Washington, USA
The beautiful building in the neoclassical style attracted the eyes of both tourists and locals. It both frightened and delighted with its power, which emanated from the impressive columns and the sculptures Reflection of Justice and Rule of Law, both sides of the main entrance. It is not surprising that the Supreme Court of the United States of America is recognized as a national historical monument.
Conference room. The interior made an indelible impression, striking with its opulence: gold, stucco, heavy curtains made of red velvet and majestic Doric columns that gave the room sophistication. In this hall, one could admire the magnificent colonnade, and busts of ancient legislators and rulers who influenced the formation of the judicial system, but today the atmosphere was tense.
The trial of Mark Wood continued, and this time his family could not avoid publicity: the news spread with incredible speed. Only families and close acquaintances from both sides were present at the trial, but there was a crowd of journalists and reporters from various media outlets on the street, all eager for the outcome of this trial of an influential family's son.
On the agenda were not only Mark's alleged crimes under several articles of the Criminal Code, but also an appeal against the earlier decision of the Federal District Court of the Southern District of New York, in the case of the rape of Alana Moore a year ago. However, this case was postponed, as other persons had to be brought to justice. The judges were very surprised by the previous verdict of a suspended sentence, especially since the crime was committed against a minor.
A panel of judges entered the courtroom, and each of them took their rightful place. Those present stood up, showing respect for the Court, but Mark remained motionless. From the outside, it seemed he was mentally in another place. His face expressed pain and despair, and in his eyes, there was a solid emptiness and hopelessness, because his beloved was in the hospital, fighting for her life. He was losing the one who had become his whole world.
What he didn't have was remorse. Wood did not regret what he had done, but nothing would save him this time. Amanda Norton gathered enough evidence for the prosecution: a camera with a large amount of compromising materials, seized during a search of the house; the surveillance video from the hotel; medical records and their conclusions; Alana's suicide note, and even some materials from a year ago.
The proceedings began. Mark sat and stared at one point, crumpled and with a swollen face after the fight. Judging by his relaxed posture and detached gaze, he didn't seem to care about what was going on around him. But his mother, who sat next to him, was restless, adjusting her clothes and hair. A man in a business suit was bustling around next to them. Wood refused a lawyer, realizing that this time he could not escape punishment. And did he really want to? However, his parents insisted on at least some representation.
On the other side was a table where the prosecutor and the victim's representative, Samantha Moore, Alana's mother, sat. Wood's gaze often lingered on this woman, because she looked so much like her...
There were several charges against Mark: kidnapping, rape, and aggravated assault. Unfortunately, driving a person to suicide would have been difficult to prove.
Wood kept his head straight, confirming every word of the accusations and unconditionally agreeing with the punishment. However, as Mike Norton started his testimony, Mrs. Wood lost her temper and, breaking the silence in the hall, poured out accusations against the witness.
"Your Honor! Please bring this man to justice for his attempt on my son's life! He not only inflicted serious injuries that are visible to the naked eye but also tried to shoot him!"
"Objection, Your Honor! This question is irrelevant!" The prosecutor shouted.
"Overruled. Mr. Norton, could you comment on this accusation?" The chief Justice of the United States addressed Mike, but, confused, he did not have time to answer, although he was ready for it to surface.
"That's a lie, Your Honor," Mark replied from his seat. "Don't listen to the nonsense of this crazy woman."
"Mr. Wood!" The accused's behavior was already infuriating the judge. "You aren't at a concert, so show respect for the Court, at least for the duration of the trial. And you're talking about your mother, and who better than her to know her son?"
Mark, with a sour expression on his face, straightened up on the bench and put his folded hands on the table in front of him, looking defiantly into the judge's eyes. Mrs. Wood, seeing how everyone supported her, began to sniffle, in an effort to appear upset by her child's statement.
"Pfft... Really... Who, if not her?" the accused said and smiled ironically. "But my mom wasn't around when I tripped in a drunken stupor and lost my balance, counting all the steps as I tumbled down the flight of stairs, and at the bottom I hit a flower pot at full speed with my face. As a result, I broke my nose. Actually, I still hope that I'm an adopted son, and I have nothing in common with this family."
"What are you doing?" Mrs. Wood whispered, dumbfounded, trying to touch Mark, but he jerked his shoulder away.
"Mike Norton left at the beginning of the party and didn't come back that night," Mark insisted even more stridently.
"Mr. Wood, knowingly giving false testimony is a punishable offence," a judge reminded him.
"I don't care," he said as he grinned. "It's just one more. I already have so many of them!
The hearing was coming to an end, and the court asked the defendant for his closing statement.
"I don't regret what I did, although I understand I did terrible things to the girl. I can't help myself, because I love her." Mark looked at Norton with hatred, realizing that in this world he had lost the battle for Alana's heart, but he had a new plan, and he stayed focused on his goal. "I would give my life for the opportunity to get everything back, and I would not have made the most important mistake."
After the judges adjourned to consider the verdict, Mrs. Wood's nerves broke down. The woman screeched at Alana Moore's parents and almost rushed at them with her fists swinging.
"It's all your daughter! She ruined his life! I hate your whole family!!! Damn you!!!" The guard intercepted this raging banshee just in time, but she continued to resist, waving her arms and legs.
"Shut your mouth!" Mark raised his voice above the commotion. He was standing at the defense table, leaning on it with his fists and staring down. "Just a word about her," he growled through his teeth, casting a contemptuous glance at his mother, "I will personally tear off your head!!!" These last words broke into a shout, and the hearts of everyone sank.
Wood's eyes filled with blood and tears, but he continued to bare his soul, terrifying everyone with the revelations. The prosecutor called for order, but Mark would not be Mark if he obeyed someone else. Ignoring the law enforcement officers, he kicked the nearest chair and walked over to his mother.
"It's all because of you... It's all your fault!!! After all, you were against her from the start! Only you injected your poison into my brain, growing a tumor in my skull... Why?!" Mark, not holding back tears of hatred and anger, continued: "You said every single day that she wasn't a match for me, and, I admit, you sowed the seed of doubt. For a moment, I turned into an insecure slug, and jealousy devoured my heart with every passing moment. I was afraid that she would go to someone else, and this led to these sad consequences... I hate you!" He spat on the floor in disgust, responding to his mother's frightened look.
"Mark, you're out of your mind, you need help..." Mrs. Wood's voice was trembling with nervousness. Already in the strong arms of her husband, she could not hold back tears of despair. Her only child would be imprisoned today, and he didn't want to do anything to protect himself.
This feigned public display drove Mark mad with rage. He had an uncontrollable desire to hit her, although he would never have dared raise his hand against his mother before. However, anger mixed with irritation at her behavior befuddled his mind, and he had to let off steam so he would not break down even more. The young man lurched toward his parents, the rush of adrenaline drowning out all sound, but a powerful bailiff did not allow him to get close.
"What do you want from me? Eh?!" Tears streaking down his face, he broke free from the guard's grasp, not caring that he could be brought down and handcuffed. "Lana has become everything to me! Didn't you, as a mother, notice this?! How could you calmly close your eyes, seeing how the agony devoured my soul after another scandal about your choice of a bride? Although, the answer's staring me in the face: our 'happy' family values business ties and status more than the happiness of your own son."
Freed, Wood sat down in the middle of the hall and cackled like a maniac, laughing so much he doubled over. He laughed so loudly his throat became hoarse, but the laughter was far from cheerful. It appeared he had gone completely crazy, and everyone was afraid to even approach him, but Mark, kneeling down, calmed himself down. He took a deep breath and continued his angry speech.
"No one can understand me... No one understands how I feel," he said and looked around at the people in the room watching him: some with amazement, some with fear, and some in complete shock. "You broke me," he said in a hoarse, lifeless voice, looking at his parents. "In the eyes of outsiders, I'm a psychopath, a sick bastard who poisoned the life of a young girl. Although in fact I love her and wanted her to come back, and when I realized I was too late, I had hoped to tie her to me through her pregnancy. But even now, fate has turned away from me." The young man's eyes instantly filled with tears, flowing down his cheeks without restraint. "Although I have already loved the child with all my heart..."
Closing his eyes, Wood smiled broadly, ignoring the pain in his nose.
"You have ruined my life," the guy said in a loud whisper, then fixed a mocking, contemptuous look at his father and mother. "Now I will drag you to the bottom, too. I hate you... Especially you, Mom. Now live with it."
The court found Mark Wood completely sane and imposed a sentence of twenty-five years' imprisonment in a maximum-security facility.