Chapter 7 - Begging and Karma
The next three months were a whirlwind of legal battles.
Michael and Mark were denied bail due to the flight risk and the sheer scale of the fraud.
They sat in county jail, waiting for trial.
The bank launched their own investigation.
When they realized their loan officer had blindly accepted forged documents without verification, they settled out of court.
My money was restored.
Sarah, however, faced the hardest reality check.
Without my money, she couldn't afford her mortgage.
The bank foreclosed on the family home she prized so much.
She was forced to move into a tiny, cramped apartment on the bad side of town.
Her precious surgery?
She had to go on a state-funded waiting list.
She called me every single day for a month.
Leaving voicemails filled with weeping, begging, and bargaining.
“Evelyn, it’s Sarah. Please.”
“I’ll do anything. I’ll scrub your floors.”
“I’m in so much pain. The state hospital is awful.”
“Just a small loan. Please. For the mother of your husband.”
I saved every voicemail.
I didn't answer a single one.
Karma had arrived, and she was collecting her debts with interest.
Clara, Mark’s wife, divorced him immediately.
She testified against him and Michael to save herself from being implicated.
She took Tyler and moved across the country to live with her parents.
The great 'family name' Sarah cared so much about?
It was now associated with front-page news about fraud and embezzlement.
The society friends Sarah used to brag to completely abandoned her.
Nobody wants to be associated with criminals.
One afternoon, I sat in the park watching Olivia play in the sandbox.
David called me.
“The plea deal went through,” he announced.
“They both took it.”
“Michael is looking at four years in federal prison.”
“Mark got three.”
“And the divorce is finalized by the judge.”
“You have full custody of Olivia. Michael’s parental rights are severely restricted.”
I let out a breath I felt like I had been holding for months.
It was over.
They were gone.
And they could never hurt my daughter again.
“Thank you, David,” I said softly.
May you like
“You earned every penny of your fee.”
“I’ll send over the final paperwork tomorrow,” he replied warmly.
