Chapter 9 - The House of Cards Collapses
The fallout was immediate and spectacular.
The local police, realizing the FBI was now involved thanks to Marcus, couldn't cover it up. They swarmed the country club within ten minutes.
Principal Evans was handcuffed in front of his wealthy peers, weeping and begging for a deal. He confessed to everything on the spot, admitting that Vance had been paying him tens of thousands of dollars to alter grades, cover up bullying, and facilitate extortion to keep his son at the top of the social ladder.
Trenton Vance was arrested at his home later that night. Because of the nature of the deepfakes and the extortion amount, he was charged with multiple felonies.
Richard Vance's real estate empire crumbled overnight. Investors pulled out, his board of directors forced him to resign in disgrace, and he was slapped with a massive federal indictment for bribery and corruption.
Sarah’s boss at the pharmacy—who had known about Vance’s shady dealings but turned a blind eye—was ousted, and Sarah was promoted to management by the regional corporate office to help "clean up the store's image."
But the best part wasn't the revenge. It was walking into my house that night, finding Madeline sitting on the couch, watching the breaking news on the TV.
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When she saw me, she ran across the room and leaped into my arms, crying tears of pure relief.
"It's over, baby," I whispered, holding her tight. "It's finally over."
