Chapter 13 - The Sound of the Gavel
The jury came back with a verdict in a record-breaking two hours.
Guilty on all counts of federal wire fraud, tax evasion, and grand theft.
My mother let out a loud, dramatic wail that echoed through the quiet courtroom.
The judge slammed his gavel, clearly entirely out of patience for her theatrical displays.
He scheduled their sentencing for exactly thirty days later.
Because they were deemed a flight risk, their bail was completely revoked.
They were handcuffed right there in the courtroom and led away by federal marshals.
I watched them shuffle out in chains, feeling a massive weight lift off my shoulders.
The oppressive shadow they had cast over my entire life was finally gone.
I threw a massive celebration party at my penthouse that weekend.
I invited my loyal friends, my brilliant legal team, and my hard-working employees.
We drank expensive champagne and toasted to new beginnings and massive victories.
I looked around my beautiful home, knowing nobody could ever threaten to take it again.
It was a fortress built on my own undeniable merit and hard work.
During the party, Marcus pulled me aside with one final piece of news.
He had officially won the civil lawsuit against my parents by default.
Since they were going to prison, whatever meager assets they had left would be liquidated.
The money would be transferred directly into my accounts as restitution.
I smiled and told Marcus to donate every single penny of it to an actual charity.
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I didn't need their dirty money to be successful.
I was already on top of the absolute world.
