Chapter 9 - The Verdict
The trial lasted three weeks, though it was merely a formality. The evidence was insurmountable.
Chloe’s public defender tried to argue that she was coerced by Marcus, the powerful heir to the company. Marcus’s lawyer argued that Chloe was the financial mastermind who manipulated a naive husband. They destroyed each other on the stand, airing every dirty secret of their toxic marriage to a packed courtroom.
I took the stand only once. I looked directly at the jury and played the audio tape. I showed them the medical photos of Margaret’s bruised shoulder. I told them how I had funded their lavish lifestyle while they plotted to lock my wife in a cheap facility.
The jury deliberated for a mere four hours.
Guilty on all counts.
Because Chloe was the mastermind of the shell corporations and the one who physically assaulted Margaret, the judge showed absolutely no mercy. She was sentenced to twelve years in federal prison for wire fraud, embezzlement, and elder abuse.
Marcus was found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud and accessory to abuse. He received a six-year sentence.
When the judge read the sentencing, Marcus turned to look at the gallery. He looked at me, his eyes pleading for a lifeline I would never throw.
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“I’m sorry, Dad,” he mouthed.
I didn't react. I just held Margaret’s hand, stood up, and walked out of the courtroom. Marcus was dead to me. My family now consisted of my wife and my grandchildren.
