Chapter 9 - The Downfall
The consequences for the Sterling family continued to violently cascade.
Ryan's employer, a high-profile corporate marketing firm, caught wind of his arrest at the hospital and the embarrassing public divorce.
Because his job required a pristine public image, he was unceremoniously fired the very next week.
Without an income, Ryan could not afford the massive legal fees or the hefty child support payments ordered by the judge.
He was eventually forced to sell his expensive sports car and move into a tiny, run-down apartment on the outskirts of the city.
Diane's criminal trial ended precisely the way we all expected it to.
Facing overwhelming, undeniable evidence, her expensive defense attorneys advised her to take a plea deal.
She pled guilty to two felony counts of fraud and identity theft.
The judge sentenced her to eighteen months in a minimum-security federal prison, followed by three years of strict probation.
When the bailiff led Diane away in an ugly, oversized orange jumpsuit, she looked utterly destroyed.
All of her country club friends had completely abandoned her, pretending they never knew her at all.
Michael, who had bravely testified against her, officially legally changed his last name to distance himself from the family.
He even visited me once, bringing a soft blue blanket for baby Leo, and finally seemed to be at peace.
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The toxic empire Diane had built on lies and manipulation had burned entirely to the ground.
And they had no one to blame but themselves.
