Chapter 8 - The Verdict
The criminal trial of Ethan Vance concluded two months later.
Because of the overwhelming forensic evidence provided by my legal team and the decisive testimony of Chloe and Julian Vance, the jury reached a verdict in less than four hours of deliberation.
I chose not to attend the trial in person. I had no desire to sit in a courtroom and watch a broken man plead for mercy. However, Julian kept me updated via phone calls throughout the final proceedings.
On the day of the sentencing, I sat in my expansive home garden, enjoying the warm summer breeze and listening to the soft rustle of leaves.
My phone rang. It was Julian.
"It's over, Mabel," Julian said, his voice carrying a mix of solemn gravity and relief.
"What is the sentence?" I asked calmly.
"Twelve years in federal prison, without the possibility of parole for the first eight years," Julian revealed. "The judge was harsh. He cited Ethan’s abuse of corporate power, breach of fiduciary duty, and systematic attempt to frame lower-level employees."
I remained silent for a long moment, watching a butterfly land gracefully on a white lily in my garden.
"How did he take it?" I asked quietly.
"He broke down," Julian replied softly. "When the verdict was read, he turned around to look at the gallery, searching for you. He asked his lawyer if you had sent any message."
"And what did the lawyer say?"
"He told Ethan that you were currently attending an international investment summit in Singapore next week," Julian chuckled gently. "He realized that you had moved so far beyond him that he wasn't even a blip on your radar anymore."
"Thank you for everything, Julian," I said. "For trusting my figures and standing by the truth."
"Thank you, Mabel," Julian said warmly. "You saved Vance Global. And more importantly, you saved yourself."
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After hanging up, I poured myself a glass of iced tea and sat back in my lounge chair. The man who had once tried to manipulate me into playing a silent, submissive wife was now facing twelve years behind iron bars. He had wanted power, luxury, and total control; now, he had none.
Justice was not a swift, emotional explosion. It was a cold, precise equation that balanced itself in the end.
