Chapter 14: The Gavel
The federal courthouse was cold, grand, and entirely unforgiving.
I sat in the back row of the gallery, wearing a sharp black suit, watching the culmination of my revenge.
Liam stood before the federal judge, his head bowed. He had taken the plea deal. The evidence was too overwhelming, the digital footprint too flawless. He had no defense, no money, and no allies left to save him.
A few rows ahead of me sat Valerie. She looked utterly unrecognizable. The designer clothes were gone, replaced by a faded, ill-fitting sweater she had likely bought at a thrift store. Her hair was unkempt, the expensive blonde highlights fading into a dull, brassy gray. She was currently living in a studio apartment in a terrible neighborhood, working as a cashier at a discount grocery store just to pay rent.
The judge, a stern woman with a reputation for throwing the book at white-collar criminals, looked down at Liam from the bench.
"Mr. Vance," the judge said, her voice echoing through the silent courtroom. "You used a digital forgery to steal twenty-three thousand dollars meant for the medical care of your unborn child, solely to subsidize a lavish lifestyle you could not afford. The level of moral bankruptcy required to commit such an act is staggering."
Valerie began to weep quietly into her hands.
"Pursuant to the plea agreement," the judge continued, striking her gavel with a sharp, echoing crack, "I am sentencing you to forty-eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordering full restitution of the stolen funds."
Liam flinched violently as the gavel fell. The federal marshals immediately stepped forward, grabbing his arms.
As they turned him around to lead him back to the holding cells, his eyes scanned the gallery. He looked past his weeping mother and locked eyes with me.
I didn't smile. I didn't gloat. I simply looked at him, completely untouched, entirely out of his reach.
May you like
He had tried to drown me to take my money. Instead, he had drowned himself.
I stood up, smoothed my jacket, and walked out of the courtroom before he even made it to the exit.
