Chapter 7 - The Final Confession
That night,
Julian called me.
I didn't want to pick up,
but I knew I had to hear what he had to say.
“What do you want, Julian?”
I asked,
my voice cold.
“I’ll give you everything,”
he pleaded,
his voice breaking.
“The house, the money, just tell the judge you lied about the video.”
I laughed,
a sound that felt like a release.
“I didn't lie, Julian,”
I said.
“The truth is what’s killing you.”
“You can't buy your way out of this one.”
“You’re going to lose it all,”
I told him,
“and you deserve every bit of it.”
I hung up the phone and blocked his number.
I looked at Maya,
who was sleeping peacefully in her bed.
She was safe.
That was all that mattered.
The next morning,
I walked into the courtroom with my head held high.
Julian was already there,
looking like he hadn't slept a wink.
His suit was wrinkled,
and his hair was a mess.
He looked like the man he truly was:
a failure.
The judge entered the room,
and everyone stood.
“I have reviewed the evidence,”
she began,
her voice steady and strong.
“And I have reached a decision.”
I held my breath,
my heart pounding in my chest.
“In the matter of Vance vs. Vance,”
she said,
“I find in favor of the mother.”
The room erupted in cheers,
but the judge silenced them with a look.
“Mr. Vance, your actions are some of the most calculated I have ever seen.”
“You sought to destroy a woman and a child for your own greed.”
“I am awarding full legal and physical custody to the mother.”
I felt a weight lift off my shoulders,
so heavy I almost fell over.
“Furthermore,”
the judge continued,
“I am ordering the immediate seizure of all assets.”
“To be held in a trust for the child.”
Julian let out a low groan,
his head falling back against the chair.
“And finally,”
the judge added,
“I am referring this case to the District Attorney for criminal charges.”
“Fraud, larceny, and child endangerment.”
The bailiff stepped forward,
placing his hand on Julian’s shoulder.
“Mr. Vance, you are under arrest.”
I watched as they led him away in handcuffs.
He didn't look at me.
He couldn't.
I walked over to Chloe,
who was crying in the back of the room.
“Good luck, Chloe,”
I said,
and I meant it.
She would need it.
May you like
I walked out of the courtroom and into the light.
It was over.
