“Deal.”
After we hung up, I thought about how my relationship with my father had deepened through this nightmare.
He’d been my rock when I had nothing else. Had reminded me who I was when I’d forgotten.
I was grateful for that. For him. For the family that had stayed loyal when my marriage fell apart.
The trial came faster than I expected.
I sat in the courthouse waiting room, my hands shaking despite my best efforts to stay calm.
James sat beside me. “You’ll do fine. Just answer the questions honestly. Don’t let their lawyer rattle you.”
“What if I see Michael and I—”
“You won’t fall apart. You’re stronger than that.” He squeezed my shoulder. “I’ve seen a lot of people in your situation. Most crumble. You didn’t. You fought back.”
When they called me to testify, I walked into that courtroom with my spine straight and my head high.
Michael sat at the defense table. He looked terrible—thin, pale, defeated.
Eleanor sat beside him, looking furious.
They both stared at me as I took the stand.
I didn’t look away. Didn’t flinch. Just met their eyes steadily until they looked down.
The prosecutor asked me to recount what happened. I did, keeping my voice even and factual.
Explained about losing the baby. About being sedated. About waking to find my accounts emptied.
About the security measures I’d put in place that stopped the theft.
Michael’s lawyer tried to trip me up during cross-examination.
“Isn’t it true, Mrs. Garrett—excuse me, Ms. Monroe—that you and your husband had discussed buying property together?”
“No.”
“You never discussed purchasing a home?”
“We discussed it vaguely. We never agreed to buy a specific property, certainly not one for his mother using only my money.”
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