Chapter 8 - The Price of SilenceThe courtroom cleared out slowly.
Vanessa left quickly, her face covered by her hands to block the cameras of the journalists who had already gathered in the hallway. Richard Vance left without saying a word to his client, his assistants scurrying behind him with their leather bags.
I stood in the center of the empty room, slowly buttoning my blouse. My hands were steady now. The heavy weight that had rested on my chest for ten years was gone, replaced by a light, clean emptiness.
Ruth put a hand on my shoulder. "You did it, Clara. It's over."
"It is," I said, looking up at the high ceiling.
"The state attorney is going to use all the financial records you compiled," Ruth said. "They’re frozen all of Daniel’s assets, including the offshore accounts. The house, the business, the investment accounts—they are all going to be seized for restitution. You are going to get every single cent back."
"I don't care about the money, Ruth," I said softly.
"I know," she smiled. "But you earned it. Now, let’s go home."
May you like
As we walked out of the courthouse, the bright afternoon sun hit my face. A crowd of reporters was waiting, their microphones thrust toward me, their cameras flashing. For years, I would have shrunk from the light. I would have covered my face and hidden behind Daniel.
But today, I stood tall. I looked directly into the lenses, my face clear, my shoulders back. I didn't say a word. I didn't need to. The truth had already spoken for me.
