Chapter 9 - The Verdict and The Fall
The jury deliberated for less than four hours.
When the foreperson stood up, the room went dead silent.
"On the counts of Wire Fraud, we find the defendant, Richard Sterling... Guilty. On the counts of Identity Theft... Guilty. On the counts of Tax Evasion... Guilty."
The word "Guilty" echoed in the courtroom over and over again. Thirty-two charges in total.
The judge did not hold back during sentencing. He looked down at my parents from the bench with burning contempt.
"In my twenty years on the bench, I have rarely seen such callous, deeply sociopathic behavior disguised as family loyalty," the judge stated. "You preyed upon your own flesh and blood. You abandoned a grieving mother to indulge in luxury, funded entirely by the money you stole from her."
My father was sentenced to twenty-two years in federal prison. Susan was sentenced to twelve years as a willing accomplice and for her attempt at witness extortion.
They were handcuffed right there in the courtroom. As they were led away, my father finally looked at me. His eyes were wide, pleading.
May you like
I didn't smile. I didn't scowl. I just turned my back and walked out of the courtroom, into the bright afternoon sun.
Chloe was left with nothing. No money, no boutique, no parents. A month later, I saw her working the cash register at a local fast-food chain. We made eye contact for a brief second. She looked down in shame. I kept walking.
