Chapter 10
The preliminary hearing was packed.
Claire came.
Priya came.
Rachel came.
Elise came.
I came with Alicia and my mother.
Lauren sat at the defense table.
For the first time, she looked afraid.
Not sorry.
Afraid.
The prosecutor showed the fake accounts.
The payment records.
The phone numbers.
The stolen photos.
The cabin couch picture.
My stomach turned when it appeared on the courtroom screen.
A private moment.
A sleeping body.
Something safe.
Turned into bait.
Lauren’s lawyer argued that Mark willingly sent money.
The prosecutor replied, “Consent obtained through a stolen identity and false threats is not clean consent.”
Good.
Mark testified too.
Badly.
He admitted cheating.
Admitted sending money.
Admitted he ignored warning signs because the fantasy benefited him.
Claire sat behind him, face blank.
May you like
When he stepped down, she did not look at him.
I respected that.
