Chapter 9 - WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY
We never recovered all $168,742.
That would have made a cleaner ending.
Life is rarely clean.
Some funds remained traceable in Cabrillo accounts.
Some were recovered when equipment and development rights were sold.
Some came back through settlement.
Some disappeared into contractor payments that had legitimate business purposes even though I never authorized the source.
The forged loan guarantee was voided after the impersonation evidence became undeniable.
Nicole Brennan cooperated.
Marissa Cole admitted facilitating the improper notarization.
Wyatt entered a civil settlement and separate legal resolution for his role.
Tristan avoided the worst consequences because his involvement was narrower and he cooperated early.
Dustin resolved the assault case and financial matters through a combination of criminal and civil proceedings.
I did not receive a movie ending where everyone marched into prison while I stood on courthouse steps in sunglasses.
I got paperwork.
Hearings.
Settlement conferences.
Tax corrections.
Credit freezes.
Attorney invoices.
Months.
That was real justice.
Slow.
Boring.
Necessary.
By the end, I recovered enough of my share that I could rebuild.
More importantly, my name came off Cabrillo’s debt.
Our divorce became final thirteen months after I left the keys on the table.
The judge asked whether the marriage was irretrievably broken.
“Yes.”
One word.
Seven years.
Done.
Outside court, Paige hugged me.
“What now?”
I laughed.
“Lunch?”
“That’s your grand plan?”
“I haven’t eaten.”
She smiled.
“Excellent first step.”
We went for tacos.
No champagne.
No revenge party.
Tacos.
Mom joined us.
She ordered dessert.
May you like
That felt like freedom.
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