Chapter 9 - WHAT HAPPENED TO THOMAS AND KEENE
Samuel Keene’s professional world collapsed slowly.
Not in one dramatic arrest.
Investigators identified irregularities in several historical private-placement files.
Not all were illegal.
Some were simply poorly documented.
Others raised serious questions.
His license became subject to disciplinary proceedings.
Civil claims followed.
Certain matters were referred for criminal review.
I did not attend every hearing.
I had learned something.
Obsessing over punishment can become another way of letting the person who harmed you control your life.
Thomas settled my civil claims without admitting every allegation.
Part of the settlement funded:
Legal fees.
Therapy.
A program providing independent counsel to young birth parents considering private adoption.
He also faced separate scrutiny over financial representations tied to my case.
I wanted a confession.
I never got the perfect one.
During settlement, however, Thomas said one thing.
“I thought you’d ruin your life if you kept him.”
I looked at him across the conference table.
“So you decided for me.”
“I thought I was helping.”
“You took money.”
His face changed.
“It wasn’t for the baby.”
“Then what was it for?”
He had no answer worth hearing.
I stood.
“Seven years ago, I thought the worst thing you did was convince me I wasn’t capable of being a mother.”
He looked at me.
“It wasn’t.”
“The worst thing was convincing me your judgment mattered more than mine.”
Then I left.
May you like
That was the only closure I needed.
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