Chapter 6 - Victoria’s Empire CollapsesVictoria went to trial first.
The charges extended far beyond what happened to Aria.
Tax fraud.
Money laundering.
Forgery.
Bribery.
Trust theft.
Coercion.
Witness intimidation.
The prosecution showed fourteen years of financial misconduct.
Then Aria testified.
Victoria watched her walk toward the witness stand.
For the first time since childhood, Aria did not lower her eyes.
The defense attorney asked:
“Did Mrs. Montgomery ever explicitly tell you to have sexual relations with Mr. Vance?”
“No.”
Victoria almost smiled.
Then Aria continued.
“She told me Mr. Vance could save the family.”
“She locked me in a bedroom with him.”
“She slapped me when I refused.”
“She had security chase me when I escaped.”
The smile disappeared.
Security footage confirmed it.
Audio from the hallway captured Victoria’s voice:
Stop behaving like a child and do what this family needs.
No interpretation required.
Victoria was convicted on most major counts.
At sentencing she turned toward Aria.
“I raised you.”
Aria looked at her.
“No.”
Victoria’s face changed.
“You managed me.”
Then:
“My mother raised me for fourteen years.”
“You spent the next ten teaching me that survival was something I owed you for.”
Victoria cried.
Aria did not.
Not until she left the courtroom.
Then she cried for almost an hour.
May you like
Justice did not feel like revenge.
It felt like grief finally allowed to exist.
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