Chapter 16
Ryan’s trial was shorter.
He had confessed too much to fight well.
Still, his lawyer tried.
Ryan was weak.
Ryan was manipulated.
Ryan feared Diane.
All true.
None enough.
I testified about the bank card.
The yard.
The kennel.
The way he looked down and told me to apologize if I wanted out.
Ryan cried through most of it.
I did not.
My tears had better places to be.
The prosecutor asked, “Did you believe your wife was unstable?”
Ryan whispered, “No.”
“Did you intend to use the guardianship papers?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know Dr. Vale was involved in conception fraud?”
He hesitated.
Then nodded.
“Yes.”
“Did Emily consent?”
“No.”
The word filled the courtroom.
No.
The word everyone had ignored.
Ryan was convicted.
He received prison time, though less than Diane and Vale would face.
Before sentencing, he read a statement.
“I loved my mother more than I knew how to love safely,” he said. “That is not an excuse. Emily and Caleb deserved protection from me.”
For once, he did not ask forgiveness.
That was the only decent thing left in him.
The judge terminated his parental rights later.
Caleb would never be a custody prize.
Never a bargaining chip.
Never a tool in Ryan’s redemption story.
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He was free.
So was I.
