Chapter 17 - What Happened to Lauren
Lauren pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy.
Her attorney argued that she had been manipulated.
Mary did not attend the hearing.
She watched part of it from her office.
Lauren admitted accepting money.
She admitted providing private information.
She admitted helping Mercer pressure Ethan.
Then the prosecutor asked about the affair.
Lauren began crying.
“That part wasn’t part of the agreement.”
Mary turned off the screen.
Rebecca sat across from her.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
Rebecca smiled sadly.
“That sounded almost convincing.”
Mary looked toward the window.
“Some days I miss her.”
“That’s normal.”
“I don’t want it to be.”
Rebecca leaned forward.
“You can miss who you thought someone was without wanting who they became.”
Mary considered that.
Her phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
I’m sorry.
Mary knew immediately who sent it.
Lauren.
Another message appeared.
I know I don’t deserve an answer.
Mary typed nothing.
Then Lauren sent a final message.
Thank you for not destroying me when you could have.
Mary stared at the words.
She could have publicly released every humiliating detail.
She could have made Lauren infamous.
Instead, Mary had refused interviews about the affair.
The criminal case was enough.
Revenge would not restore the friendship.
Cruelty would not restore trust.
Mary deleted the messages.
Rebecca watched her.
“Done?”
Mary placed the phone down.
“Yes.”
But another unfinished piece remained.
Ethan’s sentencing hearing was approaching.
His cooperation had helped prosecutors reconstruct Michael’s entire network.
Without Ethan, investigators might never have found several offshore accounts.
His attorney requested leniency.
Mary was asked to submit a victim impact statement.
For four nights, the page remained blank.
On the fifth, she finally wrote.
She did not ask the judge for maximum punishment.
She did not ask for mercy.
She described what Ethan had done.
Then she described what manipulation did to trust.
Her final sentence was simple.
I hope the court gives Ethan enough accountability to become someone who never needs another lie.
She sent the letter.
May you like
Then she closed her laptop.
For the first time since the wedding, she slept through the entire night.
