Chapter 6 - Jason's Version of the Truth
Jason cried during his proffer.
I was not present.
My lawyer later explained the substance.
Jason admitted the business debt.
He admitted the fundraiser.
He admitted he knew I did not have cancer.
Then the prosecutor asked:
“Did Emily consent?”
“No.”
“Did you know she did not know campaign existed?”
“Yes.”
“Did you provide photographs?”
“Yes.”
“Did you provide bank account?”
“Yes.”
“Did you review the fake medical letter?”
“Yes.”
“Did you edit language?”
“Yes.”
“Did you buy the clippers?”
“Yes.”
“Did you hold Emily in the chair?”
“Yes.”
“Did Diane physically restrain Emily?”
“No.”
“Could you have stopped at any time?”
“Yes.”
That ended the idea that Diane controlled his body.
Then the scrape.
“Did you intend to cut Emily’s scalp?”
“No.”
“Did you intend to shave her after she said no?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I thought if the livestream worked, we could solve the debt.”
“Why insult her?”
“I was angry.”
“At what?”
“She was ruining everything.”
“By refusing to participate in fraud?”
“Yes.”
Then the bathroom.
“Why did you pound on the door?”
“I wanted her to come out.”
“Why?”
“So we could fix what viewers heard.”
“Did Emily owe viewers an explanation?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
“I did.”
Then unborn Ava.
“Did you intend to hurt the baby?”
“No.”
No evidence showed otherwise.
He had never hit my stomach.
Doctors had found no fetal injury.
Prosecutors did not invent one.
Then Jason said:
“I thought if I fixed the money, she’d forgive.”
“When?”
“After Ava was born.”
“What would you tell her?”
“That we exaggerated.”
“Not that you invented cancer?”
Jason hesitated.
“I probably would have said exaggerated.”
Even in his imaginary confession, he was still shrinking it.
Then the planned remission.
He admitted he and Diane intended to announce I was responding unexpectedly well after reaching target.
No one would ask why treatment disappeared.
They hoped sympathy would fade into relief.
Then prosecutor asked:
“Did you believe pregnancy made Emily less likely to leave you?”
Jason went quiet.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“She was about to have a baby.”
“So?”
“I thought she’d want the family intact.”
“Even after learning you fabricated cancer?”
“I thought once debts were fixed, she’d stay.”
Pregnancy was not only marketing.
It was leverage.
Then Diane’s proffer.
She admitted:
She proposed cancer story.
She created most campaign copy.
She copied Dr. Lin’s signature.
She lied to Bright Harbor.
She received $8,500.
She filmed.
She told Jason to hold me.
Her lawyer emphasized:
She did not touch me.
She did not control clippers.
She did not intend scalp injury.
All legally relevant.
Then prosecutor asked:
“Why continue filming after Emily screamed no?”
Diane answered:
“I panicked.”
“Why ask for donations during that panic?”
Silence.
Then:
“Because people were giving.”
There.
Then the money recovery.
Of approximately $121,300 still held by the platform, about $118,940 was ultimately refunded through card reversals and platform processes after fees and adjustments.
The $65,120 transferred out was more complicated.
Recovered:
$6,320 remaining in business account.
$7,900 returned by Diane from the $8,500 she received.
$2,000 returned by Bright Harbor as unused media funds.
Other payments had gone to legitimate creditors who were not shown to be participants in the fraud.
A bank that receives loan repayment does not automatically become a fraud conspirator.
A subcontractor paid for actual work does not automatically owe money because payer used tainted funds.
So restitution focused on defendants.
After refunds, recoveries, and credits, approximately $51,260 in donor principal remained unrecovered, plus certain compensable platform expenses.
Final restitution pool was calculated at about $58,000.
Not the entire $186,420.
No double recovery.
Then my own household credit card.
The $11,600 benefit would be handled in divorce property division.
No random donor checks from me.
Then Diane’s attorney asked for a plea.
She wanted probation.
Prosecutor refused.
“Your client helped plan a forced physical act against a seven month pregnant woman because the visual would increase donations.”
Diane’s lawyer argued:
No prior record.
No direct physical restraint.
Substantial cooperation.
Funds returned.
The state still wanted active incarceration.
Jason’s attorney also began negotiating.
Jason wanted domestic violence reduced to disorderly conduct if he pleaded to fraud.
The prosecutor refused.
“You do not get to trade the violence away because fraud evidence is strong.”
Then I was asked for victim input.
“I don’t want anyone claiming Ava was injured if doctors cannot prove it.”
The prosecutor nodded.
“I don’t want pregnancy turned into an extra fictional victim.”
“Understood.”
“I do want forced shave and fraud treated as connected.”
“They are.”
Then:
“Do you want maximum?”
I sat quietly.
“I want accurate.”
That became my answer for almost everything.
Then at thirty three weeks, I packed my hospital bag at Rachel’s house.
The scraped areas of my scalp had healed.
A stylist had evened the rest into a short pixie only after asking before every cut.
Ava kicked constantly.
I was beginning to believe we might reach full term.
May you like
Then contractions started five weeks early.
Continue to the next chapter: Diane was ready to plead and Jason was still negotiating when Ava arrived early, forcing family court to confront his parental rights before the criminal sentencing had even happened.
