Chapter 13 - Beatrice Testifies
Beatrice hated court.
Not because Fernando sat across from her.
Because strangers would hear how long she stayed.
“How can they believe me if I signed things?”
Her attorney answered:
“Tell them you signed.”
That became rule.
No cleansing.
At grand jury she had already testified.
At later trial preparation, prosecutors challenged.
“You signed 2019 letter.”
“Yes.”
“Knew disclosure statement was false.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Fernando demanded.”
“Did he hold a gun?”
“No.”
“Threaten you in writing?”
“He threatened money and I was afraid he would hurt me.”
“Could you have refused?”
“Yes.”
That word mattered.
Coercion exists even when theoretical refusal.
But legal responsibility remains fact specific.
Then:
“Did you personally receive benefit?”
“Yes.”
“Did you understand source?”
“Not at first. Later I suspected.”
Then:
“Why not report?”
“Fear. Shame. Protecting Julian. Protecting lifestyle.”
That last.
Lifestyle.
She enjoyed penthouse.
Clothes.
Social standing.
She did not hide.
That honesty made her stronger witness.
Then defense would say she turned after divorce.
Possible motive.
Prosecutors had documents independent.
No case rested solely on Beatrice.
Then the letter from Julian.
Mom, Dad is pushing too hard.
Evidence.
Then wedding night.
Why tell Valerie?
“I couldn't watch another woman enter same rules.”
That was emotional.
Then:
“Why did you wait until after ceremony?”
Beatrice cried.
“I was a coward.”
No excuse.
I felt anger again.
She could have saved me from marriage.
Then remembered she was living under Fernando.
Both.
Then Beatrice’s own divorce proceedings exposed violence history.
No police reports except one noise complaint years earlier.
Medical visits:
Bruised shoulder, “fall.”
Broken finger, “cabinet.”
Familiar.
But she did not ask prosecutors to charge all.
Some too old, evidence weak.
Wedding shove enough.
Then her finances.
Fernando controlled.
She had allowance of $12,000 monthly on cards.
That sounds enormous because it was.
Financial control can exist in wealthy homes.
She could spend luxury money but could not access principal, investment accounts, or independent legal funds without Fernando noticing.
When she once hired lawyer, he found invoice.
Threatened.
Then she had inherited $600k from mother.
Fernando transferred into joint account with her permission? She signed. Later used in Vance business.
Could she recover?
Divorce court considered.
Complex.
She had more resources than many victims.
Still trapped.
Then she testified at Monica’s plea hearing? Monica eventually pleaded, no trial. Fernando trial later.
Monica negotiated first.
She admitted:
Creating and controlling shell vendors.
Signing false related-party certifications.
Helping conceal payments.
Preparing Valerie proxy draft.
Deleting files after wedding.
She did not admit ordering violence.
No evidence.
Sentence recommendation reduced for cooperation after plea.
Then Martin Cole.
Plea.
He testified about original arrangement.
Then Julian.
Plea.
Cooperation.
So Fernando became only principal defendant going to full federal trial.
His defense:
Everyone else blamed him to save themselves.
True incentive.
Hence documents crucial.
Then Beatrice faced him.
At deposition before trial, he stared.
“You've always been weak.”
Her attorney objected.
Beatrice answered anyway:
“Yes.”
Then:
“That is why you picked me.”
Fernando's face changed.
No need more.
Then I asked Beatrice afterward:
“Did that feel good?”
“No.”
She looked exhausted.
I understood.
People imagine confrontation empowering.
Sometimes it's just draining.
Then her relationship with Julian.
He was under supervised pretrial release.
No contact with me.
He visited Beatrice with permission separate.
She told me later.
He apologized for blaming her.
Then:
“Why didn't you leave Dad?”
She answered:
“The same reason you married you.”
Confusing. Better: “The same reason you stayed with him after you knew about first fake invoice.” Then Julian understood.
They had both crossed lines slowly.
Then Beatrice said:
“I taught you that men can hurt women and marriage continues.”
Julian cried.
“I chose.”
Good.
No inherited excuse.
Then he asked:
“Do you forgive me?”
She said:
“For slapping Valerie? No.”
Interesting.
A mother refusing immediate forgiveness.
Then:
“For the money?”
“No.”
Then:
“I love you.”
Both.
Then me.
Beatrice did not ask me to forgive Julian.
That helped relationship.
We began having coffee occasionally.
Not mother daughter.
Two women connected by one terrible night.
Then my cheek bruise had long faded.
But wedding photographs remained.
I boxed.
Did not destroy yet.
The dress?
Cleaned.
Stored.
No decision.
Then my wedding ring.
Returned to Julian through attorneys? It was given by him; legally gift conditional on marriage, marriage happened. Mine. I sold it and put proceeds toward my own legal fees.
No symbolism.
Useful.
Then one evening Gonzalo called.
“Remember the offshore statement?”
“Yes.”
“It has a second page.”
Beatrice had only folded first visible page.
The bank produced full statement through legal process.
A transfer two months before Julian and I met:
$75,000 from Mar Azul to a private investigative firm.
Purpose:
STERLING PROJECT.
May you like
My stomach dropped.
Had Fernando investigated me before arranging meeting?
