Chapter 18 - The Charges Close
Three years after party, the last appeal related to Brent’s conviction was denied except one technical modification to a merged fraud count that did not change effective sentence materially.
Attempted murder conviction remained.
Aggravated assault conviction remained.
Financial convictions remained.
No retrial.
No new secret.
Kevin completed part of sentence with later eligibility determined by corrections rules, not me.
Allison’s probation ended.
Scott moved.
Brent’s restitution payments came from liquidation and prison earnings? Minimal. Main recoveries already done.
My divorce case closed.
No outstanding property appeal.
Ridgeway accounting finalized.
Dana and I restructured firm.
I reduced ownership from sixty to forty five by selling fifteen percent to two senior partners.
Not because Brent.
Because I wanted risk shared and liquidity.
The sale funded accessible home improvements and diversified savings.
No one could later say paralysis forced me to sell.
I chose.
Dana became managing partner.
I returned as head of forensic strategy.
Fewer hours.
Better boundaries.
One client asked during meeting:
“Do you need someone to push your chair?”
“No.”
He looked embarrassed.
I smiled.
“Ask before touching.”
He did.
May you like
That small sentence became automatic.
Consent is not complicated when people want to understand it.
