Chapter 16 - Ava
The CPS case that was supposed to remove me from my children ended with Rachel holding Ava in our hospital room.
Not officially as worker.
She had become someone I trusted.
She brought no flowers.
A tiny yellow teether.
I stared.
Then laughed.
“No tracker?”
“Absolutely not.”
Mark had signed card:
FOR NORMAL USE ONLY.
I cried.
Then evidence teether.
The original remained sealed with police.
Scrape.
Tracker.
Diane DNA.
My DNA.
It would stay until cases closed.
Good.
Then family court.
Ethan requested overnight parenting with Noah while I recovered.
I agreed.
Ava stayed with me.
He returned Noah calm.
No interference.
Then he asked:
“Can I bring dinner tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Boundaries became practical.
Then Eric’s criminal case.
He accepted plea before trial after Diane testimony and digital records.
Charges included fraudulent reporting conspiracy, evidence tampering, unlawful access and professional misconduct-related crimes. Some counts dismissed under plea.
Sentence:
Several years prison? Given pattern and no physical assault maybe 3 years plus probation/license loss. Let's say custodial sentence followed by supervised release, permanent professional discipline. His psychology license revoked by board.
He cried at sentencing.
Ethan attended.
I did not.
Eric apologized to Ethan.
Not me directly.
His letter to me went through attorney.
I chose not to read.
Then Evelyn.
She refused plea initially.
Corporate woman convinced context would save her.
Her trial focused not Diane’s assault, but conspiracy to manufacture instability and breach of fiduciary duty/attempted fraud.
Diane testified.
Recording played.
Forty eight hours.
Evelyn’s success fee.
Capacity timeline.
She argued:
“I never told anyone to lie to government.”
But she knew evidence insufficient and still asked them to “create concern.”
The jury? Could be mixed. Perhaps criminal conviction on conspiracy to submit false reports and fraud, acquitted of more severe witness manipulation. Let's do.
Before verdict, Bennett Medical civil case settled part.
Evelyn returned $6 million success fee right? It never paid because deal failed. So no fee. But she repaid $185k consulting and forfeited board compensation due breach. Her shares remained.
She agreed no future governance.
Criminal verdict later:
Guilty on conspiracy to file false child welfare information and attempted business fraud? Is business fraud if vote manipulation. Yes.
Acquitted on charge alleging direct involvement in evidence planting because no proof.
Sentence:
Shorter than Eric because did not direct assault/planting, but significant probation/home detention or short prison. Let's say 18 months federal/state? Need not exact jurisdiction. Use "eighteen-month custodial sentence followed by supervised release." She is wealthy, no special exemption.
Then Diane.
Because she physically attacked pregnant Claire and fabricated reports across cases, more serious.
She received several years imprisonment, restitution, lifetime bar from paid childcare under licensing/settlement? Government can't lifetime bar without legal mechanism, but childcare agencies and state licensing could permanently revoke her credential. Say her childcare credential permanently revoked.
Then child welfare reforms.
Agency created requirement:
If private evaluators recommend repeated contractor based assessments, disclose referral relationships.
Not huge systemic revolution.
Small safeguard.
Then Ethan’s brother gone.
Aunt Evelyn? My aunt, not his. Yes.
Ethan lost job.
He found another? Later.
He and I remained separated.
Then he asked:
“Do you think we can rebuild?”
I said:
“Maybe.”
Not because he was cleared.
He was not innocent.
He enabled through arrogance, secrecy and misplaced trust.
But he did not knowingly engineer harm.
I needed time.
He nodded.
Then:
May you like
“I’ll take maybe.”
Good.
