Chapter 8 - The Aftermath in the Hallway
When Judge Porter banged her gavel to adjourn the hearing, the courtroom erupted. Reporters pushed past the wooden gates, their cameras flashing as they tried to get a statement from Andrew and Calder. Andrew sat paralyzed, unable to move, while Calder shoved his papers into his briefcase with violent, jerky movements, refusing to look at his client.
Mara calmly packed her documents back into her leather briefcase, clicked the brass locks shut, and walked out the swinging doors into the marble corridor.
Frank and Ruth were waiting near the elevators. Frank looked like he had aged ten years in the span of an hour. His tie was loosened, his jacket unbuttoned, and his hands trembled as he clutched a paper cup of water. Ruth stood beside him, her eyes puffy with tears of rage and humiliation.
""You witch!"" Ruth spat as Mara approached. ""You planned this! You lived in our house, ate our food, smiled at our table, and all the while you were plotting to ruin us!""
Mara stopped a few feet away, her expression serene. ""I didn't plot anything, Ruth. When Andrew brought me those papers, all I asked for was an honest conversation. I asked him if seven years of my life meant nothing to him. He told me I was just the housekeeper who planned his parties.""
Frank stepped forward, his arrogance replaced by desperate pleading. ""Mara, listen to me. Ellison Logistics is my life's work. If the accounts are frozen, payroll will bounce on Friday. The state contract will be terminated. We'll lose the house. We'll lose everything.""
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""You should have thought about that before you taught your son that honesty was optional,"" Mara replied softly. ""You built a house of cards on forged signatures and offshore accounts. All I did was open the window and let the wind blow.""
The elevator dinged. Mara stepped inside, turned around, and pressed the button for the ground floor. As the silver doors slid shut, the last thing she saw was Andrew stumbling out of the courtroom, completely alone, surrounded by flashing cameras.
