Chapter 9 - The Final Verdict
When the jury returned, the foreperson stood and read the verdict in a clear, resonant voice.
“On count one, grand larceny in the first degree: Guilty. On count two, corporate embezzlement: Guilty. On count three, wire fraud: Guilty. On count four, attempted corporate espionage: Guilty.”
David slumped forward on the table, a low groan escaping his throat.
The judge looked down at David over her spectacles, her expression uncompromising. “David Hayes, you engaged in a calculated, arrogant scheme of theft, betrayal, and deceit. You showed no remorse for abusing the trust of your spouse or the company that fed you. It is the sentence of this court that you serve a period of no less than twelve years in state prison, without the possibility of parole for the first eight years. Furthermore, full restitution of $4.2 million is ordered to be liquidated from your remaining assets.”
As the guards stepped forward to lead David away in chains, he turned his head toward me, his eyes filled with a desperate, pathetic plea.
“Eleanor...” he whispered, his voice cracking. “Please...”
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I stood up, adjusted my blazer, and looked straight into his eyes. I didn't utter a word. I simply offered him a faint, serene smile—the exact same smile I had given him at JFK airport when I waved him goodbye—and turned my back on him forever.
Outside the courthouse, Teresa and Arthur were met by Process Servers who delivered formal bankruptcy filings and eviction orders for their suburban townhouse, which had been put up as collateral for David’s failed shell corporation loans. Stripped of their home, their car, and their standing, they were left with nothing but small social security checks and the bitter reality of their own greed.
