Chapter 9 - The Rebuilding of Bayside
The legal aftermath was swift, brutal, and completely decisive.
With the federal investigators holding the offshore bank records and the audio recordings, Mark's defense team collapsed within forty-eight hours. To avoid a lengthy trial that would result in a life sentence, Mark accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to fifteen years in a federal penitentiary, with no possibility of parole.
Sarah, who had turned state’s evidence in a desperate attempt to save herself, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay full restitution to the Bayside High Charity Fund. Her reputation in Savannah was permanently ruined; she was forced to leave the city, moving to a small town in another state where nobody knew her name.
The historic house in the Victorian District was returned to me, placed in a secure trust that would ensure Lily’s future was bright and financially secure.
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But I chose to sell it. I didn't want my daughter to grow up in a place filled with the ghosts of betrayal.
With the proceeds of the sale and my mother’s legacy, I purchased a beautiful, light-filled cottage on the coast of Tybee Island, just twenty minutes outside Savannah. The house sat on a quiet bluff, surrounded by wild sea oats and overlooking the endless, blue expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.
