Chapter 15 - BROOKE’S PLEA
Brooke pleaded guilty.
State child-endangerment and evidence-related charges.
Federal fraud conspiracy and false-statement counts.
She admitted:
Giving Leo the unprescribed medication.
Knowing it was intended to sedate him.
Participating in locking me away.
Deleting security clips.
Misrepresenting my condition.
Planning to become temporary caregiver.
Concealing her financial interest in Luma.
She did not admit she wanted Leo seriously harmed.
Evidence did not support that.
She said:
“I thought Mom had calculated everything.”
The judge asked:
“Are you trained to calculate medication risk in newborns?”
“No.”
“Then whose calculation did you rely on?”
“My mother’s.”
“Is she medically trained?”
“No.”
There was the absurdity.
Two adults deciding a newborn dose through confidence.
Brooke cooperated with federal investigators.
Her sentence would reflect that.
She wrote me a letter.
I read it once.
Chloe, I was jealous of you before Leo was born. Mom trusted you less but Adam loved you more, and I hated how that changed the family. When the foundation audit started, I convinced myself you were attacking everything we built.
Then:
I knew you were hungry. I knew you were asking for Leo. I knew the fever scared you. I still helped lock the door.
Specific.
Good.
I did not reply.
May you like
Her honesty belonged to sentencing.
Not necessarily reconciliation.
