Chapter 12 - THE TOKEN
Everett admitted he had once given Marcelline access to his company authentication device.
During treatment intake.
He thought it would be used for urgent business approvals until formal power-of-attorney systems were updated.
Bad practice.
His responsibility too.
The $90,000 transfer occurred three months later.
By then formal delegation existed.
No need to use his token.
Yet the transaction recorded as:
Approved personally by Everett.
False.
Why make it look personal?
Because payments to Marcelline Holdings above $50,000 required conflict review if approved under her own delegated authority.
If Everett personally approved?
Different pathway.
The system trusted the owner.
The owner was in rehab.
Marcelline’s assistant said:
“She told me Everett had already agreed.”
Did he?
“No.”
Could some services have been provided?
Yes.
Independent valuation:
Approximately $31,000.
So the issue was not automatically theft of ninety thousand.
Potential improper excess:
around $59,000.
Plus false authorization.
Specific.
Then investigators examined other token use.
Three transactions.
Total:
$218,000.
Some legitimate obligations Everett had previously discussed.
One clearly questionable.
Again:
No giant fantasy theft.
But enough for false-record and fiduciary charges.
Emmett? Wrong story. Everett faced his own criminal case.
His unauthorized company withdrawals before treatment remained.
He had already repaid $96,000 through liquidation of personal investments.
Still owed the rest.
Prosecutors offered a plea:
Felony theft-related count tied to company funds.
Impaired operation of company vehicle/property-damage misdemeanor.
Restitution.
Treatment compliance.
Possible short custodial component or intensive probation depending judge.
He accepted responsibility.
No immunity for cooperating against Marcelline.
That mattered.
He had done real harm.
Then my own marriage decisions became unavoidable.
Everett asked for an in-person meeting.
Public rehabilitation center.
Maya nearby with Piers in another room.
First, only us.
He looked at my wedding ring.
“You still wear it.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t know whether I was a wife or a widow without a body.”
His face collapsed.
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
“I want to come home.”
“No.”
He looked down.
“I expected that.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
I was not going to reward truth with restoration.
He asked:
“Can we ever try?”
“I don’t know.”
That was honest.
Then:
“Can I be Piers’s father?”
“That depends on what you do, not what you call yourself.”
He nodded.
The therapist brought Piers in.
Everett stayed seated.
Piers rolled? No wheelchair. Sorry Piers no disability. He walked in holding a toy car.
He stopped.
Everett said:
“Hi.”
Piers studied him.
Then:
“Did you eat bad hamburgers too?”
I nearly laughed.
Everett looked confused.
“No.”
“Okay.”
Then Piers climbed into the chair across from him.
Children start where they need to.
The next hour was not healing.
It was introduction.
May you like
Father and son.
Again.
