Chapter 20 - WHO ACTUALLY FORGED THE SIGNATURE
Criminal investigators completed digital forensics.
My husband inserted the signature image.
Fingerprint-authenticated login.
Timestamp.
Source signature file from document I had emailed.
No evidence Clarissa touched laptop during insertion.
He admitted it before charge decision.
His lawyer negotiated.
Potential charges included:
Forgery or falsification of private instrument.
Unauthorized use of another’s signature.
Possibly attempted fraud depending jurisdiction and intended use.
No filing with court had occurred.
No hospital use.
That reduced severity.
Prosecutor offered a plea framework later if he fully acknowledged facts and completed counseling.
Not final yet.
Clarissa?
No charge for forgery.
Evidence insufficient she knew signature was fake at moment inserted.
Could she face coercion or conspiracy?
Prosecutor declined at that stage.
Her emails were ugly.
Not enough criminal agreement beyond reasonable doubt.
She already faced consequence for chair incident.
Civil family case considered her conduct separately.
Good.
No overcharging.
Then husband’s sworn statement:
“I copied Morwenna’s signature knowing she had not agreed.”
There.
“Why?”
“I wanted the document ready.”
“For what?”
“To show an agreed temporary care plan if she left after delivery.”
“Was it agreed?”
“No.”
“Then why call it agreed?”
Silence.
“Because I wanted it to become true.”
There.
That sentence destroyed something inside me.
Not because new.
Because honest.
He wanted reality to catch up to paperwork.
Then:
“Did you intend to prevent Morwenna from seeing Seren?”
“No.”
“Did you intend to make it harder for her to change the baby’s residence after leaving?”
“Yes.”
Precise.
Then:
“Did you hope financial pressure would make her accept?”
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
There.
No permanent abduction.
Coercion.
Then:
“Did Clarissa tell you to forge the signature?”
“No.”
“Did she know it was forged?”
“I don’t know exactly when she realized.”
Important.
He did not save himself by blaming mother entirely.
That improved credibility later.
Then my own sworn correction remained.
The case became narrower and stronger.
Maybe that was justice:
May you like
Less dramatic.
More true.
