Chapter 22 - MARGARET’S SENTENCE
Margaret’s sentencing drew more attention.
Founder.
Elegant society figure.
Dog-collar video.
Fraud conviction.
The prosecution did not argue collar itself increased mortgage sentence significantly.
Good.
Financial crime should be sentenced for financial conduct.
But her post-offense pressure and lack of remorse mattered.
Restitution exposure:
Legal/title costs.
Company losses tied directly to fraud? Hard to assign all company damage.
Court limited restitution to reasonably attributable amounts.
Not every lost booking.
Not every Willow Hall discount.
Specific:
Beacon Ridge fees connected to defective collateral.
Title/legal costs.
Certain investigation expenses.
My direct legal/title costs where statute allowed.
No fantasy “pay for entire company decline.”
Margaret addressed court.
“I believed Nora’s refusal was temporary selfishness.”
She looked toward me.
“I thought family obligation outranked title.”
Then:
“I thought if Crescent House survived, I could apologize later.”
Same disease as Wesley.
Consent later.
Apology later.
Repair later.
Everything after taking.
Judge imposed a custodial sentence longer than Wesley’s because she originated signature fraud and lied to notary, plus probation, restitution, and financial-fiduciary restrictions.
Years? Could be 18 months plus supervised release. Proportionate but not decades.
She was sixty.
No prior record.
Substantial amount.
Planning.
Conviction after trial.
Sentence around 18 months incarceration with supervised release.
No maximum.
She would not be gone forever.
Then her separate civil suit against me?
Her criminal conviction and changed priorities.
She dismissed it with prejudice.
I dismissed any counterclaim related to party property.
No apology.
The collar dispute ended legally.
Family court? Margaret had no automatic grandparent rights. No contact with June during incarceration.
Good.
Then Beacon Ridge payoff.
Evergreen funding arrived.
Crescent House paid remaining principal and interest.
Lender recorded release.
Then affidavit.
I stood at county recorder office? Could be electronic.
Title report updated.
Lien:
Released.
Dispute affidavit recorded.
My house clean.
I cried in my car.
Not because I had “won.”
Because the public record finally matched reality again.
My house had never been theirs to pledge.
Then I called Naomi.
“It’s gone.”
“Yes.”
“What now?”
“Divorce.”
Of course.
May you like
Paper never ends.
But this paper was mine.
