Chapter 19 - The Trial That Burned the Family Story Down
The criminal case took eight months to reach trial.
By then, our son could sit up by himself.
Alora could finally walk into a room without checking every exit.
Most days.
The prosecution tried Corrine and Grant together on conspiracy, burglary-related charges, fraud, unlawful surveillance, and multiple counts tied to the forged documents and hospital scheme. Sloan entered a plea and testified. Evan did too.
I testified for two days.
Alora testified for three hours.
She was the strongest person in the courtroom.
Grant's attorney tried to make her angry.
"Mrs. Sterling, you would agree you've been emotional throughout this process?"
Alora looked directly at the jury.
"Yes. Someone attacked me while I was pregnant and tried to take my child. Emotion is a normal response to that."
The prosecutor didn't need to rescue her.
The video did the rest.
The jury watched Corrine pull Alora's hair.
They watched Sloan swing the hammer.
They saw edited surveillance beside the unedited recordings.
They read texts discussing the nursery, the commitment plan, the forged trust papers, and the hospital access scheme.
Grant claimed he was merely following a client's instructions.
Then prosecutors produced an email he had sent Corrine:
Once Thane is removed from decision-making, we control the sequence.
His face changed when it appeared on the screen.
The verdict came after nine hours.
Guilty on the major conspiracy and fraud counts.
Guilty on unlawful surveillance.
Guilty on charges connected to the attempted theft and hospital scheme.
Not every charge survived. Real life rarely gives perfect endings.
But enough did.
At sentencing, Corrine asked to speak.
She turned toward me.
"One day your son will ask why he has no grandmother."
Alora's hand found mine.
I answered only after the judge allowed it.
"And we'll tell him the truth in words he can understand."
Corrine stared at me.
For once, she had no power over the room.
After sentencing, reporters crowded the courthouse steps.
I expected relief.
Instead, Alora said something that stopped me cold.
"Now we have to deal with us."
I looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"Your mother is going to prison. But she isn't the only reason our marriage almost broke."
May you like
And I knew exactly who else she meant.
Me.
