Chapter 13 - The Settlement HearingThree weeks later, room 402 of the Maricopa County Superior Court smelled of floor wax and old paper.
I sat at the petitioner’s table beside Elena Ruiz, dressed in a sharp navy blazer. Across the room sat Garrett and his court-appointed attorney, a young, exhausted-looking public defender named Miller.
Garrett looked reduced. His suit was slightly loose, his posture slumped, and the arrogance that had defined him at my birthday dinner was completely shattered.
In the gallery seats behind Garrett sat Lorraine and Tabitha. Lorraine was glaring at me with raw, venomous hatred, her hands clutching her designer handbag so tightly her knuckles were white.
Judge Miller presided over the bench, reviewing the thick binder of financial evidence Marcus Thorne had compiled.
"Mr. Miller," Judge Miller said, addressing Garrett's lawyer in a grave, resonant tone. "Have you reviewed the forensic accounting report submitted by the petitioner?"
Garrett’s attorney stood up slowly. "Yes, Your Honor. We... we have reviewed the documents."
"And how does your client respond to the evidence detailing thirty-two thousand dollars drawn on a fraudulent credit line using Ms. Lin's personal income data?"
Garrett whispered frantically to his lawyer, pulling on his sleeve. Mr. Miller gently pushed Garrett’s hand away and cleared his throat.
"Your Honor, my client maintains that he believed he was acting within the scope of a shared marital financial arrangement..."
Judge Miller held up a hand, stopping him mid-sentence. "Mr. Miller, forging an email address and simulating a spouse's electronic signature on a financial loan document is not a 'shared marital arrangement.' It is a felony under Arizona Revised Statutes."
The judge looked directly at Garrett over his reading glasses.
"I have also received notification that the District Attorney's office has opened a formal inquiry into these transactions," Judge Miller continued. "In light of this, I am granting the petitioner's motion in full."
Lorraine gasped loudly from the gallery. "Your Honor! This is absurd! She is destroying my son's life over family loans!"
BAM!
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Judge Miller’s gavel slammed down like a thunderclap. "Silence in the gallery! One more outburst from you, ma'am, and the bailiff will place you in custody for contempt!"
Lorraine snapped her mouth shut, her face turning purple as she slumped back into her wooden bench.
