Chapter 15 - The Civil Case
The criminal investigation focused on fraud, forgery, identity theft, and assault.
The civil case focused on restitution.
Lena demanded repayment of every unauthorized charge.
Eric argued that many expenses benefited the household.
Groceries.
Utility payments.
Repairs.
The audit separated legitimate costs from personal spending.
More than sixty-two thousand dollars had gone to Diane’s condominium plan, Kara, cash withdrawals, and Eric’s hidden debts.
The amount increased after interest and legal expenses.
Diane owned little beyond jewelry, furniture, and a small retirement account.
Eric owned a truck, partial interest in a failed sales business, and several expensive watches purchased with Lena’s card.
The court froze both sets of assets.
Diane accused Lena of trying to make her homeless.
Lena’s attorney replied:
“Ms. Mercer attempted to purchase a condominium with stolen funds. She is not being made homeless by the victim recovering her property.”
The judge ordered Diane’s jewelry and Eric’s truck held pending judgment.
The condominium deposit was returned to Lena’s account.
Kara voluntarily repaid gifts traced to Lena’s money.
She also provided testimony.
Lena did not forgive Kara immediately.
But she understood that Kara had been deceived about the house and divorce.
The larger responsibility remained with Eric.
May you like
He had built a system where every woman saw only the part that benefited her.
Once the stories were compared, his control disappeared.
