Chapter 134
Jonathan’s POV
Inside The Courtroom – the next day
We all were seated as the federal police escorted Fredrick.
News reporters were lining the walls to get information on the case proceedings.
I arrived with Veronica as John came with Vance.
The courtroom was packed.
Media personnel.
Newspaper journalists.
Legal analysts p>
Name them…they were there.
The case of Harmon Designs CEO switching babies had become a nationwide news.
Inside the courtroom,
Fredrick sat in his tailored suit instead of prison clothing,
Meaning he already was using his connections.
He looked composed and almost confident he was going to win.
I watched him quietly, as I knew he was always more under the ground them above.
Seeing him seated as if nothing had happened, made anger boil within me.
Finally, the judge officially opened the hearing for a bail plea.
Fredrick’s legal team began by presenting their side of the argument.
I was laughing inside as his legal team tried to label him as an elderly businessman.
They called him a respected entrepreneur,
A person who offended only once because a fake tarot reader manipulated him.
They stated how his age has been deteriorating ever since he had been put in federal prison.
To back their words,
They submitted medical reports,
Letters verified by specialists, and even character references.
I quietly listened in disbelief.
The jury began to discuss his age p>
I laughed as they couldn’t see the years Veronica lost.
Next p>
The prosecution rose.
Vance and his team opposed Fredrick’s bail stating he would use his time out to cover the evidence, worse even destroy the evidence.
“Your honor,” Vance said.
“For a man who manipulated hospital records p>
“A man switched his own baby and sent her to an orphanage p>
“A man who used his wife’s identity p>
“Who intimidated witnesses p>
“Destroyed evidence p>
“Attempted to leave the country p>
“For that matter,” he said. “If the federal police hadn’t reached in time, Fredrick would have succeeded p>
I kept watching Fredrick so I could read his expressions.
I could see he was flinching every time Vance took Veronica’s name.
Maybe he was surprised someone was standing up for her in public,
For a while, I felt happy as now Veronica’s suffering would come to an end.
Then p>
The judge requested for a brief recess.
Outside The Courtroom
I brought Veronica outside as John and Vance remained inside.
I thought bringing her out would be good,
But neither one of us spoke a word for several minutes.
I kept pacing in the hall, with tight clenched fists as Veronica sat quietly on the bench.
Then she slowly reached for my hand.
She didn’t ask me to calm down p>
Just got up and stood beside me.
I exhaled as I realized she was the one who was holding me rather than I holding her.
Just then the announcement was made:
Fredrick Harmon case in session.
We all went back to our seats as the judge came back and began the proceedings once again.
The jury had written their verdict.
The judge was ready to read the verdict.
As the plaintiff and defendant side rose, the judge began.
“In consideration of Fredrick Harmon’s age,” the judge said.
“The medical certificates presented p>
“The course requests the Federal police to detain his passport p>
“Fredrick Harmon is under offered bail, under the strict conditions requested by the prosecution, which are accepted by the court p>
“The court grants bail based on conditions p>
“He is to follow the travel restrictions within the city itself p>
“Will be under electrical monitoring round the clock p>
“Has to report to the nearest police station every five hours p>
“If the defendant agrees, bail can be granted p>
I barely heard the conditions as only one sentence echoed in my mind,
Bail can be granted.
I felt as if justice slipped right through my fingers one more time.
I saw Fredrick turn slowly towards me.
A federal officer walked over and removed the restraints from his hands.
His attorneys gathered around him the moment the restraints were removed as the press had also gathered.
Reporters rushed forward bombarding him with questions.
Camera’s were flashing like crazy.
Fredrick didn’t say a word as his lawyers kept pushing the reporters back.
Then as his team began to take him out,
He paused for a brief moment and in that moment p>
His gaze met mine.
I couldn’t see any regret,
Any apology,
Any guilt,
Only confidence.
At that moment I wanted nothing more than the judge to revoke his bail, but nothing as such happened.
As he disappeared in front of me, Veronica gently placed her hand on my arm.
I quickly held her hand as I knew she needed my support more than I needed her’s.
We both walked out and saw Fredrick’s convoy disappear outside the courtroom.
Every instinct inside me was screaming this shouldn’t have happened.
He should have been behind bars.
“Why?” I muttered.
Veronica gently held my hand.
I looked at her expecting to see anger in her eyes,
But all I saw was calmness.
She didn’t look relieved,
She didn’t look defeated.
Just calm…plain calm.
This unsettled me more.
If I was in her place, having suffered what she did, I would have been screaming at the law right now.
Yet p>
She was calm.
I just kept looking at her as I couldn’t understand how she was so calm.
How could she remain so composed after all that he did.
For the first time today, I wondered, did she already expect this outcome?
Did she already know he would walk out?
As we were ready to leave, Vance and John joined us as well.
“I don’t understand how they could grant him bail?” John said frustrated.
“John,” Vance said.
“The discovery of the medical reports, the character references, the letters p>
“All are new discoveries in the case p>
“They acted as witness testimonies for him p>
“The reports are from expert panels p>
“This time,” he said. “I have to say their trial preparation was really good p>
“Then we p>
Vance cut John’s words midway.
“Nothing changes p>
“If anything changes p>
“Is the investigation has become more stronger p>
“Now the court knows what he’s capable of p>
“By now the Federal agents must have already begun their financial investigations p>
“Soon the law will corner him from all sides p>
I nodded as I realized Fredrick may be physically free,
But he was still in the grip of the law.
Just then Vance handed me another folder.
I opened the folder and saw the content.
There were drafts of multiple civil lawsuits,
Fake identity passports,
Fraud claims,
Shell company drafts,
Corporate ownership disputes still going on.
A plan to recover Harmon Designs.
I studied every page carefully.
And realized p>
The law could give Fredrick punishment,
“These lawsuits can make him pay officially for everything he has done over the decades,” Vance said.
“But the emotional damage Veronica and Jane suffered p>
“That can’t be redeemed p>
I looked silently at Veronica and slowly understood why she was so calm.
After dropping John and Vance off, the drive home was awfully quiet.
I kept glancing at her p>
The whole time she just kept looking out of the window, lost in her own thoughts.
I tried p>
But couldn’t make out what she was thinking about.
Was she disappointed by the verdict?
Was she heartbroken?
Or did she really expect what happened today and has no words?
Finally, worried for her, I broke the silence.
“Nicky,” I said. “I’m sorry, I failed you…again p>
She turned towards me and smiled faintly.
“You didn’t, Jonathan p>
Her answer surprised me as I expected her to say, ’it’s okay, I’m used to it.
The more calmer she looked, the moreI was questioning her in my mind p>
Did I truly understand what she wanted from this case?
I quietly asked her p>
“What are you planning p>
Veronica looked at me for a long time before she answered.
“I spent years wondering who my parents were p>
She paused.
“Now I know, and I can’t change what happened p>
Her eyes lowered onto her lap before looking back at me.
I realized I only wanted him in jail, Veronica was looking much further.
Finally, we reached home.
Apartment – later on evening
As we sat in the balcony, I realized our goals were different.
I wanted his punished, she wanted his regret.
I silently reached for her hand.
As Janet and Joshua were inside laughing over a TV show,
I spoke my heart.
“I thought sending him to jail would make me feel good p>
“But I don’t feel good p>
Veronica gently slipped her hand from mine and held onto it.
“Because this is not the end you want to see p>
“The end is, him regretting whatever he did to us p>
“Fredrick stole our lives from us p>
“He spun lies and destroyed our lives p>
Then she quietly leaned onto my shoulder.
What she said next, sent the chills down my spine.
“Staying in prison isn’t enough p>
I finally understood what she wanted.
She didn’t just want him to pay,
She wanted him to lose everything, be abandoned by everyone the way he made us all suffer.