Chapter 5 - The Empire Crumbles
Frank’s arrest was the catalyst that brought his entire house of cards tumbling down.
Denied bail due to his status as a flight risk and the violent nature of his threats, Frank was forced to wait for his criminal trial inside a cold, 6x8 county jail cell. Without his daily micro-management, his real estate company was left exposed to the auditors.
With the documents provided by Evelyn, the whistleblower accountant, Jessica and her new pro-bono attorney, Sarah Vance, delivered the killing blow. They handed the financial records over to the FBI.
The investigation revealed that Frank had been running a massive Ponzi scheme. He had been taking deposits from new investors to pay off the old ones, while siphoning millions into offshore gambling accounts. The $15 million trust fund belonging to Lily was the only thing that could have bailed him out before the federal agents caught on.
As the news broke, Frank’s high-priced defense attorney dropped him. His wealthy friends stopped answering his calls from jail. The "pillar of the community" was exposed as a desperate, abusive fraud.
Two months later, the final family court hearing was held to determine the permanent termination of Frank's parental rights.
Frank was brought into the courtroom wearing an oversized orange county jumpsuit, his wrists shackled to his waist. He had lost weight. His hair was a greasy, unkempt mess. He couldn't even look at Judge Holloway.
Jessica sat at the plaintiff's table. She wore a sharp, tailored navy suit. She looked rested, glowing with a newfound confidence. She didn't need to speak; the mountain of evidence did the talking.
Judge Holloway reviewed the final federal indictments. She looked down at Frank with utter disdain.
"Mr. Morrison, in my twenty years on the bench, I have rarely seen a man so utterly devoid of moral character. You viewed your own daughter not as a human being to be loved, but as a bank account to be raided. You terrorized her mother, and you attempted to subvert the justice system."
The judge struck her gavel.
"I am granting full, permanent physical and legal custody to Jessica Morrison. Frank Morrison’s parental rights are hereby terminated completely and permanently. He will have no right to contact, visitation, or legal say in this child's life. Furthermore, a permanent, lifetime restraining order is granted. You will never approach this family again."
As the bailiffs pulled Frank to his feet to escort him back to his cell, he finally looked at Jessica.
"Jess, please," he croaked, his voice cracking with genuine, pathetic desperation. "Tell them... I'm still her father."
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Jessica looked at him, feeling absolutely nothing. No fear. No anger. Just the profound, liberating emptiness of looking at a stranger.
"She doesn't have a father," Jessica said clearly. "She has me. And that is more than enough."
