Chapter 7 - THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE QUAD
Two weeks later, the autumn leaves turned brilliant shades of crimson and gold across the Columbus community college campus.
I walked across the quad with my new canvas tote bag slung over my shoulder, holding a steaming cup of vanilla latte. Around me, students laughed, rushed to lectures, and argued about midterms. No one looked at me sideways. No one whispered behind my back. To them, I wasn't the girl whose family tried to frame her for federal crimes; I was just Emily—a freshman majoring in criminal justice, wearing a brand-new jacket that didn't belong to anyone else before me.
My phone vibrated. An email notification from the federal prosecutor’s office.
Subject: Case Update — Vance et al.
Emily, please be advised that formal arraignment took place this morning. Ryan Vance pleaded not guilty to twelve counts of wire fraud and identity theft; however, given the audio recordings and the physical hard drives recovered from the residence, his defense counsel has entered plea negotiations. Your parents have been charged as co-conspirators in obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Trial date is set for early spring. You are not required to appear unless subpoenaed.
I locked my phone and slipped it back into my pocket.
May you like
The air was crisp and smelled of rain and fallen leaves. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with a sense of space that felt entirely boundless. They were facing ten to fifteen years behind bars—not because of bad luck, but because they built a cage out of their own greed and accidentally locked themselves inside it.
For eighteen years, I had lived in the shadow of my brother’s demands. Now, the sun was shining directly on my face, and there wasn't a single shadow left to hide behind.
