Kevin asked.
“Yes,” she nodded. “On the recorder. I copied the file to a flash drive and to the cloud. The police took my bag with the flash drive, but the recording is online.”
“That’s good,” Kevin smiled for the first time. “The recording gives us a fighting chance. I’ll file a motion for your release on your own recognizance. If the judge finds the evidence compelling, they’ll let you out until the trial.”
“How long will that take?”
“A few days, maybe a week,” he closed his tablet. “I’ll work fast. But you need to be patient.”
Sarah spent five days in jail. The longest five days of her life. Her mother visited twice, crying and wailing, once again blaming Sarah for divorcing Stephen.
“If you had just stayed with him, none of this would have happened,” Elizabeth sobbed through the partition glass.
“Mom, please, not now,” Sarah said wearily.
Natalie came every day. She brought care packages, shared news, and offered support.
“Kevin says the case is looking strong,” she said during one visit. “Your recording is solid proof. Veronica walked right into her own trap.”
On the sixth day, Kevin secured Sarah’s release. She walked out of the jail pale, with dark circles under her eyes, but she was free. Natalie was waiting for her at the entrance.
“Hey, you!” she hugged Sarah tightly. “How are you holding up?”
“I survived,” Sarah tried to smile, but couldn’t manage it.
The following months were tough. Sarah couldn’t find a job. Who would hire a woman accused of embezzlement? She lived on money she borrowed from Natalie and waited for her court date.
Kevin worked tirelessly. He tracked down witnesses—former executive assistants who had also been fired under suspicious circumstances. One of them, Karina, agreed to testify.
“The same thing happened to me,” she told Sarah when they met. “Veronica brought me documents, forced me to sign them quickly. Then they accused me of theft. I couldn’t prove my innocence. I was found guilty and given a suspended sentence.”
“How do you manage now?” Sarah asked quietly.
“I barely make ends meet,” Karina smiled sadly. “No one will hire you with a criminal record. But I’m glad I can help you. At least someone can prove we’re not criminals.”
The trial was scheduled for early December. Sarah didn’t sleep the night before. She lay in the dark, playing out every possible scenario in her head. In the morning, she put on the same black pantsuit she had worn to her interview. She looked at herself in the mirror: a gaunt face, dull eyes, and streaks of gray in her hair that hadn’t been there six months ago.
The courtroom was crowded. Victor Collins sat with his lawyer—the same expensive lawyer who had won Stephen’s case against Sarah. Veronica sat at the other end of the room, pale, her head down.
The proceedings began. The prosecution presented its evidence: documents with Sarah’s electronic signature, bank statements showing the transfer of three million dollars.
“The defendant, Ms. Lawson, abused her employer’s trust,” the prosecutor argued. “Using her access to the electronic signature, she illegally transferred company funds to shell accounts.”
Then it was Kevin’s turn. He played the recording from the dictaphone. Veronica’s voice filled the courtroom.
“Yes, Mr. Collins. She signed everything. We can move the money now… I told you this idiot wouldn’t suspect a thing.”
A murmur went through the room. Victor Collins turned white. Veronica buried her face in her hands.
“That’s a fake!” the director shouted. “It’s been edited!”
“A forensic analysis has confirmed the recording’s authenticity,” Kevin said calmly, handing the judge the expert’s report. “The voice on the recording belongs to Veronica Samuels, Vice President of Finance at Alliance Group. Furthermore, we have witnesses who will confirm that a similar scheme was used on multiple occasions.”
Karina took the stand and gave her testimony. Two other former assistants followed her. They all told the same story: Veronica brought documents, rushed them, pressured them, and threatened to fire them.
The judge listened intently, then called for a recess. When the session resumed, Veronica asked to speak. She stood up, trembling.
“I want to testify,” her voice was barely a whisper.
“Veronica, be quiet!” Victor Collins hissed.
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