When the defendants were given the floor, Zoya Pavlovna tried to put on a show again. She cried, said she meant no harm, that she was just joking, that her daughter-in-law had provoked her. But her rambling, deceitful speech was interrupted by the judge:
— Defendant, stop. The court is not a theater.
Denis declined to give a final statement. He just stood up and said:
— It’s all my fault. Forgive me.
The verdict was announced an hour later. Zoya Pavlovna Sokolova was found guilty on both counts and sentenced to one year of probation with a two-year probationary period and a fine of 100,000. Denis Sokolov, taking into account his remorse and admission of guilt, was sentenced to a fine of 80,000. In addition, the court ordered them to jointly pay Alisa compensation for moral damages in the amount of 300,000.
As the judge read the verdict, Zoya Pavlovna swayed and almost fell. Denis supported her by the elbow. Alisa listened, and not a single muscle on her face twitched. She felt no joy, no satisfaction. Only emptiness. Justice had prevailed, but it couldn’t give her back the two years of her life wasted on these people.
They left the courtroom. Journalists from the local newspaper were waiting for them at the entrance. Someone had leaked information about the high-profile case to them.
— Ms. Belova, please comment on the court’s decision!
— Zoya Pavlovna, will you appeal the verdict?
Mikhail shielded Alisa with his body and quickly led her to the car.
— No comment, — he threw over his shoulder as they walked.
They got in the car, and Misha drove her far away from that place.
— Well, that’s it, — he said when they had reached a safe distance. — The end.
— Yes, — Alisa replied quietly. — The end.
The divorce was finalized that same day. Without arguments, without division of property. There was nothing to divide. They simply ceased to be husband and wife.
For the first time after the trial, Denis and Zoya Pavlovna tried to contact Alisa. They called, wrote, asked for a meeting. They wanted to arrange to pay the compensation in installments. They didn’t have that kind of money.
— No installments, — Misha said. — Let them sell their apartment and pay. Or take out a loan. That’s their problem.
In the end, Zoya Pavlovna had to sell her one-room apartment on the outskirts. The money was enough to pay off the fines, pay the compensation to Alisa, and buy a tiny room in an old communal apartment. That’s where they moved.
Denis quit his job. His colleagues at the car dealership, having learned about the trial, began to avoid him. He couldn’t take it and resigned. He couldn’t find a new job. With a criminal record, even a suspended one, no one would hire him. He got by with odd jobs, driving a taxi at night in a rented car.
Alisa started a new life. She rented a small but cozy apartment in the city center. She went back to work. Her colleagues greeted her with sympathy, but she cut off all questions.
— It’s in the past, — she said. And everyone understood.
She threw herself into her work. She took on the most complex projects, staying late at the office. It helped her not to think. Six months later, she sold her white crossover. Too many bad memories were associated with it. With the proceeds and the compensation from her former relatives, she bought a new car, a small, red one. And she signed up for an extreme driving course. She wanted to feel in control. Control over the car, over the road, over her life…
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