Chapter 6 - The Fall of Diane Enterprises
Six months after that fateful night in the emergency room, the consequences of Mark and Diane’s greed reached their inevitable climax.
Mark’s former employer hired an independent auditing team—who ironically consulted with my firm—to evaluate the full extent of his embezzlement. The findings were staggering: Mark had diverted over 1.8 million dollars of corporate funds into Diane's control over a four-year period.
The State Attorney's Office filed a formal twenty-two-count indictment against Mark and Diane Frazer, charging them with scheme to defraud, grand larceny, wire fraud, and aggravated forgery.
Because of the high risk of asset concealment, both Mark and Diane were arrested at Diane’s suburban mansion. Local news crews were tipped off, and cameras captured the moment the golden boy and his manipulative mother were led out of the house in handcuffs.
Diane looked hysterical, her graying hair unkempt, screaming at the reporters about how she was an innocent victim of a wicked daughter-in-law. Mark simply hung his head, staring at the concrete driveway, looking crushed, defeated, and completely broken.
With Mark's criminal indictment finalized, the family court moved rapidly. Judge Higgins finalized our divorce decree.
Because Mark had used marital assets to fund criminal enterprise, the court awarded me one hundred percent of the equity remaining in our home, total ownership of our secondary investments, and full, unencumbered sole legal and physical custody of Ethan. Mark was stripped of all parental rights until he completed his eventual criminal sentence and underwent mandatory rehabilitation.
Diane’s fortune was entirely dismantled. Her luxury vehicle was repossessed, her mansion was placed under federal lien, and her bank accounts were seized to pay restitution to Mark’s former company.
On the day the divorce papers were signed, Rachel Sterling met me at a quiet coffee shop near the harbor.
"It’s over, Claire," Rachel said, placing the certified copy of the final decree on the table. "You are completely free. He can never touch your finances, he can never make decisions for Ethan, and he is going to serve significant prison time."
I picked up the document, running my thumb over the official raised seal of the court. "How much time is he looking at?"
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"The prosecutor is offering a plea bargain," Rachel replied. "Five years for Mark in state prison, three years for Diane. If they don't take it, they face up to fifteen at trial. They will take the plea."
I looked out the window at the harbor. The sun was breaking through the morning clouds, reflecting brightly off the water. For the first time in three years, I felt like I could take a full, deep breath.
