Ruined (completed) ✔️

98

A couple of minutes later I'm still standing on the porch where Casey left me. I shake my head trying to clear my thoughts.

How could she do this to me? To the other victims of her fraud. We deserve retribution for the problems she's caused. She's not the only one that needs to have a fair trial. So, does Clara and Ronnie needs something to happen to him too. He was willing to lose everything for that whore.

The sound of tyres hitting the gravel makes me look up and I see Dean pull into the driveway. He climbs out of the car and heads towards me. "Hey, Austin. What's going on?"

Holding the envelope with money in it I say. "Casey returned this and said she was going to return the rest after she skipped town."

He shakes his head. "She can't do that. Was she with anyone? Who was she with? Did you know about the kids?"

"I couldn't stop her. She made up her mind and her sister was behind the decision to get her to run. The kids, Angela and her partner were there. I never met the kids when I went to the house. They must have been out of the house or hiding somewhere until I left. Casey never told me she had kids." I lead the way into the house. "Mom is in the living room. I'll go and get her. The dining room is through the wooden door at the end of the hall."

Dean walks down the hall and opens the door to the dining room, while I walk into the living and find Mom watching the news.

She looks at me as I walk through the door. "Who was at the door? It shouldn't have taken you that long to come inside."

Putting the envelope on the table I look at her and say. "Casey came by with money from the sale of my place and then she told me that I'd get the rest when she skips town."

"Do you think you're going to see the money? Do you trust her?"

"The only thing she's ever been good at is keeping her word. Her sister will be the one giving me back the money. I hate it that she's going to run away and not do the time for the crimes she's done." I start to move towards the dining room. "Dean's waiting for you, Mom."

She stands up and follows me into the dining room. Taking out her seat she sits down and looks towards Dean. "Thanks for re-doing that for us." Taking the papers from him she looks through them, before signing. "Everything looks good to me. My husband will look at it before signing it himself. We'll post it to you in a couple of days."

"There's no need to post it. I'll be staying in town for a few days."

Ding,

Dean's phone goes off and he looks at it. "I got the date for the court hearing and it's going ahead in two days. Also, Casey turned herself in and told the police she will be ready for the hearing."

Sitting in the chair I sigh with relief. "I'm glad she changed her mind about leaving."

"It's a good thing I'm here to help you with the case. I'll get the folders I have in the car and we can go through them together. Just to make sure that we have everything for it. Do you know if Ronnie is going to face trial?"

"He is for being an accomplice with what Casey was doing. Clara is facing a separate one for what she did to the law firm and me. Hers is an open and shut case and I don't think she'll have a trial because she pleads guilty." Standing up I move towards the door. "I'll be right back. I'm going to the bathroom." I head upstairs to the bathroom and use the toilet. Once I've finished I wash my hands and head back downstairs

Before I enter the kitchen I hear Mom's conversation with Dean. "When my son goes head to head with that woman can you make sure that he doesn't go easy on her? He's going to see her as the woman he was engaged to and not the one she is."