Chapter 10
The criminal trial began in January.
It was even bigger than the civil trial.
National media showed up.
Court TV covered it gavel to gavel.
The public was fascinated.
A family that had turned on one of their own in the most brutal way imaginable.
It was the kind of story that people couldn't look away from.
I was the first witness for the prosecution.
Sandra Torres, the DA, led me through my testimony.
I told the same story I had told in the civil trial.
About growing up.
About the favoritism.
About the day of the attack.
But this time, the stakes were higher.
This time, their freedom was on the line.
Harold Whitmore, who was now representing Megan again (she had fired her public defender), cross-examined me.
He tried to paint me as a manipulative, vengeful woman who had orchestrated everything to destroy her family.
"Mrs. Parker," he said, "you're a very successful lawyer, aren't you? You make your living by destroying people in court, isn't that right?"
"I make my living by advocating for my clients," I said calmly.
"And you've been planning this lawsuit against your family for years, haven't you? You've always resented your sister. Always wanted what she had."
"What does my sister have that I could possibly want?" I asked. "Unemployment? A criminal record? A history of violence?"
The courtroom erupted in laughter.
The judge banged her gavel.
Whitmore tried again.
"You recorded that conversation, didn't you? On purpose. Because you knew something would happen. Because you were looking for a reason to destroy them."
"I recorded that conversation because I hoped to capture a happy moment," I said. "I hoped to capture my parents being happy about becoming grandparents. I hoped to capture my sister being excited about becoming an aunt. I had no idea I would be capturing a murder and a cover-up."
My voice didn't waver.
My eyes didn't leave his.
I had been cross-examined by the best lawyers in the country.
Harold Whitmore was nothing.
He had nothing.
No facts.
No evidence.
Just desperation.
He sat down, defeated.
The prosecution called witness after witness.
Officer Brooks.
Carter the forensic tech.
Daniel Kim.
Robert Henderson.
Dr. Reynolds.
Nathan.
Each witness built the case higher.
Stronger.
Irrefutable.
Then Sandra Torres dropped a bombshell.
"Your Honor, the prosecution calls Special Agent Carter with the Internal Revenue Service."
George's head snapped up.
An IRS agent took the stand.
He testified about the anonymous tip they had received.
About the investigation that followed.
About the hundreds of thousands of dollars George had stolen from his clients and hidden from the government.
George was facing additional federal charges.
Tax fraud.
Wire fraud.
Money laundering.
He looked like he was going to have a heart attack right there in the courtroom.
The defense barely put up a fight.
Patricia's new lawyer called a few character witnesses.
Old friends who said what a good mother she had been.
But their testimony fell flat.
Everyone knew the truth now.
Megan didn't testify in her own defense.
Her lawyer argued that she was mentally ill.
That she couldn't be held fully responsible for her actions.
But the jury didn't buy it.
Megan's cold confession from the deposition was played for them.
The part where she said she had intended to kill the baby.
The part where she said she was glad she had done it.
No one could look at that and see mental illness.
They saw pure evil.
The jury deliberated for four hours.
They came back with their verdicts.
Megan Collins: Guilty of first-degree murder of an unborn child. Guilty of assault. Guilty of conspiracy. Guilty of perjury.
George Collins: Guilty of conspiracy. Guilty of obstruction of justice. Guilty of perjury. Guilty of being an accessory after the fact.
Patricia Collins: Guilty of conspiracy. Guilty of obstruction of justice. Guilty of perjury. Guilty of being an accessory after the fact.
The courtroom erupted.
Patricia started sobbing.
George stared straight ahead, his face gray.
Megan just looked at me.
That same cold smile on her face.
But it didn't bother me anymore.
She had lost.
Completely.
Totally.
The sentencing hearing was held a month later.
I was given the opportunity to speak.
I stood up and faced them.
All three of them.
The people who were supposed to be my family.
"For most of my life," I said, "I wanted one thing from you. I wanted to be loved. I wanted to be accepted. I wanted to be your daughter and your sister. But you never gave me that. You gave me cruelty. You gave me neglect. You gave me betrayal. And then you gave me the worst thing of all. You killed my baby."
My voice was steady.
Strong.
"You thought you could get away with it. You thought you could lie and manipulate and pay people off, just like you always had. But you were wrong. Because this time, you pushed the wrong person. This time, you pushed someone who knew how to fight back."
I looked at Megan.
"You wanted to break me. You wanted to take something from me that would hurt forever. And you did. I will grieve my baby for the rest of my life. But you didn't break me. You made me stronger. And now you're going to spend the rest of your lives in prison, thinking about what you did."
I looked at George and Patricia.
"You chose her over me. Over your own grandchild. And look where it got you. Penniless. Disgraced. Imprisoned. I hope it was worth it."
I sat down.
The judge spoke next.
She was harsh.
Condemning.
"Megan Collins, you committed an act of almost unspeakable cruelty. You killed an innocent, unborn child simply to hurt your sister. You showed no remorse then, and you show no remorse now. I am sentencing you to life in prison without the possibility of parole."
Megan didn't react.
She just stared at the table in front of her.
"George Collins," the judge said, "you were the head of this family. You were supposed to protect your children. Instead, you enabled a violent sociopath. You covered up her crimes. You tried to frame an innocent man. And you stole from your clients and your government for years. I am sentencing you to twenty-five years in federal prison."
George hung his head.
"Patricia Collins," the judge said, "you were the mother. You were supposed to love both your daughters equally. Instead, you played favorites. You ignored the warning signs. You helped cover up a murder. And you showed more concern for your favorite daughter's reputation than for your other daughter's life and your grandchild's life. I am sentencing you to fifteen years in prison."
Patricia started screaming.
"This isn't fair! She's always been the problem! Emily destroyed this family! She's the monster!"
The bailiffs dragged her out, still screaming.
George followed, head down.
Megan went last.
As they led her past me, she stopped.
She looked at me.
And she whispered something so only I could hear.
"I won."
I looked at her.
Really looked at her.
At the woman who would spend the rest of her life in a cage.
At the woman who had nothing.
No family.
No freedom.
No future.
"No, Megan," I whispered back. "You didn't."
She was led away.
The doors closed behind her.
And it was over.
Finally.
May you like
Completely.
Over.
