Chapter 12
Victor’s trial began in spring.
The prosecution charged him with manslaughter in Miguel’s death, fraud, obstruction, and reckless endangerment related to the fire.
Other executives faced charges too.
I testified for two days.
Victor stared at me with hatred.
“You’re betraying family,” he said during a recess.
I looked at him.
“No. I did that ten years ago. I’m correcting course.”
He laughed.
“You think Anna loves you now?”
“No.”
That silenced him.
“I think she is safe enough to hate me honestly.”
His smile faded.
“That is more than I gave her before.”
In court, I admitted my failures.
My distance.
My arrogance.
My blind trust in blood over truth.
Victor’s lawyer tried to blame me entirely.
The prosecutor did not object much.
Fair.
I deserved blame.
But emails showed Victor personally ordering reports destroyed.
Recordings showed him threatening supervisors.
A maintenance manager testified that Miguel had begged for shutdown approval.
Victor denied it.
Then Melissa produced the voicemail.
Miguel’s voice filled the courtroom.
“Mr. Coleman, if anyone hears this, tell Anna I tried.”
Anna broke down.
May you like
Elijah gripped my hand.
I held on like it was the only thing keeping me human.
