Chapter 17: The Severance
Six months after the trial, Clara found herself sitting in another sterile room. This one, however, was located inside the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc.
The heavy metal door clanked open, and David shuffled in. He wore a standard-issue khaki uniform, his hair buzzed short, and his posture was completely defeated. He looked ten years older, the boyish charm that had once captivated Clara entirely eroded by the harsh reality of federal prison.
He sat down across from her at the aluminum table, his eyes locked on the floor.
"Hello, David," Clara said quietly.
"Clara," he whispered, his voice hoarse. He finally looked up, his eyes swimming with tears. "I didn't think you would actually come."
"I came because my lawyers are tired of dealing with your public defender," Clara replied, sliding a thick manila envelope across the table. "These are the final divorce decrees. You need to sign them in front of the warden's notary."
David stared at the envelope as if it were a physical weight. "I don't want anything. The money, the house... I know I forfeited all of it. I just... Clara, I am so deeply sorry."
Clara looked at him, searching her own heart for any lingering trace of the love she had once felt. She found nothing but a profound, quiet pity.
"I know you are," Clara said softly. "But being sorry doesn't fix cut brake lines, David. It doesn't erase what you allowed your mother to do. You were an adult. You made your choices."
"I was terrified of her," David choked out, a tear spilling down his cheek. "I always was."
"I know. And that is exactly why I can't forgive you," Clara stated, her voice devoid of anger, simply stating a tragic fact. "Because when it mattered most, you chose your fear over my life."
David bowed his head, weeping silently into his hands. He knew she was right.
May you like
Clara stood up, smoothing the front of her coat. "Sign the papers, David. Serve your time. Try to become a man who isn't afraid of shadows when you get out. But this is the last time you will ever see me."
She didn't wait for him to reply. Clara turned and walked out of the visitation room, leaving the heavy steel door to slam shut behind her, severing the final, toxic thread that tied her to the Vance family.
