Every time my brother-in-law drove me home, I would lose consciousness and wake up with unexplained aches and pains. My husband would only laugh and say, “You’re just out of shape, that’s all.” After the fourth ride, I secretly slipped a voice recorder into my purse and said nothing. That night, I listened to a phone conversation between the two of them that revealed my blackouts had never been accidental.

Other defendants faced their own outcomes.

I won’t pretend that any number of years could restore the hours taken from me.

Accountability mattered, but recovery had already begun outside that courtroom, in doctor’s offices and ordinary kitchens, on train rides and walks beside a lake.

The divorce was finalized later.

The order addressed the property and financial issues developed through the civil process.

My grandmother’s inheritance remained separate according to the governing documents and the court’s rulings.

I left the proceedings with more paperwork than possessions and felt lighter than I had in years.