Skylar listened to the recording in Sandra’s office, her hands turning ice cold. She didn’t cry—she’d already cried for love, for shame, for fear. This time, what she felt was something harder: a stark, unshakeable clarity.

“They knew exactly what they were doing to me,” she said quietly.

Sandra nodded.

“Yes, Skylar,” she said. “And that changes everything for the criminal case.”

The assault investigation continued, but now heavy charges of fraud, identity theft, extortion, and data misuse were officially added to the file. Derek lost his corporate job before the final sentencing.

It wasn’t because Skylar called his company, as he later claimed to his family to play the victim. It was because he’d requested falsified medical leave, kept arriving late to important meetings, and had a key client discover his name attached to a major criminal case.