Helen walked me through it at her conference table.
“A private agreement can’t make a criminal investigation go away,” she said. “They know that. You
can’t sign away a crime. But some of the terms in here could seriously weaken your civil case. Your claim to the house. Your claim to the company.” She folded her hands. “I can look at possible counter-terms if you want. Negotiate something better.”
“What do you think I should do?”
“I think it’s not my decision,” Helen said. “What do you want to do, Rebecca?”
I looked at that piece of paper for a long time.
One hundred and thirty thousand dollars.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. That money could have bought me a small apartment. A used car. Enough to start something small. A little consulting business. A cleaning company. Anything.
After four years in a cell, the idea of just walking away and having a quiet life was so appealing it
