Not life.
Not twenty years.
A real consequence.
The judge also ordered him to stay away from me under the applicable protective conditions.
Natalie’s case ended separately.
Probation.
Loss of her notary commission.
Community service.
A fine.
Her attorney later sent a letter asking whether I would accept an apology.
I said yes to the letter.
Not a meeting.
Natalie wrote:
I told myself I was helping a sick family member by making paperwork easier. I knew you were supposed to be present. I chose Daniel’s urgency over your rights.
That sentence mattered.
Not because I forgave her.
Because she named the thing.
Daniel’s mother, Patricia, never faced criminal charges.
She had believed much of what he told her.
But she had also helped him pressure me about money after my diagnosis.
When she learned about the forged document, she stopped speaking to him for nearly a year.
