Chapter 14 - Shadows Behind Bars
Federal Correctional Institution, Butner.
The visiting room smelled of industrial disinfectant and stale floor wax. Through the heavy reinforced glass partition, Inmate 74219-083 sat waiting.
Derek didn't look like the polished executive who used to strut through the penthouse of The Pinnacle Towers. His orange jumpsuit hung loosely off his shoulders. His hair was unwashed, and the arrogant smirk that had defined his face was replaced by a hollow, frantic twitch in his left eye.
When he saw me walk up to the visitor's booth on the other side of the glass, he scrambled forward, slamming his palm against the transparent barrier.
He picked up the heavy plastic telephone receiver, his hand shaking, and I slowly picked up mine.
"You!" Derek snarled through the audio link, his voice high-pitched and vibrating with rage. "You did this! You planned this whole thing from the minute you walked into my condo!"
"Hello, Derek," I said calmly, resting my elbow on the counter.
"You ruined my life!" he screamed, drawing the attention of two nearby correctional officers who immediately placed their hands on their utility belts. Derek lowered his voice, his eyes bulging with psychotic hatred. "My parents lost everything because of you! I lost my career, my status, my freedom! I'm serving twelve years in this hellhole because an old woman wouldn't just stay quiet and cook!"
I looked at him—really looked at him—not with anger, but with profound pity.
"Derek, you served yourself to this prison on a silver platter," I said evenly. "You stole from your employer, you defrauded your clients, you abused your wife, and you assaulted a seventy-year-old woman who came into your home offering love and patience."
"I was going to be someone!" he whispered, tears of frustration spilling down his cheeks. "I was going to run that firm! I was going to be a titan!"
"A titan doesn't build his empire on stolen money and broken people," I answered. "You wanted power because you were terrified of being nothing. And now, you are exactly what you feared: entirely powerless."
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He slammed the receiver down onto its cradle, screaming curses that were muffled by the glass, before the guards grabbed his arms and dragged him backward out of the room.
I hung up my phone with a soft, deliberate click. I stood up, smoothed down my skirt, and walked out into the crisp North Carolina air.
