The head of the military tribunal, a stern-faced general, banged his gavel.

“You are sentenced to dishonorable discharge and life imprisonment at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth.”

Hayes did not look back as the guards escorted him out of the courtroom.

I let out a breath I felt like I had been holding for months.

“He’s gone,” Madison whispered.

“He is,” I said, squeezing her hand. “He can’t hurt anyone else.”

We walked out of the courtroom into the bright afternoon sunlight.

My mother, Carolyn, was waiting for us near the stone pillars of the courthouse.

She looked pale, her eyes red from days of crying, but she managed a weak smile when she saw us.

“Is it over?” she asked.

“For Hayes, yes,” I said.

“And your father?” she asked, her voice cracking.

“His trial starts tomorrow in federal court,” I said. “He’s pleading guilty.”

Carolyn looked down at her wedding ring, then slowly slipped it off her finger.

She dropped it into her purse.

“He built our whole life on lies,” she said softly. “The house, the money, everything.”