The visiting room of the county jail was cold and quiet, separated by a heavy pane of clear glass.
Ryan sat down on the stool, wearing his neat dress uniform, his posture straight as the guard led Victoria into the room.
Victoria wore an orange jumpsuit, her hair unstyled and her face pale without her usual heavy makeup.
She picked up the plastic telephone receiver with shaking hands, her glare still full of bitter hatred.
Victoria: Did you come here to gloat, Ryan?
Ryan: I came to give you a message from my family, Victoria.
Victoria: Your family stole everything that belonged to me!
Ryan: My father never loved you, Victoria. He knew you were using him for his money from day one.
Victoria: He was a fool! And so are you for staying with that orphan girl!
Ryan: That orphan girl has more honor and strength in her pinky finger than you have in your entire body.
Victoria: She took my company! She took my home!
Ryan: You lost your home because you broke the law. You lost the company because you're a thief.
Victoria pressed her hand against the glass, her voice rising to a shrill screech.
Victoria: I am going to appeal this! I have lawyers who will tear your father's will to pieces!
Ryan: Your lawyers dropped you this morning, Victoria. Nobody works for free, and your accounts are completely empty.
Victoria froze, her hand dropping slowly from the glass partition as reality finally settled into her mind.
Victoria: Empty...? My personal savings account?
Ryan: Seized by the federal trustee to pay back the estate funds you embezzled.
Victoria: Ryan, please... you can't leave me in here! I am an old woman!
Ryan: You didn't care about Maya when she was kneeling on the floor crying in pain.
Victoria: I was angry! I didn't mean to hurt her!
Ryan: You grabbed my pregnant wife by her hair. You kicked her toward the floor. You showed zero mercy.
Victoria: Ryan! Please, talk to the judge! Tell them it was a family misunderstanding!
Ryan: There is no misunderstanding, Victoria. You are getting exactly what you deserve.
Ryan stood up from the stool, adjusting his military coat as he hung the telephone receiver back on the metal hook.
Victoria: Ryan! Don't walk away from me! RYAN!
Ryan turned his back on the screaming woman, walking calmly out through the heavy steel security door into the hallway without looking back once.