Chapter 27 – The Fall of Susanna Bredford

The cold clang of metal echoed through the narrow hallway as Susanna Bredford was led back to her cell. The grey walls of Silvercity Women's Correctional Facility had long stripped her of the glamour she once wore like a second skin. Her once-glossy hair hung in a lifeless ponytail, her eyes no longer sparkled with manipulation, but with simmering resentment.

She had been there for months now. Alone. Forgotten.

Her trial had made headlines—"Socialite Mistress Found Guilty in Medical Fraud Scandal," the tabloids screamed. But it wasn't just about the fake accident. The forged diagnosis, the manipulated test results, the bribed doctor—all exposed. The heart transplant had been orchestrated, and Mary's death sealed with Susanna's selfishness.

Her fall was sharp and public.

And James? He had testified against her. Coldly. Formally.

He hadn't come to visit once since the sentencing.

Neither had anyone else.

Today, she sat on the edge of her cot, staring at the cracks on the wall. She replayed her rise and fall over and over in her head. From being James Green's untouchable lover to being a disgraced prisoner. She had gambled everything, and she had lost.

She reached under her pillow, pulling out a faded picture—an old tabloid snapshot of her and James. Her fingers trembled as she tore it in half, then into quarters. There was nothing left to hold onto.

No fortune. No man. No legacy.

Far away, in a quiet home filled with warmth, laughter, and the scent of fresh bread, George was building a life. Surrounded by love. Healing. Learning.

And Mariana, watching from a distance, whispered softly into the wind:

"Justice, at last."