“Don’t go to your husband’s funeral. Check your sister’s house…” That’s the letter I got on the day we were burying my husband. I thought it was some sick joke, but I decided to stop by my sister’s place anyway—I had a key. And when I opened the door, I was stunned by what I saw…

Some people supported me, saying I was doing the right thing, that I was brave for fighting for justice, and that men like Patrick deserved to be punished. Others judged me. They whispered that I was being too harsh, that I should have forgiven and moved on, that family matters shouldn’t be made public.

But I didn’t care. I was done listening to other people’s opinions. A month later, the divorce trial began.

Patrick was brought in from prison in handcuffs. He looked even worse, thinner, older, with hollow eyes. His lawyer tried to argue that Patrick was remorseful, that he was willing to pay damages and was asking for forgiveness.

But my lawyer didn’t hold back. She presented all the evidence, recordings, documents, witness testimonies. The trial lasted three hours.

In the end, the judge delivered the verdict, the marriage was dissolved, Patrick’s guilt was proven, and emotional damages were to be compensated. Patrick sat with his head down. As they led him away, he looked at me and mouthed something.

I didn’t catch what it was, and I didn’t care. After the divorce, I filed another lawsuit, this time against Brenda, for defamation, for participating in fraud, and for emotional damages. My lawyer warned me it would be tougher.

Brenda was still in the hospital and had been declared legally unfit at the time of the crimes. But I insisted. I wanted everyone involved in the scheme to be held accountable.

Meanwhile, more of Patrick’s victims began to come forward. Women who had seen our story in the news and recognized the same pattern. Sandra organized a support group.

We met once a week, shared our stories, and supported each other. Five more women joined us. Each had a similar story, deceit, manipulation, financial loss.

One woman, Tanya, lost her apartment. Patrick convinced her to take out a loan against her property, then disappeared with the money. Another, Olivia, lost her business.

Patrick became her partner, gained access to her accounts, and drained them. Every story was painful, but together, we felt stronger. Two months later, we were contacted by a team of journalists from a popular TV channel.

They were working on a documentary about con artists and romantic scams. The director invited us to participate, saying our story could help other women avoid the same traps. We agreed.

Filming lasted a week. Each of us shared our story, showed documents, and explained how the fraud worked. I was the main character in the documentary.

I talked about the fake death, the psychological torture, and how I managed to expose Patrick. The filming was emotionally exhausting. We had to relive every moment, remember painful details.

But I knew it mattered. People needed to understand what men like this were capable of. The film aired a month later.

It was called Dead Husbands and Living Money. Millions of people watched it. After the broadcast, 10 more women reached out to me.

All had similar stories. Patrick had operated across the country. He had an entire network.

The investigation expanded. New charges were brought against Patrick, large-scale fraud, and the formation of a criminal organization. His lawyer proposed a deal, Patrick would plead guilty and name his accomplices in exchange for a reduced sentence.

The investigator asked what I thought. I made it clear, no deals. He should face the full consequences.

I needed him to get maximum sentence, so others would see that crimes like his don’t go unpunished. At the same time, the trial against Brenda continued. She had been released from the hospital but was declared partially mentally incompetent.

Her lawyer asked for leniency, claiming she had been under Patrick’s influence, that she too was one of his victims. But I didn’t feel sorry for her. Brenda knew exactly what she was doing.

She willingly helped destroy my life. The court found Brenda guilty of defamation and emotional harm. She was ordered to pay $500,000 in compensation, to be paid in installments over five years.

Brenda sat in the courtroom pale and silent. When the verdict was announced, she didn’t show a single emotion. After the hearing, she walked up to me, tried to say something, but I turned away and left.

There was nothing left to say. Six months later, Patrick’s main trial began. By that time, the investigation had put together a massive case, thousands of pages of documents, dozens of witnesses.

Patrick was charged with fraud totaling over $10 million. There were 23 victims listed in the case. The trial was public…