As the trial went on, Adrian expected taking responsibility to feel like a punishment. Instead, it felt like finally opening a door he had been avoiding. The first time he told a victim, “I am sorry I brought you into this,” without making excuses, the tone of the conversation changed. It wasn’t forgiveness, but it was a start.
He wrote apology letters to everyone he had recommended this scheme to, even those who refused to answer him. He listed his exact failures: not checking Victor’s license, failing to demand independent audits, ignoring suspicious returns, mixing friendship with business, and accepting referral fees. The list was painful to read.
However, writing it down cleared the fog. Mei read one of the letters. She didn’t praise him, but she put it down and said, “This sounds honest.” Adrian began studying personal finance with absolute humility. He read about financial scams, psychology, and greed. The lessons weren’t complicated, which made them harder to swallow. He hadn’t fallen for it because he was stupid; he fell for it because he was human.