I'm dedicating my next few blogs to the brave women in my group, The Secret Lives of White Collar Wives, who have volunteered to write short essays recollecting their first horrific encounters with the long arm of the law. I want to thank them for their candor and their contribution. But mostly I want to thank them for just getting out of bed in the morning and caring for themselves, their children and in many cases, their incarcerated husbands. I hope these glimpses into the lives of white collar wives will paint a broader picture of the women and children who are the primary victims of white collar crime.
THEY TOOK EVERYTHING IN THE HOUSE, INCLUDING MY HUSBAND!
Elizabeth's Story:
How do I even start this? I remember that day like a bad dream. It is
locked into my memory as well as my kids and my husband's. It was the day
it all started. I just dropped my older kids off at school when i got
pulled over..I thought for no seat belt! The man asked me where my
husband was and if he had a gun. No why? He is asleep..do u need my
license and registration? "NO. Get out of this car and into ours..its
safe to go back home we will drive you" What?? We pulled in and my two
babies were in the play room, there were range rovers everywhere, my
husband in his pajamas in handcuffs at the dining room table. Whats
happening?? He said, "Just call the lawyer it will be okay". Furniture , kids
clothes, their beds, my ring, my daughters piano, my car..everything
being loaded up on moving trucks..it's freezing
rain ..i have to walk with my babies in their stroller almost 2 miles
to school...to pick up the older kids...where's the car mom? It's so cold
it's sleeting. The teachers asked if I was okay and I smile yes I'm fine thank
you...as I lie...all those people in my house no one could give me a
ride to pick up my kids?? I ask to go to their rooms to get them dry
clothes and let them use the bathroom...an agent follows them to the
bathroom to watch them go...as if my kids were hiding something? My kids
still have nightmares about that. The police arrived at our house at 7am and left my home at 11pm and
took everything inside of it, including my husband. Fast forward, the
night before he had to leave he sat the kids down and told them he
loved them, that he won't be home for many years and would do anything
to be able to stay with them and tuck them in every night as always. We
all cried til we all fell asleep in our bed. At 5:30 am we get in the car
and drive 7 hrs to NJ, Fort Dix,
my oldest son at that time in 1st grade cried so hard he couldn't go to
school...on the drive home it rained so hard it took me over 9 hrs to get
home. I died that day. I tucked my kids in, covered them up, kissed them all and climbed into bed alone for the first
time in 18 years. I fell asleep on his side of the bed and didn't get
up for 2 days..and so my new life alone began..
