My father sneered at me as he stepped down. He thought I was freezing up. He thought I was cowed by his presence, by his suit, by his loud voice. He didn’t know I was just letting them enter their lies into the official court record. In a deposition, lies are problematic. In a trial, lies are a crime.
Sterling called a “medical expert”—a doctor who had never met Nana Rose but had reviewed her files “for a fee.” He claimed that based on her age, she must have been susceptible to influence.
“The defendant likely used emotional manipulation techniques,” the doctor speculated.
“No questions,” I said again.
By the time Sterling rested his case, the sun was high in the sky. The narrative they had built was comprehensive: I was a broke, manipulative, unemployed loser who had stolen a fortune from a confused old woman and her loving family.
“The Plaintiff rests,” Sterling announced, slamming a binder shut. “The evidence is clear, Your Honor. The defendant is unfit. The will is a product of fraud.”
Judge Halloway sighed and rubbed her temples. She looked at me with a mixture of pity and annoyance.
My father leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. He winked at my mother. It was over. They had won.
I stood up slowly. I picked up the single, thin manila folder from the table.
“I have no witnesses, Your Honor,” I said. “I have just one document.”
“One document?” Sterling laughed out loud. “Is it a letter of apology?”
“No,” I said. “It is my personnel file.”
