Chapter 9 - The Deposition
Three weeks later.
The conference room on the 22nd floor of Vance & Associates smelled like polished mahogany and fresh coffee. Panoramic windows offered a sweeping view of the city skyline, but inside, the atmosphere was thick with tension.
Today was the formal deposition before the trial.
I sat beside Eleanor Vance at one side of the long glass table. Across from us sat Robert and his high-powered lead attorney, Richard Vance—a sharp, aggressive man in a thousand-dollar suit who was known for tearing stay-at-home mothers to pieces in divorce proceedings.
"Let the record reflect," Richard began, adjusting his gold cufflinks and looking down his nose at us, "that we are gathered here to negotiate a voluntary global settlement regarding the dissolution of marriage between Sarah Thorne and Robert Thorne."
Richard tapped his pen on a thick financial dossier.
"My client, Mr. Thorne, is willing to offer a generous lump-sum settlement of fifty thousand dollars and waive his right to sue for defamation regarding the baseless CPS allegations," Richard declared smoothly. "In exchange, Mrs. Thorne will surrender all claims to the marital home, Mr. Thorne’s partnership equity, and waive all future spousal support."
Fifty thousand dollars. In a marriage with over two million dollars in net worth and a fully paid-off four-bedroom house. It was an insulting, laughable pittance designed to bully me into submission.
Robert leaned back in his leather chair, a smug, triumphant smirk playing on his lips. He thought he had trapped us.
Eleanor didn't even look at Richard’s financial dossier. She simply reached into her briefcase and pulled out a sleek, black USB drive, placing it gently on the center of the glass table.
"That's very cute, Richard," Eleanor said, her voice dripping with cool sarcasm. "Now let me tell you what we are offering."
Richard frowned. "What is that?"
"That USB drive contains three things," Eleanor explained, tapping the drive with her manicured fingernail.
"First, a certified transcript of the audio recording from Room 412 at Riverside Medical Center, where Mr. Thorne explicitly refused to authorize emergency care for a child with internal hemorrhaging because he 'didn't want to waste money on a false alarm.'"
Robert’s smirk instantly vanished. His posture went rigid.
"Second," Eleanor continued, leaning forward, "a copy of the final CPS investigation report, which has officially substantiated the finding of Severe Medical Neglect against Mr. Thorne and recommended a permanent injunction prohibiting him from unsupervised contact with a minor."
Richard turned his head sharply to look at Robert, his eyebrows drawn together in shock. "Robert... you told me the CPS investigation was dismissed!"
Robert opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
"And third," Eleanor added, delivering the knockout blow, "a full audit of Mr. Thorne’s offshore investment accounts in the Cayman Islands—which he illegally transferred marital funds into over the past four years to hide them from tax authorities and his wife."
The room went dead, terrifyingly silent.
Richard dropped his gold pen onto the table. It made a loud clack against the glass. He turned to Robert, his face pale with fury. "Is this true? Did you hide assets in offshore accounts without disclosing them to me?"
"I... Richard, listen to me—" Robert stammered, sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"If this goes to Judge Miller tomorrow morning," Eleanor said, her voice cutting through Robert’s panicked stutter like a guillotine, "not only will the court award my client eighty percent of the entire marital estate due to fraudulent concealment, but Mr. Thorne will also be indicted for federal tax evasion and perjury."
Eleanor slid a fresh five-page document across the table.
"Here are our terms," Eleanor said calmly. "First: Full transfer of the title to the Sycamore Drive house to Sarah Thorne. Second: Fifty percent of all retirement accounts and liquid assets, plus monthly spousal support for seven years. Third: Full legal and physical custody of Maya, with zero visitation rights for Mr. Thorne until Maya turns eighteen and chooses whether or not she wants to see him."
She handed Richard a pen.
"You have five minutes to sign, or we walk into the courtroom and ruin your client's life forever."
Robert stared at the document, his hand trembling uncontrollably. The polished, powerful corporate man had been completely stripped bare. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of terror, disbelief, and utter defeat.
"Sarah..." he choked out, his voice cracking. "Please... don't do this to me. You're going to destroy me."
May you like
I looked at the man who had let our daughter suffer in agony while he protected his money. I looked at the man who had tried to throw us out onto the street.
"You destroyed yourself, Robert," I said softly. "Sign the paper."
