Chapter 6 - The Deposition
The boardroom on the forty-second floor of the downtown legal center was wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass, offering a sweeping view of the city skyline. But inside, the atmosphere was dense, cold, and suffocating.
Sitting on one side of the massive mahogany table was Eleanor, Marcus, and a newly hired high-stakes defense attorney named Richard Sterling—a man whose exorbitant fees were clearly burning through whatever cash Eleanor had left. Evelyn sat behind them, looking sullen and angry, endlessly tapping her designer fingernails against her armrest.
Sitting on our side was Arthur, Elena, and myself. I was wearing a tailored navy maternity suit, looking radiant, strong, and completely composed. My right leg was free of its boot, and my left was supported comfortably under the table.
A court reporter sat at the end of the table, her fingers poised over the stenography machine.
"We are on the record," Arthur announced, his deep voice filling the room. "This is the deposition of Eleanor Vance regarding the civil suit of Clara Vance v. Eleanor Vance, Marcus Vance, et al. for Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Unlawful Restraint, Corporate Fraud, and Battery."
Sterling, the defense attorney, leaned forward. "Arthur, let's be civil here. We are all aware that family matters can get... heated. My clients are prepared to offer a revised settlement of seven point five million dollars—"
"There will be no settlement negotiations today, Mr. Sterling," Arthur interrupted smoothly. "We are here to record swort testimony."
Arthur turned his sharp gaze toward Eleanor, who sat rigid, her eyes burning with pure hatred.
"Mrs. Vance," Arthur began, pulling a sheaf of photos from his folder and sliding them across the shiny wood surface. "Do you recognize these photographs?"
Eleanor glanced down reluctantly. The photos were high-resolution close-ups taken by a party guest who had secretly documented the event—showing me kneeling on the hardwood floor, the crimson blood stain visibly dark against the white plaster of my cast, while Eleanor smiled in the background, holding a glass of champagne.
Eleanor’s lips tightened into a razor-thin line. "They are misleading photographs taken out of context."
"In what context," Arthur asked, leaning forward, "is it acceptable to force a six-month pregnant woman with two broken legs to remain on her knees on a hard floor for three hours?"
"She wasn't forced!" Marcus interjected loudly, sweating profusely under his stiff collar. "She chose to be down there! I told everyone—"
"You told everyone she was 'apologizing,'" Arthur cut in, his eyes snapping to Marcus like a predator locking onto prey. "Marcus, under oath, did you or did you not personally pull the support cushions out from under your pregnant wife's knees?"
Marcus opened his mouth to speak, glanced wildly at his mother, then at his lawyer, who shook his head slightly.
"I... I don't recall," Marcus stuttered.
"You don't recall?" Arthur pressed, his voice like thunder. "Let me refresh your memory. We have video footage recorded from the home security system that you forgot to wipe."
Arthur clicked a remote, and the giant monitor on the wall came to life.
The high-definition video played clearly: Marcus walking over to me, snatching the velvet pillows away with a smirk, throwing them onto a sofa, and stepping back while I gasped in agony. The audio was crystal clear: “She wants to show her devotion to Evelyn's special day.”
Evelyn gasped. Eleanor turned deathly pale. Sterling buried his face in his hands, realizing his clients had lied to him about the existence of security footage.
"That video," Arthur said, turning back to Eleanor, "has already been turned over to the District Attorney's office. They are currently reviewing charges for third-degree assault and endangerment of a pregnant person."
Eleanor slammed her hands onto the table, standing up so fast her leather chair rolled back into the wall. "This is a setup! You dragged us into this room to humiliate us!"
"No, Eleanor," I spoke up, my voice calm, steady, and utterly dominant. Everyone in the room turned to look at me. "You brought yourselves into this room through your own greed, cruelty, and arrogance. You thought because I was young, quiet, and isolated that I would let you crush me. You thought I would sacrifice my child's future just to keep your peace."
I stood up slowly, supported by Arthur’s reassuring hand on my elbow, and looked down at Eleanor across the table—reversing the dynamic that had defined our relationship for three long years.
"You have destroyed your own family," I said, looking from Eleanor to Marcus, and finally to Evelyn. "And now, the law is going to take away everything you used to hurt people."
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Sterling leaned over and whispered frantically into Eleanor’s ear. Eleanor’s chest rose and fell in rapid, terrified gasps as she realized the full weight of the trap that had snapped shut around her.
"Meeting adjourned," Arthur announced coldly. "We will see you in criminal court."
