“According to Ms. Thorne’s sworn affidavit,” the judge continued, “Mr. Sterling assumed she was a senile old woman. He attempted to bury fraudulent clauses in the contract to siphon millions from her trust. When Ms. Thorne discovered the scam, she didn’t just reject the deal. She decided to audit his entire existence.”
I pressed my hand to my mouth. Emma looked up at me, sensing the shift in the air.
“Ms. Thorne realized that the man trying to defraud her was the same man married to the terrified woman she knew from the greenhouse,” the judge read. “I quote directly from her letter: ‘Richard, you thought you could uproot Sarah’s confidence entirely. You thought you could treat her like dirt. But you didn’t know that women like us know exactly how to resurrect from the most barren soil.’”
Tears pricked my eyes. Margaret had known. She had seen right through the facade.
“Your Honor, this is an outrageous character assassination!” Mr. Vance shouted. “A dead woman’s vendetta is hearsay. There is no proof of any misconduct!”
The judge slowly reached back into the wooden seed box.
She didn’t pull out a document. She pulled out a small, silver USB drive.
“Ms. Thorne anticipated your objection, Counselor,” the judge said softly. “She knew a man like your client would lie under oath. So, she didn’t just hire a private investigator. She used her vast resources to buy someone on the inside.”
Richard’s head snapped up.
“She bought your client’s executive assistant,” the judge announced. “And he provided this.”
She handed the USB drive to the court clerk. “Play it.”
The clerk plugged the drive into the court’s presentation system. A large monitor flared to life on the wall beside the jury box.
The video was taken from a hidden camera, likely a pen or a button on a shirt, placed directly across from Richard’s massive mahogany desk at his downtown firm.
Richard was on screen, leaning back in his leather chair, swirling a glass of expensive bourbon. His executive assistant’s voice could be heard off-camera.
