Chapter 5 - The Deposition Trap
We filed for emergency full separation, severe alimony, and a civil suit for battery. The deposition was held at a neutral law office in downtown San Diego.
Julian walked in flanked by three $1,000-an-hour lawyers. He wore a crisp suit and an arrogant smirk. Eleanor and Preston sat in the gallery, exuding untouchable confidence.
They expected Chloe to cower. They expected me to rage.
Instead, Chloe sat with perfect, military-straight posture.
Julian’s lead attorney started aggressively. "Mrs. Sterling, isn't it true you've been under psychiatric care? Isn't it true you fabricated this assault to secure a larger divorce settlement?"
"Objection. Relevance," my lawyer, Sarah, said dryly.
"I'll answer," Chloe said, staring dead into Julian's eyes. "I have never been under psychiatric care. But I did fabricate something. I fabricated a happy marriage to hide the fact that my husband is a coward who hits women because he is terrified of his older brother."
Preston stiffened in the gallery. Julian’s face flushed dark red.
"Watch your mouth," Julian hissed, forgetting the court reporter.
Sarah smiled. "Let the record show the respondent is threatening the petitioner. Mr. Sterling, let's talk about the pool house. Did you lock your wife inside because she accidentally discovered the discrepancies in the Sterling Real Estate Q3 acquisitions?"
The room went dead silent.
Julian’s arrogant smirk vanished. Eleanor gripped her designer purse so hard her knuckles turned white.
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"We are invoking the Fifth Amendment," Julian’s lawyer barked immediately, looking panicked.
They thought we were just aiming for money. They just realized we were aiming for their freedom. And while they were sweating in that deposition room, completely distracted by the bomb we just dropped, my FBI contacts were executing a quiet, surgical strike.
