Chapter 12 - MY TESTIMONY
I took the stand on the sixth day.
The scar from the cesarean section remained beneath my dress.
The smaller scar along my scalp had faded.
The memories had not.
The prosecutor asked me to describe the trust.
“It was created for Anna and James.”
“How much did it contain?”
“One hundred fifty thousand dollars.”
“Where did the money come from?”
“My grandmother’s inheritance and savings Daniel and I set aside.”
“Did Vanessa contribute?”
“No.”
“Did Patricia?”
“No.”
“Did either woman have authority over the account?”
“No.”
“Did you give Vanessa the transfer code?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because it was not her money.”
The answer was simple.
The entire conspiracy had depended on making ownership sound selfish.
Patricia’s attorney approached.
“Mrs. Mercer, you disliked your mother-in-law before the incident.”
“I distrusted her.”
“You maintained separate finances from your husband.”
“Yes.”
“You installed security cameras.”
“Yes.”
“You collected company records.”
“Yes.”
“Would you agree that behavior was secretive?”
“No.”
“I would agree it was protective.”
He displayed the card opened in my name.
“You believed someone inside the Mercer family was stealing your identity?”
“I had evidence.”
“Did that make you hostile toward Vanessa?”
“It made me unwilling to give her access.”
He shifted direction.
“Did you scratch Vanessa?”
“Yes.”
A whisper moved through the courtroom.
“When?”
“While she was dragging me by the hair.”
“So you did attack her.”
“I defended myself after she punched me.”
The attorney showed a photograph of Vanessa’s wrist.
“Those marks are visible.”
“So is the hallway video.”
He returned to his table.
The footage had prevented him from turning a defensive movement into the beginning of the story.
Patricia’s attorney stood next.
“Mrs. Mercer, your husband is now controlling Mercer Global Engineering.”
“He returned after the audit cleared him.”
“You benefited when Patricia lost authority.”
“I spent three weeks sleeping beside two incubators.”
“That was not a benefit.”
He frowned.
“Did you encourage Daniel to remove his mother?”
“I encouraged him to protect our children.”
“Would you describe yourself as influential in his decisions?”
“I would describe myself as his wife.”
The attorney looked toward the jury.
“You now live in a home purchased after Patricia’s removal.”
“Our old home became a crime scene.”
“We sold it.”
“Did company funds purchase the new property?”
“No.”
“My income and Daniel’s verified salary did.”
“Separate accounts?”
“Yes.”
He almost smiled.
“You still do not trust him completely.”
I looked toward Daniel.
Trust was not the absence of safeguards.
That was another lesson Patricia’s family had confused.
“I trust Daniel enough to build a life where neither of us controls the other through money.”
May you like
The attorney sat down.
No further questions.
