— “As an adult, I realized they weren’t interested. They only called when they needed money. They only showed up when it was convenient. I stopped chasing people who didn’t want to be caught.”
Palmer paced the floor.
— “You paint yourself as a devoted granddaughter. But isn’t it possible you isolated your grandfather from his daughter? Made yourself indispensable so he’d leave you his money?”
— “I didn’t have to isolate him. They isolated themselves. My grandfather made his own decisions based on who was actually there for him.”
— “You were ambitious. You went to law school, became a prosecutor. All with his help, his connections. Didn’t you use him to further your career?”
I kept my face neutral despite the anger bubbling inside.
— “My grandfather was my mentor because he wanted to be. Because he was proud of me. Because watching me succeed brought him joy. That’s not manipulation. That’s family.”
Palmer tried several angles. He suggested I turned Grandpa against Diane. That I intentionally kept her away. That I convinced him to write her out. I shut down every attempt with calm, factual answers.
— “Isn’t it true you financially benefited from your relationship with him?” he tried.
— “In what way?”
— “He paid for your education, your housing, everything.”
— “Yes, because I was his granddaughter and he wanted to. Just like he gave my mother nearly $400,000 over twenty years. The difference is, I was actually in his life. I didn’t just take his money. I gave him my time, my love, my company. What did she give him?”
— “Objection!” Palmer shouted.
— “Argumentative!” Judge Miller echoed.
But the point was made. Palmer tried to regain control.
— “Let’s talk about his final year. You visited him often. Some might say ‘too often’. Were you checking on his mental state, making sure he wouldn’t change the will?”
— “I visited him because I loved him. And he was alone. If I cared about the will, I would have asked about it. I never did. He made his decisions without any input from me.”
— “How convenient!” Palmer scoffed. “Ms. Sterling, isn’t it true you knew exactly what you stood to inherit? That you positioned yourself for this moment for years?”
I leaned forward slightly.
— “Mr. Palmer, I loved my grandfather for years. If my motivation was an inheritance, I would have wasted a lot of time. I could have been building my own wealth instead of having dinner with an old man every Sunday. But I chose him because he was worth more than any money. Something your clients never understood.”
Palmer’s face was flushed.
— “No further questions.”
I stepped down and returned to my seat. Andrew Vance leaned in.
— “You did great.”
I nodded, looking at my mother. She was crying real tears. Genuine regret or the realization she was losing? With Diane, it was hard to tell.
Judge Miller looked at both lawyers.
— “Anything else?”
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