Andrew Vance stood up.
— “One more piece of evidence, Your Honor.”
He put photos on the screen. Photos from my childhood. Grandpa at my recitals. Grandma at my elementary school graduation. Me and Grandpa at my law school graduation. Every milestone documented.
— “Notice who is missing,” Vance said. “Diane and Steve Sterling. Not because they weren’t invited, but because they chose not to be there.”
Then the financial records. Every payment to Diane. Every excuse for why she needed more. Every promise to visit that she broke. The evidence was overwhelming.
Judge Miller studied it all carefully.
— “I’ve seen enough,” he finally said. “We will recess until tomorrow morning for closing arguments and my ruling.”
As we walked out, I felt lighter. I’d said everything I needed to. The truth was out. Now all that was left was to wait for justice.
Closing arguments were set for 9:00 AM. I barely slept, not from worry, but from anticipation. This was almost over. One way or another, tomorrow I’d know if Grandpa’s wishes would be honored or if my parents would succeed in rewriting history.
The courtroom was packed. Judge Miller took his seat right on time. Palmer stood up and made his final appeal. He talked about “blood being thicker than water,” about Diane being the daughter and deserving consideration, about me being “just a granddaughter,” as if love and loyalty counted for less because of a generational gap.
— “Judge Sterling was a man suffering from deep grief,” he argued. “He was vulnerable. The defendant took advantage. This will is not his will, but the result of her calculated campaign.”
He went on for twenty minutes. When he sat down, Andrew Vance stood up. He didn’t need theatrics.
— “Your Honor, this case is very simple. Judge Sterling was a brilliant legal mind who spent forty years making reasoned decisions. His will was no exception. He left his estate to the person who earned it. Not through manipulation, but through decades of consistent love and presence.”
Vance methodically went through the evidence. The records of Diane’s neglect. The financial statements. The testimony from Grandpa’s colleagues…
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