— “He offered!”
— “He offered after you asked!” Vance cut him off. “And he gave you the money despite the fact that he could barely stand you. Why? Because he loved his daughter and wanted to help her. Even when she married a man he didn’t respect. Even when that man never showed up for his granddaughter. And now you claim you deserve more.”
Steve’s face was beet red.
— “We’re family. We deserve something.”
— “’Family’,” Vance repeated slowly. “When Allison graduated high school, were you there?”
— “I think so.”
— “’You think so’?” Vance put a photo on the screen. “This is from her graduation. There’s Judge Sterling in the front row. There’s her grandmother. Where are you, Mr. Sterling?”
— “I might have had something…”
— “You weren’t there. You missed her high school graduation, her law school graduation, every significant moment, and now you want half the estate of the man who actually showed up.”
Palmer jumped up.
— “Objection. Argumentative.”
— “Sustained,” Judge Miller said. “Move on.”
Andrew Vance nodded.
— “No further questions.”
Then it was my turn. My nerves were humming, but not from fear—from anticipation. Today I finally got to tell my truth, and they had to sit there and listen. Under oath, on the record, in front of a judge who understood. I’d dressed carefully. A navy blue suit. Professional, credible, like someone who earned every cent.
Andrew Vance stood up.
— “The defense calls Allison Sterling!”
I walked to the stand, raised my right hand, and swore to tell the truth. Finally.
Andrew Vance started gently.
— “Allison, tell the court about your childhood.”
I took a breath.
— “I was born when my mother was eighteen. She and my father decided they weren’t ready for parenthood. When I was three months old, they brought me to my grandparents. What was supposed to be temporary became permanent. They left and rarely came back.”
— “How often did they visit?”
— “As a kid, maybe three or four times a year. As I got older, it was less. By my teens, it was twice a year if I was lucky. Christmas and sometimes my birthday. My father even less.”
— “How did that affect you?”
— “I learned early on that I couldn’t count on them. But I had my grandparents. They were at everything. Pageants, recitals, debate tournaments. They helped with homework, taught me to cook, took me to museums. They were my parents in every way that matters.”
— “Did Diane and Steve contribute financially?”
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