Chapter 10 - The Deposition
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Three months later, we sat inside a high-end corporate conference room on the twentieth floor of a downtown Milwaukee skyscraper for Brandon’s formal legal deposition.
Brandon sat across the long mahogany table, flanked by his two high-priced defense attorneys. Beside him sat his brother Lucas, looking pale and terrified in an ill-fitting suit.
Claire sat beside me, surrounded by four thick black binders containing every bank record, wire receipt, text message transcript, and medical report we had gathered.
Brandon’s lead attorney, a slick man named Miller, cleared his throat and leaned forward.
"Mrs. Morgan," Miller began smoothly, "my client is prepared to offer a very generous settlement today. He will agree to a clean fifty-fifty split of the remaining liquid balances in the accounts, and he will waive any claim to your personal nursing retirement portfolio, provided you drop all claims regarding asset dissipation and dismiss the pending civil charges against Lucas Morgan and Apex Holdings."
Claire didn't even look up from her notes. She simply smiled a dangerous, razor-sharp smile.
"That's a lovely fairy tale, Mr. Miller," Claire said coolly. "Now let's talk about reality."
Claire opened the first binder and slid a series of glossy financial charts across the table toward Brandon’s legal team.
"Over a seven-year period, my client, Elena, deposited a total of three hundred and forty-two thousand dollars into the joint marital account," Claire stated, her voice echoing clearly through the quiet room. "During that same period, your client, Brandon Morgan, deposited less than ninety thousand dollars."
Miller frowned, looking over at Brandon, who shifted uncomfortably in his leather chair.
"Furthermore," Claire continued, tapping the chart, "we have documented exactly one hundred and sixty-eight thousand four hundred dollars in unauthorized transfers from that joint account directly to Lucas Morgan, Liam Morgan, Susan Morgan, and Apex Holdings LLC."
"Those were gifts and intra-family loans!" Miller argued, raising his hand. "Marital property laws permit spouses to make gifts!"
"Not when those gifts are executed through fraudulent misrepresentation," Claire countered sharply, pulling out a freshly printed exhibit. "We have text messages from Brandon specifically telling his brother that he was transferring the money while Elena was asleep so she wouldn't notice."
Claire looked directly at Brandon.
"We also have recorded admissions from Brandon stating that he intentionally led my client to believe the funds were being saved for a residential purchase, while secretly using her salary to fund his brother's commercial real estate venture."
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Lucas leaned over to Brandon, whispering frantically in his ear. Brandon’s face was completely white.
"If this goes to trial before Judge Harris next month," Claire warned, leaning across the table, "we won't just be asking for the return of the one hundred and sixty-eight thousand dollars. We will be seeking punitive damages for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and full attorney fees. And trust me... Judge Harris does not take kindly to men who rob their working wives to buy commercial property for their brothers."
