Chapter 9
Marcus Vance stood up once again,
trying desperately to regain control of the narrative after his client's embarrassing outburst.
"Your Honor,
if I may clarify,"
Vance began,
his tone smooth and conciliatory,
"the primary issue here is that the defense is attempting to claim a share of an impending inheritance."
"My client is the sole heir to his grandmother's estate,"
he stated with absolute certainty,
looking back at Scott with a proud smile,
"an estate valued at over seven million dollars."
"This inheritance is separate property under state law,"
Vance argued,
tapping his finger against his legal pad,
"as it was never commingled with the marital assets during the course of their relationship."
"Mrs. Collins has no legal right to a single penny of these family funds,"
he insisted,
turning to look at me with a cold,
dismissive glare,
"and her attempts to delay this divorce are simply a malicious tactic to force a payout."
"We request that the court sign the standard dissolution decree immediately,"
he concluded,
"allowing my client to receive his rightful inheritance as a single man without any further interference."
The judge looked down at Jerome,
her expression neutral but curious.
"Mr. Jerome,
how do you respond to the plaintiff's argument regarding the separate nature of the inheritance?"
she asked.
Jerome stood up slowly,
buttoning his suit jacket with a deliberate,
unhurried calmness that commanded the entire room.
"Your Honor,
we agree completely with Mr. Vance on one specific point,"
Jerome surprised everyone by stating,
causing Scott's eyes to widen in sudden hope.
"We agree that the inheritance is indeed separate property,"
Jerome continued,
"and we agree that it was never commingled with the marital assets."
"However,"
Jerome paused dramatically,
letting the silence stretch across the courtroom for three agonizing seconds,
"the plaintiff's counsel has clearly failed to read the actual terms of the inheritance document."
"What is the meaning of this?"
Marcus Vance snapped,
standing up in anger,
"the will is perfectly clear,
my client is the sole named beneficiary!"
"Quiet,
Mr. Vance,"
the judge ordered sharply,
her interest thoroughly piqued by Jerome's statement,
"let Mr. Jerome finish his argument."
"Thank you,
Your Honor,"
Jerome smiled smoothly,
reaching into his briefcase to pull out a certified copy of the grandmother's final testament.
"I have here a legally binding codicil to the estate of Margaret Henderson,"
Jerome announced,
holding the paper up for the court to see.
"This document was executed exactly two months before her unfortunate passing,"
he explained,
"and it contains an explicit,
unconditional mandate regarding the distribution of the seven point three million dollars."
Scott leaned forward at his table,
his smug expression finally beginning to falter,
replaced by a faint,
flickering look of sudden anxiety.
"According to the express terms of his own grandmother's will,"
Jerome read aloud,
his voice booming through the silent courtroom,
"the funds are strictly conditional upon Scott Henderson remaining legally,
faithfully,
and happily married to his wife,
Avery Collins,
at the exact time of the estate's distribution."
A collective gasp echoed from the gallery behind us,
and I heard Kayla's sharp intake of breath as the words filled the room.
"Furthermore,"
Jerome continued,
his voice rising with absolute authority,
"the document explicitly states that if a divorce is initiated,
or if any evidence of marital infidelity is discovered before the final execution,"
"the entire seven point three million dollars is to bypass Scott Henderson completely."
"Instead,"
Jerome declared,
turning his head to look directly into Scott's pale face,
"every single cent of the fortune is to be awarded directly to my client,
Avery Collins,
as a sole and separate asset."
The courtroom erupted into a chaotic murmur of shock,
and Scott slammed his hands down on the table,
his chair scraping violently against the hardwood floor.
"That's a lie!"
Scott screamed,
his voice cracking with sudden,
blinding panic,
"she's making it up!
May you like
That's my money!
My grandmother would never do that to me!"
