Chapter 7

Michael closed the notebook and leaned back in his chair. He let out a long breath. "Grace, the trial starts tomorrow, and their lawyer is going to attack you on several fronts.

"First, whether these transfers really all went to Emily's education expenses. Second, whether your recordings are legal and admissible as evidence. And third, whether Emily's social media posts can directly prove she's lying."

I frowned. "The recordings aren't legal?"

Michael explained, "In legal practice, the admissibility of private recordings depends on the circumstances. If the recording involves personal privacy or was obtained through fraud or coercion, it might be excluded.

"But your situation is different. You recorded conversations between yourself and your sister about financial matters, which are internal family affairs. The chances of them being admitted are high."

He paused and added, "More importantly, these recordings create a stark contrast with Emily's social media persona.

"Online, she presents herself as independent and self-reliant, but in the recordings, she asks you for money over and over again. Some of her requests even show clear exaggeration and emotional manipulation."

I blinked. "Emotional manipulation?"

Michael opened the transcript and pointed to a line. "Like this one, 'Grace, if you don't help me, I won't survive. I'll have to drop out.'

"And this one, 'Grace, I'm your only sister. Can you really stand to see my classmates look down on me?' These statements carry strong emotional pressure. They don't constitute legal coercion, but they can influence the judge's emotional perception."

I looked down at the words. I'd been numb when I was compiling the transcript, but now that Michael pointed them out, those words suddenly had weight again. They pressed down on me, and I could barely breathe.

Michael continued, "Tomorrow, Henry is definitely going to play the sympathy card. He'll emphasize that Emily was all alone abroad as your little sister and didn't understand the family's financial situation.

"Meanwhile, you controlled all the assets as the older sister and failed to inform her properly. He'll try to paint Emily as an innocent victim and you as a selfish controller."

"So what should I do?" I asked.

"Be yourself," Michael said seriously. "Answer the questions honestly and don't exaggerate or play the victim.

"The judge can tell when someone's putting on a show. Your advantage is that you have a complete evidence trail and they don't. The only thing they can rely on is the legal statute about estate division."

He stood up and walked to the window with his back to me. "Grace, I'm going to be blunt. Legally speaking, you did use part of Emily's inheritance, and that doesn't look good for you.

"But beyond the law, there's also fairness and what's right. The more evidence you have, the more you can prove how ungrateful Emily has been."

Those last two words came out quiet but clear.

"Here's the strategy for tomorrow," he said, turning back to the table.

"First, I'll request to include your additional transfers as part of the case review and prove that what you gave Emily far exceeded the total inheritance. Then I'll present the recordings and social media evidence to prove Emily made false statements when asking for money.

"Finally, the testimonies from your relatives and the community will establish your role as the head of the household and everything you've sacrificed."

He paused and looked me in the eye. "The most critical part is your testimony. You can't just read from a script. You need to tell the court from your heart what you've been through these past six years and what you've given up.

"Let the judge see that you're not just a defendant in a legal case, but a sister who's been betrayed."

"Can I do that?" I asked softly.

"You have to," Michael said. "Because if you don't, Henry will tell the story his way. A controlling sister who took her little sister's inheritance and held her back from living her life.

"In his version, Emily is the hero breaking free and chasing her dreams, and you're the obstacle that needs to be removed."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them again, I nodded.

"One more thing," Michael said. "Is Emily going to be there tomorrow?"

"The complaint says she will."

"Good. Then you two will face each other in court." Michael's tone became more serious. "Grace, you need to prepare yourself because she might say some really harsh things. Henry might lead her to tell stories about your family that you've never heard before, stories with a different spin."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that in court, people will say anything to win," Michael said slowly. "They might question how you managed your parents' estate or suggest you hid some of the money.

"They might even make up stories about you abusing her or controlling her. You need to stay calm no matter what you hear and don't lose control."

I clenched my fists and my nails dug into my palms.

"I will," I said.

It was evening when I left the law firm. Michael walked me to the elevator, and right before the doors closed, he said, "Grace, no matter what happens tomorrow, you've already done everything you could."

The elevator descended, and the drop made my stomach uneasy. I walked out of the building, and the summer heat hit me immediately. My phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number.

I answered.

"Is this Ms. Grace Lane? This is Henry," a calm male voice said on the other end. His English was smooth with a slight accent. "I'd like to discuss the possibility of settlement before the hearing."

"We have nothing to discuss," I said.

"Don't be so quick to refuse," Henry replied. His tone was calm, almost gentle.

"Ms. Lane, I know there's been some misunderstanding between you and your sister, but court isn't the best place to resolve this. Once the judge makes a ruling, win or lose, your relationship will be damaged beyond repair."

I said, "It was already beyond repair the moment she sued me."

"I wouldn't say that," Henry said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. It had a condescending warmth. "Emily cares about you as her sister.

"She needs to get back what belongs to her. As her lawyer, I recommended she handle this through legal channels, but that doesn't mean she has no feelings for you."

I stayed silent.

"Here's what we can do," Henry continued. "Emily is willing to compromise. If you acknowledge that you used her portion of the inheritance and promise to pay back 100 thousand dollars within two years, she'll drop the lawsuit.

"This is already a generous offer, considering everything you've done for her over the years."

"How much are my years of sacrifice worth?" I asked.