Judge Whitaker raised his hand for silence. “A video recording?” he asked.
“Yes, Your Honor,” Olivia said. “Mr. Schultz wanted to ensure there would be no doubt about his wishes or his state of mind.”
Caldwell frowned. “Objection. This recording could have been manipulated. Deepfakes are—”
“We are fully prepared to provide forensic verification,” Olivia interrupted. “The video contains metadata, timestamps, and was recorded in the presence of a licensed attorney who will testify to its authenticity.”
Judge Whitaker leaned back slightly. “When was this recording made?”
“March 15th of last year,” Olivia answered. “Fourteen months before Mr. Schultz passed away. His medical records from that same week confirm he was in excellent cognitive health.”
I looked at my parents. My father’s jaw was clenched so tightly I could see the muscle twitching. My mother had gone completely pale.
“I’ll allow it,” Judge Whitaker said finally. “But I want full forensic verification submitted before we view it. Independent confirmation that the recording is authentic and unaltered.”
“We can provide that within 24 hours, Your Honor,” Olivia said.
“Then we will reconvene tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.”
The judge looked toward both sides of the courtroom.
“I suggest both parties take this time to consider whether this case should proceed.”
He was offering my parents an escape, a chance to withdraw the lawsuit before the truth destroyed their narrative.
But I already knew they wouldn’t take it.
That evening, my phone rang. I was in my apartment reviewing documents with Olivia when I saw the name on the screen.
Victor Schultz. My father.
For a moment, I considered ignoring the call. Olivia nodded toward the phone. “Put it on speaker.”
I answered. “Hello?”
“Marina.” My father’s voice was clipped, controlled. “We need to talk.”
“We already talked in court,” I said.
“Not there,” my father replied. “Privately. This has gone too far.”
I glanced at Olivia. “What do you want?” I asked.
“To settle this,” Victor Schultz said. “Your mother was emotional today. She didn’t mean what she said. We can still fix this. Drop the video and we’ll drop the lawsuit. We split the estate. Fifty-fifty.”
“Fifty-fifty,” I repeated.
After everything?
“No,” I said.
“Marina, be reasonable.”
“I am being reasonable,” I replied calmly. “The will is legal. Grandfather made his decision. I’m not negotiating.”
In the background, I heard my mother’s voice.
“Let me talk to her.”
There was a brief rustling. Then Bonnie Schultz came on the line, her voice sharp and icy.
“You’re making a serious mistake, Marina. If you go through with this, we will destroy you. Everyone will know exactly what kind of person you are.”
“They already tried that,” I said. “It didn’t work.”
Her voice dropped to a hiss. “We have more things you wouldn’t want the public to hear.”
Olivia silently mouthed one word to me.
Bluffing.
“If you actually have evidence,” I said, “bring it to court. Otherwise, stop threatening me.”
“You ungrateful—”
I ended the call.
My hands were shaking.
Olivia placed a steady hand on my shoulder. “They’re panicking,” she said quietly. “That video terrifies them. They know it ends their case.”
“Then why do I feel like this is only the beginning?” I asked.
“Because it is,” Olivia said. “Tomorrow, when that video plays, everything changes. They know it. You know it. And they’ll fight as dirty as they can until the very end.”
I looked down at my phone. My father’s name still glowed on the screen.
“Let them,” I said. “I’m ready.”
I didn’t sleep that night. Instead, Olivia and I sat in my living room reviewing every possible scenario. The forensic report had come back clean. The video was authentic, unaltered, properly documented. We had medical records, witness testimony, and a detailed paper trail supporting every claim we had made.
“This should be straightforward,” Olivia said while reviewing her notes. “That video destroys their case.”
“Should,” I repeated. “But they’ll try something. You know they will.”
She nodded. “They’ll go after your character. Try to paint you as manipulative, calculating. Be ready for that.”
“I’ve been ready my whole life,” I said quietly.
Olivia studied me for a moment. “Are you sure you want to be inside the courtroom when we play the video? You could wait outside. I can handle it.”
