Chapter 8 - The Deposition under Oath
Two weeks later
the glass-walled conference room on the ninth floor of the district courthouse was filled with severe energy.
Blinding fluorescent lights shone down on a long oak table stacked with thick binders
court reporters setting up stenography equipment
and legal counsel on both sides.
Gerald Callaway sat at the far end of the room
flanked by four top litigation attorneys from the city's most formidable corporate law firm.
Beside him sat I
wearing a charcoal gray wool suit
my notebook neatly opened in front of me.
Across the table sat Liam and his court-appointed defense attorney.
Liam's original private lawyers had resigned three days prior after realizing that Vidia had no remaining assets to pay their retainer fees.
Sitting behind Liam were my parents
both looking worn
defeated
and severely aged by the unrelenting stress of the public scandal.
The court reporter adjusted her microphone.
"This is the official deposition regarding the case of Callaway Ventures and Hion Systems versus Liam Vance and Vidia Enterprises
" the legal officer announced.
"Witness state your name for the record."
"Meredith Vance
" I answered clearly.
Liam's court-appointed attorney
a young man who looked completely overwhelmed by the presence of Gerald Callaway’s legal team
cleared his throat.
"Ms. Vance
" the young attorney began
looking at his notes.
"Is it true that you and the defendant are biological siblings?"
"Yes
" I replied.
"And is it true that four years ago
you voluntarily assisted your brother with the development of his startup's technical demonstration?"
"I provided technical consulting services under a written contract
" I clarified instantly.
"I did not provide voluntary help or make a gift of intellectual property."
"Did you receive payment for those services?" the attorney asked.
"I received fifteen hundred dollars of an agreed ten thousand dollar fee
" I stated.
"The contract stipulated that full ownership of the logic remained with me until full payment was rendered.
Full payment was never made."
Gerald's lead attorney
a sharp-eyed woman named Victoria
stood up and slid a document toward the stenographer.
"Exhibit A
" Victoria declared.
"The original signed consulting agreement
accompanied by full forensic digital analysis of the server commit logs proving Ms. Vance authored ninety-two percent of Vidia's core engine."
Victoria turned her attention directly to Liam.
"Mr. Vance
under oath
do you deny that you presented this exact codebase to Callaway Ventures as your own sole creation?"
Liam looked down at his trembling hands.
His mouth opened
but no words came out.
"Answer the question
Mr. Vance
" the judge's appointed officer commanded sternly.
"I... I built the business around it!" Liam choked out
his voice shaking violently.
"I didn't think the exact code mattered!
She was my sister!
I thought what was hers was ours!"
"So you admit to misrepresenting the origins of the technology to secure forty-five million dollars in venture capital?" Victoria pressed mercilessly.
"Objection!" Liam's lawyer called out weakly.
"Overruled
" the officer stated instantly.
Victoria didn't miss a beat.
She turned to my mother
who was crying quietly in the second row of chairs.
"Mrs. Vance
is it true that on the night of your son's wedding
you explicitly informed potential investors that your daughter Meredith was incapable of complex technical work?"
My mother wiped her eyes with a tissue
her voice barely audible.
"I... I didn't know..." she sobbed.
"I didn't understand what she did... Liam always told us he was the genius..."
"So you actively disparaged your daughter to protect your son's false narrative?" Victoria countered.
"We just wanted Liam to succeed!" my mother wailed
completely breaking down.
"He was our boy!
He had so much potential!
Meredith was always quiet
she never asked for attention!"
"Silence is not consent to theft
Mrs. Vance
" Victoria said
her voice striking like a hammer on an anvil.
Gerald Callaway leaned forward
placing his hands on the table.
"Let the record show
" Gerald declared calmly
"that Callaway Ventures has officially filed formal criminal referral documents with the State Prosecutor for wire fraud
securities misrepresentation
and corporate theft against Liam Vance."
Liam collapsed forward
resting his forehead against the cold wood of the table
sobbing openly as the full weight of his actions crushed his final hopes.
My father reached out to touch my mother’s shoulder
but she pushed his hand away
completely consumed by her own misery.
I sat perfectly still
watching the breakdown of the illusion that had ruled my life for thirty-three years.
There was no joy in watching my brother fall.
May you like
There was only the quiet
profound relief of a truth that could no longer be denied.
