I will, I said.
The next morning, we sat in a conference room, my parents across the table, their lawyer beside them. For the first time, they didn’t look confident. They looked uneasy.
The court reporter swore them in.
And then Blackwell began.
Simple questions. Clear answers.
How much money did you give Clare for her businesses?
Pause.
Approximately one hundred thousand.
How much did you give Anna?
Silence.
Zero.
How much did you contribute to Clare’s education?
Another pause.
Over two hundred thousand, including loans.
And Anna?
Zero.
Blackwell nodded slightly.
Can you provide evidence that Anna sabotaged Clare’s businesses?
My mother hesitated.
She refused to help.
Is she legally obligated to help?
Silence.
Did Clare ever help Anna?
No answer.
Do you have any proof of sabotage?
And Clare told us—
Blackwell leaned back slightly.
So your entire case is based on your other daughter’s opinion.
My mother’s eyes filled with tears.
Yes.
By the end of it, everything had fallen apart. Under oath, with no way to take it back.
When my father’s turn came, it was worse. More anger, same facts, no defense. When they left the room, they didn’t look like they had a case anymore. They looked like they had made a mistake they couldn’t undo.
Blackwell turned to me.
That, he said calmly, is what winning looks like before trial.
And for the first time, I believed him.
The next week, we deposed Clare.
If my parents’ testimony had cracked their case, Claire’s destroyed it.
She walked in late, wearing something that tried too hard to look professional, like confidence could be faked with the right outfit. Her expression was already defensive before Blackwell asked a single question. That told me everything.
Blackwell started simple.
Let’s talk about your first business, the food concept. Why did it fail?
Clare leaned forward immediately, launching into a speech.
Regulations, she said. Permits. The system is designed to crush small entrepreneurs.
Blackwell nodded once.
Did you research those regulations before starting?
Pause.
I knew there would be challenges.
That’s not what I asked, he said calmly. Did you research them? Yes or no?
No.
Did you have a business plan?
I had a vision.
That’s not a business plan.
He slid a document across the table.
Seventeen food businesses operated successfully in your area during that same period. They faced the same regulations. Why did they succeed and you didn’t?
Claire’s jaw tightened.