Chapter 2 - The Kangaroo Court
The bailiffs dragged Major Hayes out of the courtroom while he shouted that they were destroying federal evidence.
The steel briefcase containing my salvation was casually tossed into an evidence locker behind the bench.
My lawyer jumped to his feet, screaming that the court was violating federal procedure.
The judge threatened to revoke my attorney's legal license if he spoke another word.
Silence fell over the courtroom, thick and suffocating like smoke.
My mother resumed her position on the witness stand, her malicious smile returning in full force.
The prosecutor approached her, holding a completely new document that I had never seen before.
He asked my mother to verify the signature on the bottom of the page.
She nodded theatrically and swore under oath that it was the true military record of Mara Bennett.
The prosecutor turned to the jury and read the forged document aloud.
He claimed it was a dishonorable discharge paper from basic training, citing severe psychological instability.
My lawyer leaned toward me, his face pale with absolute panic.
He whispered that if this document was admitted into evidence, I would go to federal prison for a decade.
I scanned the courtroom, realizing that my father's corporate empire was funding this entire legal theater.
Bennett Meridian Systems possessed billions of dollars in military contracts.
Caleb and my mother were using that exact fortune to rewrite my entire life story.
The judge officially admitted the forged document into evidence without allowing us to review it.
Court was abruptly adjourned for a one-hour lunch recess.
I rushed out into the hallway, desperate to formulate a new plan to expose their lies.
I turned the corner and collided directly with the prosecutor who was supposed to be representing the state.
He did not apologize, but he quickly shoved a folded piece of paper into my hand before walking away.
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I opened the note in the privacy of an empty stairwell.
It was a printed receipt showing a massive offshore wire transfer from Caleb's bank account directly to the judge's wife.
