Chapter 5 - The Deposition
Z
Three days later.
The conference room on the forty-second floor of the Walker Financial Tower overlooked the foggy harbor of Boston. Rain streaked down the massive glass panes, blurring the ships anchored in the bay.
Inside, the room was suffocatingly tense.
Sitting across from me was Jack, looking hollowed-out and pale, dressed in an ill-fitting suit that looked like he had slept in it. Beside him sat his defense attorney, Arthur Vance—ironically, Gerald’s younger brother, a brilliant but ruthless corporate litigator who specialized in high-stakes divorces and financial crimes.
On my side sat Gerald, surrounded by three junior associates and stacks of black leather binders containing a decade of financial records.
"Let the record reflect," Gerald began, pressing the record button on the central conference phone, "that this is a preliminary deposition regarding the matter of Walker v. Walker, concerning the dissolution of marriage, breach of fiduciary duty, and corporate fraud."
Arthur Vance leaned forward, placing his hands flat on the mahogany table. "Gerald, let's skip the theatricals. My client admits that there were... indiscretions regarding his marital obligations. However, the allegations of financial fraud are wildly overstated. Dr. Walker believed he had explicit authority under the 2018 marital asset agreement to allocate funds for commercial ventures."
"The 2018 agreement applied exclusively to joint bank accounts maintained at Chase Bank," Gerald replied calmly, pulling a document from a binder. "It explicitly excluded the Walker Family Primary Trust, which requires two separate signatures—Megan's and mine as the sole corporate trustee. Dr. Walker forged both."
Arthur didn't blink. "We will be challenging the authenticity of the forensic handwriting report."
"Challenging handwriting is difficult when we have HD security footage from the Swiss Banking Corporation office in New York," Gerald said smoothly, sliding a flash drive across the table. "Dated August 14th. Dr. Walker is clearly visible entering the vault room with a female companion matching the description of Ms. Natalie Reed, presenting the forged documents to the bank manager."
Jack flinched, shooting a desperate look at his lawyer. Arthur’s jaw tightened slightly, but he maintained his stoic expression.
"Even if the document transfer was irregular," Arthur argued, "the funds were allocated toward Apex BioTech—a company in which Mrs. Walker holds a indirect fifteen percent stake. Technically, he was protecting her investment."
"Protecting it?" I spoke up for the first time. The entire room shifted its attention to me.
Jack met my eyes, his expression a mixture of fear and silent pleading.
"You weren't protecting an investment, Jack," I said, leaning across the table. "You were buying silence. Apex BioTech's trial drug caused severe neurological damage in three patients during the Phase II trial in Miami. You suppressed the medical reports, paid off the regional board inspectors, and attempted to hide the liabilities before the FDA audit next month."
Jack’s lawyer immediately tapped his arm, signaling him not to speak, but Jack broke.
"That wasn't my fault!" Jack burst out, his voice echoing in the large room. "Harrison forged those early safety reports! I didn't find out about the side effects until two months ago! I was trying to raise the money to compensate the families quietly without destroying the company!"
"By stealing twelve million dollars from your wife?" Gerald interjected coldly. "And by taking the lead regulatory consultant on a romantic trip to Paris while those families were suffering?"
Jack closed his eyes, slumping back into his chair.
"We are prepared to make an offer," Arthur Vance said quickly, attempting to regain control of the crumbling defense. "Dr. Walker will agree to an immediate, uncontested divorce. He will waive all rights to alimony, the Boston townhome, and any shared marital property. In exchange, Mrs. Walker will drop all civil fraud charges and refrain from forwarding the Apex BioTech files to the Department of Justice."
A quiet silence settled over the room.
Jack looked up, a glimmer of hope returning to his eyes. He truly believed that this was the end of it. He believed I would take the quick divorce, protect my privacy, and let him walk away with his medical license intact.
I looked at Gerald. Gerald looked at me, his face utterly unreadable.
"Jack," I said softly, addressing my husband directly. "Do you remember what you said to me in the study three nights ago?"
Jack swallowed hard. "Megan, I was upset..."
"You said you were tired of being 'the guy who married into the Walker fortune,'" I recalled, every word measured and calm. "You said you wanted a legacy that belonged to you. A name that was truly yours."
I stood up, buttoning my navy blazer.
"I'm going to give you exactly what you asked for," I said. "You won't have the Walker name to protect you anymore. You won't have my father's money to pay off your mistakes. You will stand entirely on your own."
"Megan, please..." Jack started, half-rising from his chair.
"Gerald," I said, turning toward my attorney. "Hand the files over to the U.S. Attorney's Office. And notify the Massachusetts Medical Board that Dr. Walker's license is under review for criminal fraud."
"No!" Jack screamed, slamming his hands onto the table, knocking over his glass of water. "Megan! You're destroying me!"
"You destroyed yourself, Jack," I said, looking down at him with a quiet, profound pity. "I'm just turning on the lights so everyone can see the wreckage."
May you like
I turned and walked toward the heavy oak doors of the conference room. Behind me, I could hear Arthur Vance trying frantically to quiet his hysterical client, and the low, steady voice of Gerald dictating the final terms of the transcript.
As I stepped out into the hallway, the cool air felt refreshing against my skin. The storm outside was still raging over the harbor, but inside, for the first time in ten years, I felt completely, unmistakably free.
