Chapter 7 - THE DEPOSITION OF RYAN VANCEZ
The conference room on the twentieth floor of the downtown legal tower was wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass, offering a sweeping view of the city’s concrete skyline. Inside, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense. Heavy mahogany tables, leather chairs, and two court reporters sitting behind stenograph machines set the stage for Ryan’s official court-ordered deposition.
Ryan sat across from me, looking remarkably smug. He was wearing a fresh custom suit, sipping an iced coffee, leaning back in his chair as if he were attending a casual business meeting. He truly believed he had won. In his mind, resigning from his high-paying job was the ultimate checkmate. He thought he was untouchable.
Beside him, his lawyer, Richard Sterling, adjusted his tie and smirked at Ms. Vance.
“Let’s make this quick, Counselor,” Sterling said condescendingly, clicking his pen. “My client has already provided proof of his voluntary resignation from his executive firm. As of this week, Mr. Vance’s income is officially zero. He has limited liquid assets and is currently living off small personal loans from his mother. You can waste time asking questions, but the fact remains: you cannot extract blood from a stone.”
Ryan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the glossy wooden table, locking eyes with me. “It’s a shame, really, Shannon,” he said, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. “If you hadn't been so greedy and aggressive with your little stunt, I would have willingly supported you. Now? You’ll be lucky to get fifty dollars a month from state assistance.”
I didn't answer him. I simply sat straight, adjusting my posture, and offered him a small, cold, terrifying smile.
Ms. Vance didn't flinch. She opened a thick leather binder, laid out three pristine white folders, and turned on a digital audio recorder.
“This is the deposition of Ryan Vance in the matter of Vance v. Vance,” Ms. Vance began, her voice crystal clear and authoritative. “Mr. Vance, under oath, please state your current employment status.”
Ryan chuckled lightly. “I am currently unemployed. I resigned due to severe personal stress caused by these frivolous legal proceedings.”
“I see,” Ms. Vance said softly. “And do you maintain that you have no income, no secondary business entities, and no hidden financial holdings?”
“That’s correct,” Ryan stated firmly, raising his chin. “Everything I owned was tied to my corporate salary, which no longer exists.”
“Fascinating,” Ms. Vance murmured. She reached into her briefcase and pulled out a thick stack of printed financial documents, sliding them directly across the table toward Ryan and his attorney. “Mr. Vance, can you please identify the corporate entity known as Apex Horizons LLC?”
Ryan’s smug expression froze instantly. The color drained from his lips, his eyes widening as he stared at the top page of the stack.
“What is this?” Richard Sterling demanded, grabbing the papers and quickly flipping through them. “Where did you get these?”
“That is an internal ledger of Apex Horizons LLC,” Ms. Vance said calmly, leaning back in her chair. “A corporation registered in the state of Wyoming, owned under the secondary maiden name of Ryan’s mother, Evelyn Miller. Over the past twenty-four months, Mr. Vance has systematically funneled $520,000 in undeclared corporate bonuses into this account.”
Ryan’s hand began to tremble slightly against the table. “That... that’s a private investment firm. It has nothing to do with marital assets!”
“Is that so?” Ms. Vance raised an eyebrow. She reached into her bag again and pulled out a second stack of documents. “Then perhaps you can explain these wire transfers executed three days ago—specifically, the transfer of $85,000 from your joint marital account directly into an offshore account in the Cayman Islands registered under Apex Horizons?”
Richard Sterling looked at Ryan, his face turning pale. “Ryan... what is she talking about? Did you move funds after the status quo court order was issued?”
“I... I was moving money to protect it!” Ryan stammered, his confident facade shattering into microscopic pieces. “She was trying to steal my money!”
“You violated a direct judicial order prohibiting the transfer or liquidation of marital assets, Mr. Vance,” Ms. Vance stated, her voice like a sledgehammer. “That is intentional fraud and contempt of court. But it gets much worse.”
Ms. Vance pulled out a sleek silver flash drive and set it down on the table with a quiet clink.
“Yesterday afternoon,” Ms. Vance continued, “our forensic IT specialist reviewed the complete digital mirror of your former firm’s internal server—provided to us via a subpoenaed third-party witness, Chloe Bennett.”
At the sound of Chloe’s name, Ryan gasped aloud, pushing himself back in his chair as if he had been struck by lightning. “Chloe? You spoke to Chloe? That lying little bitch!”
“Mr. Vance! Control your language!” Richard Sterling shouted, slamming his hand on the table, suddenly realizing his client was walking straight into a legal minefield.
“Miss Bennett has provided a full sworn affidavit detailing how you forced her to use her credentials to delete corporate audit logs,” Ms. Vance stated relentlessly. “You didn't just quit your job, Ryan. You attempted to destroy corporate records to evade spousal support, child support, and federal income taxes.”
“This is a setup! She’s lying! Shannon bought her off!” Ryan yelled, his voice cracking with hysteria, standing up from his chair.
“Sit down, Ryan!” Sterling ordered, grabbing Ryan’s arm and pulling him back into his seat. Sterling turned to Ms. Vance, his hands visibly shaking as he closed his portfolio. “We... we need a recess. Right now.”
“There will be no recess, Mr. Sterling,” Ms. Vance declared with cold finality. “Because standing outside this conference room right now are two officers from the State Financial Crimes Division and an agent from the IRS. We have already submitted the digital evidence. The emergency hearing with Judge Martinez is scheduled for two o’clock this afternoon.”
Ryan sat frozen, his mouth open, staring at the silver flash drive on the table. The reality of his situation hit him with the force of a freight train. He hadn't just lost a divorce battle. He hadn't just lost custody of his kids. He had destroyed his entire life, his career, his freedom, and his reputation, all because he was too arrogant to help his wife with three crying babies.
I leaned forward across the table, looking into the hollow, terrified eyes of the man I used to love.
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“You asked me in the kitchen if I had earned a break, Ryan,” I said softly, my voice quiet, clear, and razor-sharp. “I didn't earn a vacation. But today? I earned my freedom. And you earned everything that’s about to happen to you.”
Ryan couldn't even look at me. He covered his face with both hands, letting out a weak, pathetic groan as the legal trap snapped tightly shut around him.
