Chapter 15 - BRENDA TESTIFIES
Brenda entered court wearing a plain navy dress.
No heels.
No jewelry.
Her lawyer sat behind her.
Robert sat at the defense table without looking toward either of us.
The prosecutor began with the family structure.
Then the trust.
Then jealousy.
Brenda admitted all of it.
“I believed Mom valued Audrey more.”
“Why?”
“Because Audrey fought with her and still got trusted.”
“Did your mother leave you without financial benefit?”
“No.”
“What did you receive?”
“Income distributions and an eventual beneficial share.”
“Were you facing poverty?”
“No.”
“Then what did you want?”
Brenda looked toward Robert.
“Importance.”
The word hurt more than greed.
Robert made her feel replaceable.
Then offered twenty percent after restructuring.
“He said Audrey’s baby would put outsiders over the family.”
“What outsiders?”
“Independent trustees. Auditors.”
“Did he tell you the child would personally control the company?”
“Yes.”
“Was that true?”
“No.”
Brenda admitted Robert and Mercer discussed methods to delay the trigger.
Waiver.
Medical incapacity.
Marriage conflict.
If none worked, “an incident.”
“Did Robert instruct you to kill the fetus?”
“No.”
“Did he discuss fetal death?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“That if Audrey lost the baby, the trust problem ended.”
“Why did you strike Audrey’s abdomen?”
Brenda began crying.
“I wanted it to end.”
“What?”
“The baby.”
Silence took the courtroom.
I stared at my hands.
I had known since her proffer.
Hearing it aloud was different.
“Did Robert tell you where to strike?”
“He said any fall needed to look like family chaos, not a planned assault. He said not to leave obvious evidence.”
“Did you follow that?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I was angry.”
“You attacked your sister in front of witnesses.”
“Yes.”
“Did Robert stop you?”
“After.”
“Did that surprise you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“He told me if anything went wrong, he would be the one pulling us apart.”
The father rescuing daughters he helped endanger.
Robert’s attorney attacked Brenda’s credibility.
“You are facing prison.”
“Yes.”
“You hope cooperation reduces your sentence.”
“Yes.”
“You hate your father now.”
“Yes.”
“You blamed Audrey for years.”
“Yes.”
“So this testimony benefits you.”
“Maybe.”
“Why should anyone believe you?”
Brenda looked toward me for the first time.
“Because Gary’s recording caught him saying the same things before I had a deal.”
Corroboration.
The reason cooperation mattered.
After testimony, Brenda asked through her lawyer whether I would meet.
I said no.
Not yet.
Truth did not create immediate access.
Robert’s criminal trial moved closer.
Preston’s suspension continued.
Our daughter’s due date approached.
May you like
And the Reed family finally stopped pretending Brenda’s attack was one furious moment.
It had been the point where years of lies became physical.
