Chapter 4 - EVELYN'S DEFENSE
Evelyn hired attorney Lauren Pierce.
Lauren’s first position was strong.
Evelyn denied abandoning Hannah as part of a financial scheme.
She called the roadside incident:
“a catastrophic family argument.”
She said Hannah had become verbally aggressive in the SUV.
Hannah denied it.
Richard said Hannah threatened to cut the grandparents off from the twins.
Hannah admitted saying:
“You will not control my children.”
Different wording.
Lauren continued.
The family liquidity election had been discussed for months.
Not created because of the divorce.
True.
The internal valuation had been approved by the board before Hannah filed for divorce.
Also true.
The 14% stake was illiquid.
Also true.
The company agreement explicitly allowed discounts.
True again.
Lauren said:
“You are combining an ugly family incident with a legitimate corporate valuation dispute.”
Grace replied:
“Maybe.”
Then:
“So why did Evelyn text Hannah twenty minutes before the roadside stop?”
Lauren’s eyes narrowed.
Grace read it.
SIGN TONIGHT AND WE CAN ALL START OVER.
Evelyn answered:
“That was emotional.”
Hannah looked at her mother.
“It was leverage.”
Neither side could prove intent from one sentence.
Not yet.
Lauren also attacked Hannah’s account of the roadside argument.
Richard had recorded part of it accidentally because the SUV’s hands-free system kept an audio diagnostic log after a malfunction.
The recording captured Hannah shouting:
“I am done letting this family tell me what my life is supposed to look like.”
Evelyn replied:
“You have two newborns and no husband.”
Hannah:
“I have an ex-husband. That is different.”
Evelyn:
“You chose this.”
Then Hannah said:
“If you keep pushing the shares, you will not be welcome around the babies.”
Richard’s lawyer highlighted that line.
“Mrs. Carter threatened family access during a corporate dispute.”
Grace answered:
“She set a boundary after repeated pressure.”
Both interpretations were possible.
Then the recording captured the slap.
A sharp sound.
Hannah’s cry.
Evelyn saying:
“Stop acting like a victim.”
Then Richard:
“Enough. Get the seats.”
That destroyed the claim that everyone merely separated during a heated argument.
Richard had actively participated in the abandonment after the slap.
He later said he thought Evelyn meant they were ending the ride, not leaving Hannah without transport.
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But he carried both infant seats out.
The recording made that explanation difficult.
