Chapter 6: The Court of Public Opinion
Chapter 6: The Court of Public Opinion
The media firestorm was instantaneous. Within hours of the papers being served, news vans were parked outside Daniel and Emma’s suburban home. Reporters stood on their sidewalk, flashing cameras toward the nursery windows where baby Sophie slept.
"Daniel Hayes, did you assault your mother for a four-million-dollar inheritance?" a reporter yelled through the door as Daniel tried to look outside.
Inside, the atmosphere was thick with terror. Emma was hyperventilating, holding Sophie tight against her chest. "How is this happening? She attacked me! We have the police report!"
"Victor Vance is representing her," Daniel said, his voice shaking as he read through the legal filings. "He’s using his family’s PR firm to control the narrative. They’ve framed the police report as a preemptive strike by us to discredit her so she couldn't stop us from taking the money."
"It’s a lie!" Emma cried out. "The paramedic saw the bruise on Sophie! They saw my head!"
"The lawsuit says you fell during a domestic dispute between me and you, and that my mother tried to intervene to save the baby," Daniel said, a deep, sickening dread settling into his gut. "She’s turning my own protective anger against me."
Their phone rang. It was Arthur Pendelton.
"Daniel, do not watch the news," the old lawyer advised urgently. "Victor Vance is a shark. He’s trying to force you into a settlement or a public breakdown to prove you are unstable. You need a defense attorney who knows how to fight dirty."
"Who?" Daniel asked desperately. "We don't have that kind of legal power."
"You do now," Arthur said. "I am authorizing an emergency advance from the trust’s legal defense fund. I am sending Evelyn Cross to your house right now. She’s the top family law litigator in the state. Do not speak to the media. Do not open the door until she arrives."
An hour later, a sleek black SUV pushed through the crowd of reporters. A woman in a sharp grey suit, carrying a silver briefcase, marched up the steps. Daniel let her in immediately.
Evelyn Cross didn't waste time with pleasantries. She sat at the kitchen table, reviewed the files, and looked at Emma’s bruised face.
"They’re playing a dangerous game," Evelyn said, her eyes flashing with a competitive fire. "Margaret is attempting a total character assassination to trigger a conservatorship. It’s a classic play for wealthy estates. But they made one crucial mistake."
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"What's that?" Emma asked.
"They assumed you would hide," Evelyn said, looking at Emma. "They want the world to see a fragile, broken victim and an aggressive husband. We’re going to flip the script. Tomorrow morning, we are holding a live-streamed press conference. Emma, you are going to show the world your injuries, and Daniel, you are going to tell the world exactly what kind of monster Margaret Hayes really is."
