Grace closed the insurance section.
Gerald visibly relaxed.
Then she said, “We should discuss the second scar.”
My hand moved instinctively toward my ribs.
Victor looked up.
Grace asked, “Mrs. Hale, you testified that your surgery resulted from the 2013 incident.”
“Yes.”
“And your burn?”
“Yes.”
“What happened afterward?”
I swallowed.
“Victor asked me not to file any claim.”
“Why?”
“He said the restaurant might not survive.”
Victor shook his head.
“That was not—”
Judge Monroe silenced him with a look.
I continued.
“He said we could lose everything if investigators believed the equipment had been knowingly operated while unsafe.”
Grace asked, “Did you agree?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought it was our business.”
The words almost broke my voice.
I steadied it.
“I thought protecting the restaurant meant protecting our future.”
Grace let the silence sit.
Then she asked, “At that point, did you know Mr. Hale had already filed paperwork transferring your ownership to himself?”
