Chapter 3 - The Parasites Fight Back
The following morning, the Lawson family attempted to mount a counteroffensive, unaware of the sheer scale of the legal machinery they were up against.
Victoria Lawson held an emergency press conference on the steps of the municipal courthouse, flanked by her youngest son, Julian, and a low-rent publicity lawyer they had hired on credit.
I watched the live broadcast from my office television while eating breakfast with my mother, whose forehead was neatly bandaged.
"My son Garrett is the victim of a cruel, calculated conspiracy!" Victoria declared dramatically to the gathered news cameras, dabbing non-existent tears from her eyes with a silk handkerchief. "This woman, Maya, lied about her identity for years! She infiltrated our family, manipulated our finances, and yesterday she staged a violent assault at her own child's christening to destroy my son's reputation!"
Julian stepped up to the microphone, sneering into the camera. "She’s an unstable gold-digger who used fake documents to freeze my brother’s legitimate company! We are filing a fifty-million-dollar lawsuit against her and her fake foundation!"
My mother sighed softly, setting down her teacup. "They really don't understand who they are poking, do they, Maya?"
"They’re cornered animals, Mom," I said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "They think public noise will force us to settle privately to avoid scandal. They don't realize that Vance Global owns the media outlets they’re speaking to."
Ten minutes later, Harrison walked into the room, holding a tablet.
"The press conference backfired within fifteen minutes," Harrison reported with a cold smile. "We released the high-definition security footage from the Grand Palace Hotel ballroom directly to every major news network in California."
He played the video on the large wall monitor.
The footage was crystal clear. It caught the exact moment Victoria hurled verbal abuse at my mother, the deliberate movement of Garrett’s foot as he kicked the chair out, my mother crashing onto the floor, and Garrett spitting his cruel words at her. The audio was pristine.
"The video has already been viewed twelve million times online," Harrison added. "Public sympathy for Garrett and Victoria has vanished. Lawson Enterprise's board of directors just held an emergency vote. They have officially removed Garrett as CEO and are preparing to sue him for corporate embezzlement."
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Before the broadcast ended, the TV screen cut to a breaking news banner: LEGAL ACTION PENDING: SAN FRANCISCO D.A. OPENS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO GARRETT LAWSON FOR FRAUD AND ASSAULT.
I turned off the television. The game was no longer about defending myself; it was about taking back everything they had stolen.
