Chapter 17 - The Deposition Trap
Olivia warned us that depositions were boring.
She was wrong.
Amanda Sterling’s deposition was one of the most uncomfortable things I had ever witnessed.
Because Amanda had sued us, Olivia was allowed to question her under oath.
I did not attend in person.
Neither did Lily.
But David and I watched later through a secure recording Olivia provided.
Amanda sat at a polished conference table wearing a cream-colored suit.
Her attorney Gregory Vale sat beside her.
She looked calm.
Prepared.
Almost amused.
Olivia began simply.
“Ms. Sterling, what seat were you assigned on Flight 842?”
Amanda hesitated.
“I don’t recall.”
Gregory leaned toward her.
“You may answer if you remember.”
“I believe eighteen something.”
“Eighteen D?”
“Possibly.”
“Did you sit in 18D?”
“No.”
“Where did you sit?”
“Twelve B.”
“Was 12B assigned to you?”
Amanda folded her hands.
“My understanding was there was confusion regarding seating.”
“What confusion?”
“The flight attendant indicated there had been an operational seating issue.”
I stared at the screen.
“She’s lying.”
David said nothing.
Olivia continued.
“Did any Northstar employee tell you 12B belonged to you?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Did Sarah Kim tell you those seats belonged to the Vance family?”
“I don’t remember her exact words.”
Olivia displayed a still image from Eli’s recording.
Sarah stood in the aisle.
Amanda sat in our seat.
“Does this refresh your memory?”
“No.”
Then came the gate question.
“Did you tell any Northstar employee that you had recently undergone knee surgery?”
“No.”
“Have you undergone knee surgery?”
“No.”
“Did you have any medical condition requiring additional boarding time?”
Amanda’s attorney interrupted.
“Objection. Medical privacy.”
Olivia remained calm.
“She placed the issue into dispute by alleging discriminatory treatment.”
Gregory whispered to Amanda.
She finally answered.
“No.”
Olivia produced the gate record.
PASSENGER REPORTS RECENT KNEE SURGERY.
Amanda looked at it.
“That must be a mistake.”
“Whose mistake?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you speak with gate agent Melissa Chen?”
“I speak with many airline employees.”
“Did you speak with her that morning?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Did you tell someone on the phone, quote, ‘I told the gate girl my knee was unstable’?”
Amanda’s face changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
“I don’t recall saying that.”
Olivia played Eli’s recording.
Amanda’s own laughter filled the room.
I told the gate girl my knee was unstable. She practically carried my bag for me.
Gregory immediately objected.
Amanda turned red.
Olivia stopped the recording.
“Is that your voice?”
“It sounds like me.”
“Did someone imitate your voice?”
“No.”
“Then did you lie five minutes ago?”
Gregory slammed his palm lightly against the table.
“Counsel.”
Olivia didn’t blink.
“I’ll rephrase. Was your previous testimony accurate?”
Amanda stared at her attorney.
Finally:
“I may have made an offhand comment.”
“About nonexistent knee surgery?”
“I was joking.”
“With whom?”
“A colleague.”
“What was funny?”
Amanda’s mouth tightened.
No answer.
Then Olivia moved to Lily.
“Did Lily Vance spill tomato juice on you?”
“Yes.”
“Intentionally?”
“I believe so.”
“Did you see her touch the cup?”
“I felt movement.”
“That was not my question.”
Amanda’s eyes narrowed.
“No.”
“Did anyone witness Lily touch the cup?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you accuse her of assault?”
“I was upset.”
“Did you call her a brat?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Did you tell her mother had abandoned her?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Did you threaten to have the family detained?”
“I don’t remember.”
Olivia placed Arthur Delgado’s transcript on the table.
Then Eli’s recordings.
Then statements from six passengers.
Amanda’s “I don’t remember” began sounding less like uncertainty and more like strategy.
But the biggest moment came near the end.
Olivia asked:
“When did Sterling & Associates terminate your employment?”
Amanda froze.
Gregory looked annoyed.
“They did not terminate me.”
“So you remain employed?”
“I’m on leave.”
“Paid leave?”
Silence.
“Amanda?”
“No.”
“When did unpaid leave begin?”
“The Monday after the flight.”
“Before Lily’s video became nationally televised?”
Amanda hesitated.
“Yes.”
Olivia leaned forward.
“Why?”
Gregory objected immediately.
Amanda’s eyes flashed toward him.
Olivia waited.
Finally Amanda said, “Internal reasons.”
“What reasons?”
“Performance concerns.”
I stopped breathing.
Amanda was suing us for destroying her career.
But her company had placed her on unpaid leave for performance issues that predated the national media explosion.
Olivia pressed.
“Were you already under investigation by your employer before Flight 842?”
Gregory stood.
“This deposition is concluded.”
“It isn’t.”
“We’re done.”
“You may leave, but I will seek an order compelling her to return.”
Amanda abruptly stood.
Her chair rolled backward.
As she gathered her papers, a document slipped from her folder.
The camera caught it.
A printed email.
Only the top portion was visible.
But Olivia froze the recording and enlarged the image.
SUBJECT: FINAL WARNING—CLIENT CONDUCT COMPLAINTS.
The date was three weeks before our flight.
David slowly leaned back.
Amanda had built her lawsuit around one claim:
Lily ruined her career.
May you like
But now we knew something Amanda desperately did not want anyone to discover.
Her career had already been collapsing before she ever stole our seats.
