Chapter 4 – The Deposition

Grace’s role on the case grew steadily over the following months as the evidence mounted — internal safety audits Winslow Agricultural Holdings had commissioned and then quietly shelved, cost-cutting decisions that had removed safety equipment upgrades from budget cycles for three consecutive years, and a pattern of pressuring injured workers into signing settlements that undervalued their actual damages.

The deposition of Charles Winslow himself, six months into the litigation, fell to Grace to conduct, a fact that visibly startled him the moment she walked into the room, still composed, still entirely professional, despite the personal history sitting heavily beneath the surface of the proceedings.

“Grace,” Charles said, genuine confusion crossing his face. “I wasn’t aware you were involved in this case.”

“I am,” Grace said simply, taking her seat across from him. “In my professional capacity as counsel for the plaintiffs. I’d like to begin, if you’re ready.”

What followed was two hours of careful, methodical questioning that laid bare, on the record, exactly how thoroughly Winslow Agricultural Holdings had prioritized cost savings over the safety of workers who had, in many cases, spent decades loyal to a company that had repeatedly failed to protect them.

Charles’s composure, so effortless at family dinners, cracked steadily under the weight of documents Grace had spent months preparing, each one contradicting testimony he’d clearly assumed would go unchallenged.