diff --git a/scraibe/email_sender.py b/scraibe/email_sender.py
index 975452b..f9b1433 100644
--- a/scraibe/email_sender.py
+++ b/scraibe/email_sender.py
@@ -438,12 +438,10 @@ def create_transcript_docx(
     _configure_base_font(doc)
     _configure_section_margins(doc)
 
-    # Remove the default empty paragraph so line numbering starts
-    # at the first real line of content (Word counts paragraphs, not text lines).
-    if doc.paragraphs:
-        p = doc.paragraphs[0]
-        if p.text.strip() == "":
-            p._p.getparent().remove(p._p)
+    # Fully clear default paragraphs so Word's line numbering starts at line 1
+    body = doc.element.body
+    for p in body.findall(qn('w:p')):
+        body.remove(p)
 
     # Enable line numbering for transcript section
     _enable_line_numbering(doc.sections[0])