Chapter 5 - Eviction Day
The morning of the fourteenth day arrived. Rain battered the windows of 1428 Elm Street, mirroring the day Lily had been locked out.
Evelyn, Natalie, and Frank had refused to pack, stubbornly believing Claire would blink at the final second. They sat in the living room among their fine antiques, holding onto a delusion of immunity.
At precisely 9:00 AM, three Multnomah County Sheriff vehicles pulled onto the driveway, followed by a large commercial moving van.
Claire stepped out of the lead vehicle, accompanied by Sheriff Deputy Miller and a locksmith.
Deputy Miller knocked loudly on the front door. When Frank opened it, looking pale and disheveled, the Deputy held up the Writ of Execution.
"Frank Vance, Evelyn Mercer, Natalie Mercer. You are in breach of a lawful eviction order. You have thirty minutes to collect your personal clothing and leave the premises. All other contents are legally restrained under court lien."
"You can't do this!" Evelyn screamed, running to the door in her bathrobe. "Claire! You monster! This is my house!"
"This was never your house, Evelyn," Claire said, standing on the sidewalk under a dark umbrella. "It was my father's house. Then it was my house. And you abused the sanctuary it provided."
Neighbors gathered on their porches, watching in quiet triumph as the toxic family that had tormented the neighborhood for years was escorted down the driveway.
Natalie sobbed hysterically as her designer bags were tossed into the back of her car. Frank was handed a legal summons for bank fraud on the spot by an awaiting detective.
Finally, Evelyn was led down the steps. As she passed the spot on the porch where Lily had shivered in the dark for five hours, she stopped, looking at Claire with eyes full of venom and defeat.
"You've destroyed this family, Claire," Evelyn hissed.
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"No, Evelyn," Claire replied evenly. "You destroyed it the moment you made an eleven-year-old girl believe she didn't deserve warmth. I am simply cleaning up the debris."
The locksmith stepped forward, removed the lock Evelyn had installed, and fitted a brand-new silver deadbolt. He handed the fresh key to Claire.
