Chapter 2 - Eviction at Dawn
"You can't do this!" Diane screamed, rising to her feet, her expensive diamond necklace sparkling under the chandelier—a necklace bought with a Vanguard expense voucher. "This is the Morrison Estate! My husband built this house!"
Arthur pulled a second document from his briefcase. "Correction, Mrs. Morrison. This estate was placed into a real estate investment trust six years ago to clear your late husband's gambling debts. The trust was purchased in full by Vanguard Real Estate Division. You do not own this mansion. You are tenants."
"Tenants?" Brendan choked out, looking around the opulent dining room as if the walls were collapsing on him.
"Tenants whose lease has just been terminated for breach of corporate ethics and creation of a hostile environment on company-owned property," Arthur stated smoothly. "Under Protocol 7, all non-essential personnel must vacate the premises within one hour. Security will oversee the packing of personal clothing only. All jewelry, artwork, and furnishings purchased via Vanguard corporate expense accounts remain property of the corporation pending audit."
Jessica grabbed Brendan’s arm, her voice rising in high-pitched panic. "Brendan! He's bluffing! Call the police! Tell them these people are trespassing!"
"The police are already on their way, Miss Sterling," Vance, the security chief, interrupted calmly. "Not for us, but to assist in serving the corporate preservation order and ensuring no company assets leave the property."
Outside, the distant wail of police sirens began to echo through the quiet, gated neighborhood.
Diane gasped, clutching her throat, and sank back into her chair. Her sister, who had spent the entire dinner ignoring my humiliation, suddenly began stammering, "I... I was just a guest! I didn't pour the water! It was Diane!"
"Coward!" Diane shrieked at her sister.
Brendan fell to his knees on the wet Persian rug—the very rug he had watched his mother ruin—and looked up at me with eyes full of desperate tears.
"Cassidy, please!" he begged, reaching for the hem of my soaked dress. "Think about our baby! This is our child’s grandmother! This is my family! We can talk about this! We can fix the marriage!"
I stepped back, out of his reach.
"My child will never grow up in a house where cruelty is called family tradition," I said, my voice steady and cold as steel. "You chose your mother's cruelty and your mistress's laughter over your wife and child. Now you get to live with that choice."
I turned to Arthur. "Is my car outside?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Arthur replied respectfully. "The medical team is waiting in the executive SUV to examine you and ensure the fetus was not stressed by the sudden temperature drop. Your private estate in Aspen Hill has been prepared for your arrival."
"Good," I said. "Audit every receipts folder for the last three years. Every cent spent on this family that violated Vanguard policy... demand full repayment."
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"With interest, Ma'am," Arthur confirmed with a slight bow.
I walked past the dining table without looking back. As I reached the front doors, the sound of Diane weeping hysterically and Jessica screaming at Brendan for his lost fortune followed me out into the crisp night air.
