Chapter 7 - The Eviction
The downfall of Julian Vance was fast, public, and merciless.
With Julian held without bail on felony assault and attempted robbery charges, his legal team completely collapsed. Delaware Holdings initiated emergency foreclosure proceedings on the suburban mansion.
Two weeks after the hotel incident, a sheriff’s deputy arrived at the suburban house with an eviction writ.
Victoria Vance stood on the front lawn in the biting autumn cold, surrounded by garbage bags filled with her clothes, her cheap porcelain knick-knacks, and damp furniture that the movers had dragged out onto the driveway.
Neighbors gathered on the sidewalk, pointing and whispering. Victoria, who had spent years boasting about her son’s wealthy tech empire and her superior status in the neighborhood, sat on a overturned plastic crate, weeping hysterical tears into a soiled tissue.
Elena pulled up to the curb in a dark blue sedan. She stepped out, wearing a long beige trench coat and leather gloves, looking elegant, serene, and completely unbothered by the cold wind.
Victoria snapped her head up, her eyes wild with venom. “You! You monster! Look what you did to us! My son is in jail! My house is gone! We are ruined!”
Elena walked up to the edge of the driveway, stopping a safe distance away. She looked at the pile of junk surrounding her former mother-in-law.
“You did this to yourselves, Victoria,” Elena said calmly. “You thought marriage was a trap where you could cage a woman, strip her of her dignity, and use her family’s money to hide your debts.”
“We were going to treat you like family once you proved yourself!” Victoria sobbed, waving her hands wildly.
“Family doesn't throw trash in each other’s faces,” Elena replied, her voice smooth as silk. “Family doesn't steal identities to cover up bank loans. You taught me a valuable lesson on my first morning here: earn your keep.”
Elena pulled an official court document from her coat pocket and laid it on top of a nearby cardboard box.
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“This is the official decree of annulment,” Elena said. “The judge signed it an hour ago. The marriage never existed. My name is Elena Vance, and I owe you nothing.”
Elena turned and walked back to her car without looking back once. Behind her, Victoria’s shrieks dissolved into the cold wind, completely ignored by the world around her.
