So, grandfather, he paid for this house. Arthur nodded. Technically, the personal loan is still active. You owe $180,000 payable to Sterling Investments Bank.
And given that bank is now owned by Mrs. Eleanor as part of her inheritance. He left the sentence unfinished. I can call the loan whenever I want.
I finished for him. I can demand immediate full payment. And when you cannot pay, I can execute the collateral and take possession of the house.
Harper finally understood the magnitude of her situation. Not only was she going to lose her husband, not only would she face criminal charges, she would also lose the house, the lifestyle, everything she had built on lies and manipulation. She collapsed completely, sobbing in a way that would have been pathetic if it hadn’t been so deserved.
You have 24 hours, I announced firmly. 24 hours to get your personal belongings out of this house. After that, locksmiths will change every key, and anything left inside will be considered abandoned.
I looked at Harper directly, and just to be clear, personal belongings means clothes and toiletries. No furniture, no electronics, nothing that was bought with Liam’s money or with fraudulent credit cards. Madison found courage from some desperate place.
You cannot do this. It is illegal. You need a court order to evict someone. She was screaming now, face red with rage and impotence. Arthur simply pulled out more papers. I already have the necessary court orders.
Judge Morales, an old friend of Mr. Sterling signed them this afternoon after reviewing all the evidence. Everything is perfectly legal, Miss Madison. I turned to the guests who still remained frozen in the foyer.
You may leave. This family has matters to resolve in private. They didn’t need to be told twice.
They moved toward the door with barely disguised haste, murmuring awkward goodbyes. The woman with mahogany hair paused briefly next to me. I am sorry for having been part of this even as a spectator.
She whispered, you didn’t deserve any of what happened here. And then they were gone, leaving us alone. Me, Liam, Harper, Madison, and Arthur.
The silence was dense, heavy as lead. Finally, Liam spoke. Mom, what do I have to do? His voice sounded broken, empty.
Tell me exactly what you need me to do for you to forgive me to give me a chance with grandfather’s inheritance. There it was again, the inheritance. He didn’t ask how he could repair our bond.
He didn’t ask how to regain my love, my respect. He asked about the money. You know what is the saddest part, Liam? I said, walking slowly toward the door. Even now, after everything you have seen and heard, you still think in terms of transactions.
What do you have to do to get what? As if love were something that can be bought or earned by checking off a list of requirements. I stopped in front of him.
Your grandfather Richard put those conditions in the will not because he wanted to make you jump through hoops. He did it because he hoped the process of fulfilling them would actually transform you. That it would teach you what I could never teach you.
I pulled my phone from my pant pocket. It was old with a scratch screen, but it worked. I dialed a saved number.
Someone answered after the second ring. Mrs. Eleanor. A female voice said on the other end, “Yes, it is me.”
“Could you send the car now?” I’m finished here. There was a confirmation and I hung up.
Liam looked at me with confusion. What car? As if answering his question, headlights illuminated the window. A black car, long and elegant, pulled up in front of the house. It was a Mercedes S-Class, the type of vehicle one sees in movies about millionaires.
A uniform chauffeur got out and opened the rear door waiting. That car, I replied simply. My father left several vehicles.
This is one of the more modest ones. I saw Liam’s eyes widen seeing the car. Harper also watched from the floor, mouth open.
Even Arthur smiled slightly at the perfection of the moment. I walked toward the door but stopped before leaving.
Liam, if you really want that chance, if you genuinely believe you can fulfill the conditions of the will, then present yourself at Arthur’s offices tomorrow at 9 in the morning. He will have all the divorce papers ready for you to sign. He will also have a contract where you voluntarily renounce this house and all shared properties with Harper.
I paused, and we will assign you a small apartment similar to the one I lived in. That is where you will begin your 2-year process. His eyes shone with desperate hope.
I will be there at 9 sharp. I promise, Mom. I nodded without smiling. We will see. I turned to Harper and Madison one last time. And you two expect a visit from the police tomorrow morning.
Arthur already filed all formal charges. Fraud, conspiracy, document forgery, financial abuse of an elderly person. You are probably looking at between 5 and 10 years in prison each.
Madison began to cry again, but these tears didn’t move me. My children, Mrs. Eleanor. What is going to happen to my children?
I looked at her coldly. Your husband will have to take care of them. Or maybe your mother.
It is not my problem, Madison. You should have thought of them before. I walked up to her until I was very close.
And I want you to understand something. I am not doing this for revenge. I am doing this for justice.
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