Chapter 3 - Moving Day for a Phantom
By 8:00 a.m., the kitchen smelled of dark roast coffee and smoked bacon. Diane was sitting at the marble breakfast bar in a velvet bathrobe, acting like the queen of a country manor, while Madison scrolled through luxury crib catalogs on an iPad.
Eric walked in wearing a fresh tennis polo, looking remarkably pleased with himself. When Clara stepped into the kitchen, wearing simple denim jeans, white sneakers, and an olive utility jacket, all three heads turned.
“Look who decided to join the living,” Diane said, not even looking up from her teacup. “Clara, there’s an entire basket of Madison’s delicates by the laundry room. Make sure you don’t put the cashmere in the dryer this time. And while you’re at it, Madison’s boyfriend, Kyle, is coming over with his truck around noon. You need to make sure the driveway gates are unlocked.”
“Kyle is moving in?” Clara asked, her voice calm, devoid of any anger.
Madison smiled widely, leaning back against her barstool. “Of course he is. He’s the father of my baby. We need the space, Clara. We’re turning your little home office upstairs into Kyle’s gaming and music studio. Eric already gave him the green light.”
Eric poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter, crossing his ankles. He looked at Clara with a patronizing smirk. “It’s about family, Clara. I told you last night, we take care of our own. You’re lucky to be under this roof. Now go take care of Madison’s laundry, then head to the store. We need ribeyes for tonight. Kyle likes his steaks thick.”
Clara didn’t move toward the laundry room. Instead, she reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out a small set of keys, and set them gently on the marble island.
“What’s that?” Eric frowned, his eyebrows pulling together.
“Those are the keys to the pantry and the storage shed,” Clara replied evenly. “I’m heading out for a few days.”
Diane let out a loud snort. “Oh, please! Are you throwing a temper tantrum? Running away to a cheap motel because you had to give up a bedroom? How childish!”
“Let her go, Mom,” Eric scoffed, taking a slow sip of his coffee. “Let her go stay with one of her little friend’s couches for forty-eight hours. She’ll realize real quick how cold the world is without my bank account. She’ll come crawling back by Sunday, begging to clean the bathrooms.”
Madison laughed loudly. “Don’t forget to leave your credit card on the counter, Clara! Kyle and I need to order lunch from the sushi bar!”
Clara looked at the three of them. She looked at Eric’s smug grin, Diane’s haughty tilt of the head, and Madison’s entitled smirk. A tiny, imperceptible smile touched the corner of Clara’s mouth.
“Enjoy the house,” Clara said softly.
She turned on her heel and walked toward the grand front entrance. Sitting beside the heavy mahogany door was a single, high-end leather duffel bag containing her passport, her laptop, three changes of clothes, and every vital financial record she possessed.
As she pulled the massive front door shut behind her, she heard the heavy hydraulic latch click into place. Outside, an all-black executive town car was idling in the circular driveway. The driver stepped out, opened the rear door, and loaded her bag into the trunk.
Clara slid into the leather interior of the vehicle. Sitting on the seat beside her was an unsealed manila envelope bearing the wax seal of *Vance & Sterling.*
Her phone buzzed. A text message from Arthur appeared on the screen:
*“Buyer accepted the all-cash offer of $3.2 million. No contingencies. Closing finalized in 48 hours. The municipal court has signed the emergency unconditional eviction warrant based on the domestic assault recording. Sheriff is scheduled for Monday 10:00 AM. Clara, are you absolutely sure you want to do this to him?”*
Clara looked out the tinted window at the towering mansion fading into the distance. She touched her cheek where the bruise was turning purple.
She typed back two words: *“Burn it.”*
May you like
👉 Left behind in the house, Eric and his mother immediately began tearing down walls, unaware they were destroying property they didn't own and racking up hundreds of thousands in criminal damages.
***
