Chapter 8 - The Desperate Call
The humiliation was absolute and instantaneous.
The fifty high-society guests, politicians, and wealthy friends didn't wait around to support my mother. The moment they heard the words "bounced check" and "frozen credit," they practically sprinted for the exit, desperate to distance themselves from the financial scandal.
Within four minutes, the grand ballroom was entirely empty, leaving only my mother and Bianca standing in the dark.
“Mom, do something!” Bianca wailed hysterically, her perfect night completely destroyed. “Call Clara! Tell her to use Patrick's credit card to fix this! He can fix things!”
My mother, hyperventilating and completely stripped of her toxic arrogance, frantically pulled her phone from her designer purse. She dialed my number, her hands shaking violently.
Back in the ICU, my phone vibrated on the tray table.
I looked at Patrick. He didn't say a word. He just nodded slowly.
I answered the call and put it on speakerphone.
“Clara!” my mother screamed hysterically. “There is a massive mistake at the hotel! They turned the lights off! They’re kicking us out! The manager said my credit line was frozen by the underwriter! You need to come down here right now and pay the balance! Use whatever savings you and that mechanic have!”
Patrick leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
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“The mechanic doesn't fix bounced checks, Eleanor,” Patrick said, his deep, commanding voice echoing through the phone speaker.
👉 My mother froze, suddenly realizing the voice on the other end of the line was the architect of her destruction.
