Chapter 7 - The New Year's Panic
January 2nd arrived with a brutal, freezing winter wind.
Inside the Wheaton mansion, the atmosphere was no longer festive. The Christmas tree was dead, and so was Thomas’s bank account.
At 9:00 AM, Thomas received a frantic call from his mortgage lender. The automatic payment had bounced. His account was severely overdrawn.
Thomas sat in his charcoal cashmere sweater, his face turning the color of wet chalk.
"Evelyn!" Thomas shouted, his stern, authoritative facade completely shattering into a desperate, feral panic. "The mortgage bounced! Rachel didn't send the money!"
Evelyn rushed into the room, her carefully styled blonde bob messy.
"What do you mean she didn't send it?!" Evelyn shrieked hysterically. "Call her right now! It must be a bank error! She knows the grace period ends today!"
Thomas frantically dialed Rachel's number, fully expecting her to answer on the first ring like she always did. He expected her to apologize and wire the funds immediately.
But the phone just rang. And rang. It went straight to a cold, automated voicemail.
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For three days, Rachel completely ignored their frantic calls, demanding texts, and desperate emails.
👉 What aggressive, desperate move will the parents make when they realize they are being ignored?
