Chapter 3 - Cracks in the Empire
Madison frantically pulled up her mobile banking app right there on our front porch. The glow of the screen lit up her wide, horrified eyes.
“It... it says insufficient funds,” she stammered, looking up at Mark. “Uncle Mark, my insurance payment bounced!”
Uncle Mark frowned, looking back and forth between Madison and Ethan. “Ethan, what is she talking about? Your mother handles the family trust from your grandfather’s business.”
Ethan let out a bitter laugh. “There is no family trust, Mark. Grandfather went bankrupt eight years ago because Patricia burned through his life savings on country club fees and designer clothes. The only reason there was any money left at all was because I bought Grandfather’s real estate assets out of liquidation before he passed.”
Mark stood still. Uncle Greg shifted uncomfortably behind him.
“Patricia told you guys she was managing a legacy trust, didn't she?” Ethan continued, stepping closer to the doorway. “She told the whole family that she was letting me live in luxury out of her generosity. The reality is, I’ve been paying her bills, your sister’s bills, and maintaining the family home out of my salary as a senior structural engineer. And last night, she struck my wife three times across the face in front of my daughter.”
“She... she said Claire hit her,” Uncle Greg muttered, his tone losing its aggressive edge.
“Check the security footage,” Ethan said quietly. “My parents’ living room has a smart hub camera on the mantelpiece—the one I installed for Dad last Thanksgiving. You want the truth? Go look at the cloud storage.”
Madison lowered her phone completely. “Mom said the camera was turned off...”
“It wasn’t,” Ethan said. “Now get off my property before I file a formal trespass order against all three of you.”
He shut the door firmly and turned the deadbolt.
Upstairs, I took a deep breath. But the relief was short-lived. My own phone vibrated in my palm. It was a text message from an unknown number.
Attached was a photo of our front driveway taken from across the street.
“You think you’ve won, Claire? You took my son’s money. Now I’m going to take everything you love. Look out your window.”
May you like
I rushed to the master bedroom window and pulled back the curtain. Parked at the end of our quiet cul-de-sac was a black SUV with dark tinted windows.
Patricia wasn’t just trying to protect her lifestyle anymore. She was waging war.
