Chapter 3 - Whispers in the Hallway
When I returned to the dining room, the mood had shifted from cruel mockery to bored complacency. The plates were being cleared by the elderly housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, who shot me a quick, sympathetic glance as she collected my water glass. Mrs. Gable had worked for the family for over twenty years; she had watched Bram grow up into a spineless adult and had witnessed Nora’s endless parade of entitled tantrums.
As I slid back into my chair, Nora leaned across the corner of the table, her diamond tennis bracelet clicking against the crystal glassware.
“You missed out, Hadley,” Nora purred, her eyes glittering with malicious amusement. “Mom was just telling us about our upcoming family trip to Aspen next month. We’re renting that massive chalet near the lifts again. It’s going to be absolute heaven.”
She paused for dramatic effect, letting the deliberate exclusion hang heavily in the air.
“Of course,” she continued, tilting her head with mock sympathy, “since you’re always so swamped with your little garage architecture projects, we figured you’d prefer to stay behind and take care of the house. Plus, you know, Aspen can be a bit... exclusive for people used to working with local contractors.”
Across the table, Uncle Gary chuckled, and Cousin Chloe snorted into her napkin. Rosalind didn't look up from her coffee cup, sipping slowly as if nothing unusual were happening.
Bram cleared his throat, finally finding his voice, though he still couldn't bring himself to look me in the eye.
“Nora’s right, honey,” Bram muttered, staring fixedly at the intricate floral pattern on the tablecloth. “It’s a family trip, and things have been a bit tight financially with your firm lately. It makes sense for you to stay home and catch up on your workload while we’re gone.”
Financially tight.
The sheer audacity of the statement nearly made me laugh out loud. My firm was thriving; the only reason cash flow had experienced any friction over the last six months was because Bram had been siphoning operational funds directly into Nora’s bottomless financial pit.
I looked slowly around the table, meeting each of their eyes one by one. I let the silence stretch for several long seconds until the nervous shuffling started again.
“How thoughtful of you all to plan my schedule so thoroughly,” I said, my voice smooth, even, and entirely devoid of anger. “It’s true that I have a great deal of work to handle over the next few weeks. In fact, my schedule is about to become profoundly busy—much busier than any of you are anticipating.”
Nora rolled her eyes, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “Oh, please. Don’t try to sound mysterious, Hadley. It doesn’t suit you. You’re an architect, not a secret agent.”
“You’d be surprised, Nora,” I replied softly, picking up my water glass and taking a slow, deliberate sip. “Some structures look entirely solid from the outside, but their foundations are completely hollowed out. All it takes is one small tremor for the whole thing to come crashing down.”
For a fleeting second, something resembling unease flickered across Bram’s face. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again when his mother shot him a sharp, warning glare from the head of the table.
Dinner concluded shortly after. As coats were gathered and goodbyes were exchanged in the grand marble-tiled foyer, Nora walked past me, deliberately bumping her heavy leather shoulder bag against my arm.
“Don't forget to wash that dog bowl before you use it, dear,” she whispered with a venomous smile. “It might have some leftover grit from the last stray that sat in it.”
“I won’t,” I replied, smiling right back into her eyes. “And you make sure you pack your favorite clothes for Aspen, Nora. Enjoy every single moment of it. Because it’s going to be the last real vacation you take for a very, very long time.”
May you like
Nora scoffed, turning on her heel and strutting out toward her parked convertible.
She had no idea that tomorrow morning, the first legal notice would land on her desk.
