Chapter 7 - The Ashes of Ashford Manor
Three days later, Ashford Manor—the sprawling estate that had once symbolized the pinnacle of New York high society arrogance—was scheduled for a public distress auction.
The iron gates were thrown open, not for high-society galas and charity balls, but for creditors, bankruptcy trustees, and curious reporters snapping photographs of the fallen dynasty.
Vivian Ashford stood on the gravel driveway, clutching a single cheap leather suitcase, her designer sunglasses hiding her tear-streaked, humiliated face. A modest taxi she had been forced to call using her last remaining cash reserves idled by the curb, the driver impatiently tapping his horn.
As she walked toward the cab, a sleek, black Maybach glided silently past the iron gates.
Vivian stopped, her breath catching in her throat.
The tinted window of the Maybach rolled down smoothly, revealing me sitting comfortably in the plush leather interior, wearing dark oversized sunglasses and a calm, untouchable smile.
“Claire,” Vivian rasped, stepping toward the car with a face twisted in bitter hatred. “You ruthless, calculating little witch! You planned this all along, didn't you? You let us think you were weak!”
I didn't rush. I slowly rolled my window down another inch, looking down at the woman who had tormented me for seven years with absolute, serene pity.
“Vivian,” I said, my voice carrying clearly over the gravel. “You spent seven years reminding me that I was a 'lucky little nobody' who didn't belong in your world. You forgot one simple truth.”
Vivian stared at me, her chest heaving. “What truth?”
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“I didn't marry into your world, Vivian,” I smiled coldly. “You were just squatting in mine.”
Before Vivian could find her voice, the Maybach’s engine purred to life, gliding smoothly past her and leaving her standing alone in the dust of her own ruined legacy. The taxi driver honked again, sharper this time, and Vivian was forced to open the car door herself and climb into the back seat of a cheap cab. The Ashford era was officially dead and buried.
