Chapter 4 - The Fall of the House of Vance
The arrest happened in the most public way possible. Arthur and Eleanor were hosting a post-birthday dinner at an upscale country club for their wealthy friends when the police walked in. Multiple guests filmed the event on their phones, and by midnight, the videos were circulating online.
Eleanor was screaming, accusing the officers of being paid off by me, while Arthur tried to threaten the chief of police with his political connections. They were placed in handcuffs and led out past their affluent peers in absolute disgrace.
The next morning, Chloe arrived at the hospital, completely bypassing the main entrance by lying to a nurse, claiming she was there to deliver urgent medication. She burst into Emma's room, her face red and tear-stained, looking completely frantic.
"You ruined everything!" Chloe shrieked, slamming the door behind her. "Mom and Dad are in jail! The press is outside their house! My husband's law firm is talking about letting him go because of the association! All because you couldn't just pay for the damn party!"
I stood up slowly, ensuring I was positioned firmly between Chloe and Emma, who shrank back into her pillows.
"Get out, Chloe," I said, my voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "You have a restraining order against you. If I press this button, you go to jail tonight just like Mom and Dad."
"We are your family!" Chloe cried, changing tactics, trying to appeal to the years of conditioning she had used to manipulate me. "Mom didn't mean to hurt Emma. She was just angry! You know how she gets when she's stressed. We can fix this. Just drop the charges, post a retraction online, and Dad will buy you a house. A real house, Maya. Out of the trust. You'll never have to worry about money again."
Hearing her offer a bribe using the very trust fund that had been held over my head like a weapon for a decade made me realize how hollow they all were. There was no love there. Only transactions.
"My daughter almost died because of your greed," I said, looking her dead in the eye. "There is no amount of money in the world that can buy your way out of this. You left Emma to suffocate for a unicorn party. Look at yourself."
Chloe stepped back, seeing the absolute lack of compromise in my eyes. The entitlement vanished, replaced by a hollow, ugly fear.
"You're dead to us," she hissed. "When Dad's lawyers are done with you, you'll have nothing."
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"I already have everything I need," I replied, pressing the emergency call button.
Security arrived within seconds, accompanied by two police officers who had been stationed downstairs. Chloe was escorted out in zip-ties, weeping loudly about how her life was ruined.
