Chapter 15 - The Sister’s Last Stand
The eviction was a massive public blow to the Hale family name, but Clara wasn't going to let her mother go down without a fight.
A week after the eviction, I was scheduled to perform a complex implant surgery at my Columbus clinic. I was in the scrub room, washing my hands, when my cell phone buzzed. It was a restricted number.
I picked it up, expecting it to be a supplier.
"Evelyn, you miserable, vindictive bitch," Clara's voice spat through the speaker. She sounded manic, her words slurred and fast. "You think you’ve won? You think you can just cast us out like garbage?"
"Clara," I said, my voice deadpan as I rinsed my hands. "You are violating a restraining order. This call is being recorded."
"I don't care about your stupid piece of paper!" she shrieked. "You ruined my life! My landlord in Chicago is evicting me because my check bounced! My mother is sleeping on a pull-out couch in a basement! We are the Hales! We built this town!"
"No, Clara," I said, grabbing a paper towel. "Your grandfather built a small lumber mill that went bankrupt in the eighties. Since then, your family has done nothing but bleed me dry. You haven't worked a real job in five years. You lived on my hard-earned money while talking down to me at every family dinner."
"We gave you status!" Clara yelled. "You were just a middle-class immigrant's kid before you married Daniel! We made you respectable!"
"I made myself respectable when I graduated top of my class at dental school while working two jobs," I replied, my voice dropping to a dangerous, icy whisper. "Your 'status' didn't pay for my clinics. My sweat did. And now, you are going to learn what it's like to live in the real world."
"I’ll kill you, Evelyn! I swear to God, if I see you—"
"Thank you, Clara," I interrupted. "That is a direct, recorded death threat. I am forwarding this to the Columbus Police Department immediately. Enjoy your eviction, and enjoy your new criminal record."
May you like
I hung up the phone and handed it to my assistant. "Send that audio file to Marcus. Tell him to file an immediate warrant for Clara's arrest for felony intimidation."
I walked into the operatory, took a deep breath, and picked up my surgical drill. I had a patient to care for. My life was moving forward, and the Hales were dragging themselves into the abyss.
