Chapter 2
Z
The chiming of the heavy front door echoed down the marble hallway like a death knell. Evelyn scoffed, setting her porcelain coffee cup down with a sharp clatter that vibrated against the mahogany dining table. "Tell whoever it is that we don’t buy anything from solicitors, Lena. And hurry up with my fresh juice; this coffee is lukewarm."
I didn’t move to fetch her juice. Instead, I walked slowly toward the foyer, the heavy silence of the house hanging over my shoulders like a tailored velvet cloak. Behind me, I heard the scraping of Daniel’s chair against the floorboards. Curiosity—or perhaps a sudden, lingering thread of paranoia—had finally pulled him away from his smug breakfast routine.
When I opened the front door, standing on the grand porch were two men in dark tailored suits alongside a local process server holding a thick stack of legal documents tied in crimson ribbon. Behind them stood Margaret Sloan, her sharp gray eyes scanning the foyer before landing squarely on me. She gave me a single, firm nod.
"Lena Montgomery?" the process server asked formally.
"I am Lena Montgomery," I replied, my voice steady, carrying clearly into the quiet morning air. "And these are my guests."
Daniel stepped into the foyer, his eyebrows knit together in irritation, his hands casually shoved into his trousers. "What the hell is this, Lena? Who are these people?"
The process server stepped past me, unspooling the documents in his hands. "Daniel Montgomery? You are officially served with a petition for immediate dissolution of marriage, an emergency restraining order based on domestic violence and fraud, and an immediate notice of eviction." He pivoted effortlessly toward Evelyn, who had just sauntered into the entryway, clutching her pearl necklace. "Evelyn Montgomery? You are being served with an immediate notice of unlawful detainer and an order for emergency removal from the premises."
Evelyn’s face drained of color, going as white as the marble beneath her slippers. "Excuse me? This is my son’s house! You can’t order me out of my own home!"
Margaret stepped forward, her heels clicking authoritatively against the floor. "Actually, Mrs. Montgomery, this property is held exclusively within the Eleanor Vance Revocable Trust, of which my client, Lena, is the sole trustee and beneficiary. Neither you nor your son have ever held a single percentage of ownership, equity, or legal residency here. Furthermore, due to the physical assault perpetrated last night—which resulted in second-degree burns documented by emergency physicians—along with evidence of attempted mortgage fraud, a judge has signed an emergency ex-parte order requiring both of you to vacate this property within sixty minutes."
"Sixty minutes?!" Daniel shouted, his cheeks flushing deep crimson. He turned on me, his eyes wide with a mixture of rage and disbelief. "Lena, have you lost your mind?! You can't do this! We’re married! Everything you have is mine!"
"Check the prenuptial agreement you signed four years ago without reading, Daniel," I said softly, leaning against the archway. "Section 4, Clause B explicitly states that any separate trust property remains entirely separate, regardless of commingling attempts. And Section 9 states that any act of domestic violence voided all financial claims you might have had to marital spousal support."
"This is ridiculous!" Evelyn shrieked, her regal composure crumbling into raw hysteria. "Daniel, call our lawyers! Call the police!"
"The police are already here, Mrs. Montgomery," Margaret said calmly, pointing toward the driveway. A local law enforcement cruiser pulled up right behind Margaret’s sedan, its lights flashing silently. Two uniformed deputies stepped out, walking casually up the stone pathway.
Daniel looked back and forth between the officers, Margaret, and me. For the first time in two years, the arrogant smirk on his face completely shattered. He took a step toward me, reaching out a hand. "Lena... honey, listen to me. We can talk about this. Mom was just stressed last night, it was an accident—"
"It was no accident," I interrupted, raising my bandaged hand so it sat directly between us. The heavy white gauze was a stark barrier. "And you laughed. You told me I’d learn. Well, Daniel... I learned."
The lead deputy stepped up to the doorway, placing a gloved hand on his belt. "Mr. Montgomery, Mrs. Montgomery, you have fifty-five minutes to pack one bag of personal essentials each. Any attempt to remove furniture, art, or assets belonging to the trust will result in immediate arrest for grand theft. Escorts will accompany you while you pack."
Evelyn gasped, clutching her heart as if she were experiencing a dramatic stroke, but the deputy remained unfazed. "Upstairs, ma'am. Let's move."
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As Daniel was ushered toward the stairs by the second deputy, he turned back to glare at me, his fists clenched tight. "You think you've won, Lena? You think you can just throw us out like trash? I’ll sue you for every penny you’ve got!"
"You're welcome to try," I whispered, watching him scramble up the stairs under the deputy's watchful eye. "But you're going to find out very quickly that without my money, you can't even afford the retainer."
