Chapter 4 - The House of Cards
The auction was the biggest social event in town. People arrived in droves to watch the "Miller family empire" crumble. Derek was there, desperate and sweating, trying to convince the auctioneer that the debt was a misunderstanding.
I stood in the back, leaning against the fence where I used to hide my father's old gardening tools.
"Going once, going twice," the auctioneer called.
I raised my hand.
The crowd gasped. I placed a bid—one that was three times the market value—but only because I wanted to be the one to sign the final papers. When the hammer fell, the house was mine.
I walked up to the porch, past Derek and Lena. They looked like ghosts.
"I'm evicting you," I said simply. "You have thirty minutes to get your golf clubs out of my house."
"Audrey, please," my mother emerged, looking frail. "I’m your mother. Where will we go?"
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"You have a daughter who’s 'perfectly put together,' Mom," I said, looking at Lena. "Let her take care of you. She’s the one who wanted a fresh start."
As they packed their bags into their luxury SUV, I saw Derek’s face. He knew. He knew that the $38 million meant I would be coming after his offshore accounts next. The look in his eyes wasn't anger; it was pure, unadulterated fear.
