Chapter 12 - The Eviction Notice
On Friday morning, the movers arrived at the Oak Hills mansion.
Helen and Richard stood on the manicured front lawn, their expensive clothes wrinkled, their faces pale and exhausted as they watched their furniture being loaded into a moving truck. Neighbors stood on their lawns, whispering and pointing, taking photos of the high-society couple being evicted from their luxury home.
"Helen, we have to go," Richard said, holding a small suitcase. "The taxi is here."
"I'm not leaving!" Helen screamed, her voice reaching a hysterical pitch as she clawed at the porch railing. "This is my house! I built this life!"
"It was never your house, Helen," a voice said.
I stepped out of the black sedan that had parked near the curb. I walked up the driveway, wearing a beautiful, tailored wool coat Grandpa had bought me, holding Noah in a warm, plush blanket.
"Madison," Helen gasped, her eyes wide with a mixture of hope and fury. "Madison, please! Tell them to stop! You’re my daughter! You can’t do this to your own mother!"
"You put an insurance policy on my son, Helen," I said, my voice cold and devoid of any emotion. "You forged my name to steal my grandmother’s legacy. You let my sister drive the car that was supposed to protect my baby, while I walked in the freezing cold."
"I... I did it to protect you!" Helen lied, taking a step toward me.
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"No, you did it for yourself," I said, turning my back on her. "You have seventy-two hours to report to the federal courthouse for your booking. I suggest you use that time to find a good public defender. Because my grandfather's lawyers are going to make sure you get the maximum sentence."
As the sedan drove away, I looked through the rear window, watching my mother collapse onto the snowy lawn, her world completely ruined by her own greed.
