Chapter 7 - Desperate Calls and Unmasked Hypocrisy
The following morning, I was awoken not by the harsh sound of my mother banging on my bedroom door demanding breakfast, but by the soft morning sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Julian’s estate.
On the nightstand, my phone was buzzing continuously.
I picked it up and was stunned by what I saw: forty-seven missed calls, thirty-two text messages, and a dozen voicemails—all from my parents, Ryan, and Natalie.
I unlocked the screen and began scrolling through the messages. The sudden shift in their tone was almost comical.
Margaret (Mother) - 11:15 PM: "Claire, please answer the phone! Your father is having chest pains. You must talk to Julian. He cannot cancel this contract! We did what we did to protect the family name!"
Margaret - 1:40 AM: "Claire, darling, my sweet girl... Mother loves you so much. We were just stressed yesterday. You know how holiday cooking gets out of hand. Come home for lunch today, we have so much to celebrate regarding your engagement!"
Thomas (Father) - 6:00 AM: "Claire, I am begging you. The primary creditor called at dawn. They are demanding a five-million-dollar collateral payment by Monday afternoon or they will initiate foreclosure on our primary distribution center. Tell Mercer we will give him whatever equity he wants. Just save us."
Ryan - 7:15 AM: "Claire, look, I’m sorry about what happened seven years ago, okay? But you can't ruin my life over a mistake from when I was a kid! Tell your billionaire boyfriend to back off or I’ll tell the press he’s using insider information!"
Natalie - 8:00 AM: "Claire, sweetie! Let’s go shopping today in Manhattan! My treat! We need to find you an engagement dress! Forget about yesterday, family always fights on holidays!"
I stared at the screen, feeling a profound sense of detachment. Not a single message contained a genuine apology for stealing my college fund. Not a single message acknowledged the humiliation of forcing me to cook like a maid while they dined in luxury. Every single word was dripping with pure, selfish fear over losing their money and status.
Julian walked into the bedroom wearing a crisp white dress shirt and dark trousers, carrying a silver tray with two steaming cups of freshly brewed coffee.
"Good morning, future Mrs. Mercer," he smiled, placing the tray on the nightstand and kissing my forehead. "I take it the Bennett family has realized the consequences of their actions?"
"They've called me fifty times," I said, handing him my phone. "My father is facing foreclosure on Monday, and Ryan is threatening to go to the press."
Julian scrolled through the messages, an icy smirk forming on his lips. "Ryan wants to threaten me with the press? How fascinating. He seems to forget that I own the majority stake in three of the largest media syndicates on the East Coast."
He handed the phone back to me and took a sip of his coffee. "Thomas Bennett has requested an emergency meeting at Mercer Holdings corporate headquarters at ten o'clock this morning. He thinks he can charm his way into my office and beg for mercy."
I looked at Julian, a new spark of resolve igniting in my chest. "I want to be there."
Julian’s eyes widened slightly in pleasant surprise. "Are you sure, Claire? You don't have to subject yourself to them ever again."
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"No," I replied, sitting up straight. "For seven years, they made decisions about my life behind closed doors while I stood in the hallway. If Thomas Bennett wants to beg for his company, I want to be sitting in the room when he realizes who truly holds the power."
Julian smiled proudly. "Then let’s go get you dressed for the boardroom."
