Chapter 10 - The Family Entitlement
By the fourth day, I was discharged from the hospital on crutches.
Sarah drove me straight to my condo building. But before our elevator even reached the penthouse floor, the building concierge, Marcus, stepped into the lobby with a deeply troubled look on his face.
“Mrs. Vance,” Marcus said, bowing his head respectfully. “I am so sorry to disturb you, especially after what happened. But we have a serious situation upstairs.”
“What kind of situation, Marcus?” I asked, leaning heavily on my forearm crutches.
“Mr. Mercer’s family. His older brother, Kevin, his sister-in-law, and two of his cousins arrived yesterday afternoon. They claimed they had legal power of attorney to secure the premises and collect Mr. Mercer’s belongings. When security refused to grant them elevator access, they caused an enormous scene in the lobby, claiming you were illegally locking out his family. They’re currently camped out in the visitor lounge, refusing to leave until you sign Ryan’s bail release forms.”
I looked at Sarah. She gave me a sharp, predatory smile and pulled her phone from her purse. “I’ll call the precinct captain. We have an active protective order.”
“No,” I said, straightening my spine despite the burning ache in my legs. “Let Marcus escort us to the lounge. I want to look them in the face.”
When the glass doors of the private lounge slid open, Kevin Mercer was pacing across the wool rug, barking into his cell phone. When he saw me hobble in on crutches, his bandages visible beneath my loose linen trousers, he slammed his phone shut and marched toward me.
“Finally!” Kevin roared, his face an exact, older replica of Ryan’s smug countenance. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Our mother is sitting in a county jail cell with common criminals! Ryan hasn't eaten in three days! You need to drop these insane charges right now and put up the condo as collateral for their bail!”
His wife, a brittle woman draped in cheap designer logos, sneered from the sofa. “You’re an absolute disgrace, Elena. You tear apart a good Christian family over a little kitchen accident? Ryan warned us you were vindictive, but this is pure evil.”
I didn't flinch. I didn't raise my voice. I leaned on my crutches, looking at Kevin as if he were an insect crawling across a picnic table.
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“Kevin,” I said, my voice dead and quiet. “Your mother threw boiling chicken broth on my bare skin, causing second-degree burns that will require skin grafting. Your brother slapped me twice until I bled. And together, they stole nearly two hundred thousand dollars from my accounts and attempted to forge a million-dollar mortgage on my home.”
Kevin waved his hand dismissively, exactly like his mother had done. “That’s family business! In our family, money is shared! You married a Mercer, which means everything you own belongs to the family! You sign that bail bond, or we will drag your name through every architectural board and newspaper in this city!”
