Chapter 8 - Thirty Days Later
Thirty days passed with breathtaking speed.
True to Mr. Harrison’s prediction, Elena did not file a lawsuit. When the forensic audit team presented her with proof of the eight million dollars she and her children had funneled into B&T Holdings, her expensive defense attorney advised her to stay as quiet as possible to avoid criminal prosecution.
Instead, she spent those thirty days packing what little she was legally permitted to keep.
On a rainy Tuesday afternoon, I pulled up to the iron gates of Elmridge Manor driving my simple, five-year-old sedan. The gate code—4492—worked perfectly, sliding the heavy iron doors open.
As I drove up the long, winding driveway lined with tall oak trees, I saw a large moving truck parked near the front entrance.
Three movers were loading basic luggage and personal clothing items into the back. Standing near the porch in the rain were Elena, Brad, and Tiffany.
They looked completely unrecognizable.
Elena was wearing a simple rain jacket, her hair unstyled, her face devoid of the immaculate makeup she always wore. Brad stood with his hands jammed into the pockets of a worn hoodie, staring at the ground, looking defeated and humiliated. Tiffany was crying silently, holding a small duffel bag containing her clothes.
As I stepped out of my car, holding an umbrella, Elena turned to face me.
There was no rage left in her eyes. No disgust. No cruel smiles. Only an overwhelming, crushing defeat.
"Zachary," she said quietly, her voice hoarse from weeks of stress and crying.
"Elena," I acknowledged politely, stopping a few feet away.
"We're leaving," she whispered, gesturing toward the moving truck. "The movers took our personal clothes. The forensic team inspected every bag. We didn't take anything that belonged to Robert."
"I know," I said. "Mr. Harrison monitored the audit."
Brad looked up at me, his voice shaking. "We had to sell my car just to pay the deposit on a two-bedroom apartment in Queens. My credit score is ruined because of the credit card debts Mom accumulated."
I looked at Brad. "You're twenty-six years old, Brad. You have two arms and two legs. You can get a job, just like I did."
Brad flinched at my words, but he didn't argue. For the first time in his life, he had to face the reality of earning his own living.
Tiffany stepped forward, her voice small. "Zachary... my college tuition... the spring semester starts next month. Is there any way..."
I looked at Tiffany. Out of the three of them, she was the youngest, manipulated by her mother's endless ambition.
"Send the tuition bills directly to Mr. Harrison's office," I said quietly. "If your grades remain above a B average, the trust will cover your education. But you will not receive an allowance, and you will not receive a single dollar in cash."
Tiffany gasped, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you... thank you, Zachary..."
Elena looked at me in shock. She opened her mouth to speak, perhaps to thank me, perhaps to apologize, but no words came out. She realized that the stepson she had spent six years tormenting possessed a level of mercy she could never comprehend.
"It's time for you to go," I said gently, looking toward the gates.
Elena nodded slowly. She took Tiffany's hand, motioned for Brad to follow, and walked down the steps toward the small, beat-up rental car parked behind the moving truck.
May you like
I watched them drive down the long driveway until the red taillights vanished past the iron gates.
The shadow that had hung over Elmridge Manor for six long years had finally lifted.
