“I did it for this family!” he screamed. “How else did you think we were maintaining this lifestyle while your business was in its growth phase?”
“By robbing me?” I asked flatly.
“You have so much money you wouldn’t have even noticed if you weren’t so obsessed with control!” he spat.
There it was—the truth with no mask on, showing a man who felt entitled to my hard work because he felt diminished by it. The process server informed them they had exactly one hour to pack their essentials and vacate the property.
Beatrice began to wail about the unfairness of it all, while Chloe started arguing with Preston about where they were supposed to go. It was a pathetic, low-rent spectacle that stood in stark contrast to the “old money” image they worked so hard to maintain.
As they were dragging their suitcases toward the door, Preston leaned in close to me one last time. “If you burn me down, Julianne, I’ll make sure everyone knows exactly where your ‘brilliant’ ideas really came from.”
I didn’t blink or back away from his trembling presence. “Go ahead and try; I have the patents, the logs, and the legal team to bury you.”