She found records of lavish dinners with friends listed as “consultations” and thousands of dollars sent to Beverly’s personal savings account. Simon even drove a sports car that he claimed was a lease through his firm, but Valerie discovered the payments were coming out of their joint household fund.
At 10:20 p.m., the first heavy thud hit the door. “Valerie, the keycard isn’t working!” Simon yelled from the hallway.
She walked to the door and pressed the intercom. “The card isn’t working because I deactivated the entire old system.”
“Are you losing your mind?” Simon shouted through the wood. “Open this door right now before I lose my temper.”
“Neither of you is coming inside tonight,” Valerie replied firmly.
“Valerie!” Beverly shrieked in the background. “I am an elderly woman, and I will not be forced to sleep in a public corridor!”
“You should have considered your sleeping arrangements before you tried to move into a house that doesn’t belong to you,” Valerie said.
Simon slammed his fist against the frame. “This is my home too! I am ordering you to let us in!”