Chapter 7 - Severed Ties
The fallout was catastrophic and highly publicized.
Adrian was arrested three days after the mediation. The local news stations that had previously painted him as a tragic, heartbroken husband now ran loops of him being escorted out of his luxury townhouse in handcuffs by federal agents.
The charges were severe: wire fraud, tax evasion, and embezzlement. The state also picked up the domestic violence charges, bolstered by Elena’s hospital testimony and the paramedic's report.
With his assets seized and his reputation in ashes, his expensive lawyers dropped him. He was assigned a public defender and denied bail due to the flight risk posed by his offshore accounts.
Two weeks later, as I was signing the final liquidation papers for the company, the concierge of my building called.
“Ms. Sterling, there is an older couple down here claiming to be your parents. They say it’s an emergency.”
I sighed. “Send them to the lobby lounge. I’ll be down in five minutes.”
When I stepped off the elevator, my parents rushed toward me. They looked ten years older. The stress of losing their dream home and the shock of the public scandal had taken a massive toll on them.
“Evelyn!” My mother tried to hug me, but I took a step back, my posture rigid. She dropped her arms, her eyes filling with tears. “Oh, sweetie. We saw the news. We had no idea. We are so, so sorry.”
“Yes,” my father chimed in, looking at his shoes. “We were wrong. We should have believed you. We’re your family, Evelyn. We want to make it right.”
I looked at them. I searched my heart for a shred of the desperate love I used to feel for them, the need for their approval that had kept me trapped for so long. There was nothing left.
“You didn’t come here because you are sorry,” I said quietly.
“Of course we are!” Mother cried.
“No,” I cut her off. “You came here because your lease is up next month, you lost your $55,000 deposit, and your credit is ruined. You came here because the news reported that as the whistleblowing CFO, I was granted immunity and retained a significant portion of the liquidated legal assets. You came here because I am rich, and Adrian is in jail.”
They froze. The ugly truth hung in the air between us.
“Evelyn, how can you say that?” Dad muttered, though he couldn't meet my eyes.
“Family takes care of family,” I repeated their favorite mantra one last time. “But you are not my family. You are just the people who handed me over to a monster because it benefited you. And when the monster broke me, you told me it was my problem.”
I turned around and pressed the elevator call button.
“Evelyn, wait! Please!” Mother sobbed. “What are we supposed to do?”
May you like
The elevator doors slid open. I stepped inside and looked at them as the doors began to close.
“That is your problem now.”
