Chapter 3 - The Illusion Crumbles
"What do you mean, you're not leaving?" I asked. Madison leaned against the granite counter, looking at me with a mixture of pity and defiance. "I mean exactly that, Laura. We are family. Dad wants us here. You can wave your little papers around all you want, but you aren't going to throw his only daughter out on the street." She grabbed Evan's arm. "Come on, Evan. We're going out for real breakfast. Since the service here is terrible." They walked out of the kitchen, leaving their paper plates untouched. The front door slammed. Robert stood by the coffee maker, looking like a deflated balloon. "Laura, that was too harsh," he said quietly. "Harsh?" I countered. "Robert, they treated me like the hired help. And you let them." "Madison is going through a hard time!" he snapped, suddenly finding his voice. "Evan's startup failed. They lost their lease. They have nothing right now. They just need a place to reset." "Then why the attitude?" I asked. "Why the designer luggage? Why the demands for protein pancakes and hand-washed laundry? People who are destitute don't act like royalty." Robert waved his hand dismissively. "It's just her defense mechanism. She's proud. Just give it a week, Laura. Let them catch their breath." "They owe two thousand dollars on Friday," I said firmly. "Or they leave." Robert shook his head and walked away, choosing to lock himself in the den rather than face reality. I went upstairs to my home office. I closed the door and opened my laptop. I had worked thirty years as an office administrator. I knew how to find things out. I knew how to read public records, court dockets, and eviction notices. I typed Evan's name and their previous address into the county database. It took me exactly four minutes to find what I was looking for. It wasn't just a lost lease. It was an eviction for three months of unpaid rent. But that wasn't the worst part. I kept digging, looking at civil suits in the area. Evan and Madison were currently being sued by their previous landlord for severe property damage and unauthorized subletting. They hadn't just fallen on hard times. They had actively destroyed their last home. And now, they were in mine.
