Chapter 3 - The Dining Room Ambush
Julian tried to snatch the paper from my fingers, but his foot caught on the corner of the heavy Persian rug, sending him stumbling against the leather armchair. That split second was all I needed. I slipped the document into my coat pocket, zipped my canvas pouch into my backpack, and walked briskly past him back onto the landing.
When I reached the midpoint of the stairs with my rolling suitcase, Victoria was waiting at the base like a troll guarding a bridge. Her smile had vanished, replaced by a snarl of pure aristocratic entitlement. Beside her stood Marcus, who was twice Julian’s size, leaning against the banister to physically block the doorway.
"You aren't leaving this house with a single cent, little girl," Victoria hissed, pointing a trembling, manicured finger at me. "Julian’s father built this estate with sweat and blood. You came into this family with nothing but a middle-class job, and you think you can disrespect my son under my own roof?"
"Your father built this estate on a second mortgage that’s currently three months delinquent," I replied, my voice ringing clear across the foyer.
The entire room went dead silent. Marcus stopped mid-sip of his coffee, his eyes darting to his mother.
"What did you say?" Victoria gasped, her face draining of color.
"Did you think I was blind when Julian asked me to cosign his refinancing papers last Tuesday?" I asked, descending two more steps until I was eye-level with Victoria. "He told me it was just standard paperwork for a home improvement loan. But I read the fine print, Victoria. Julian took out three hundred and twenty thousand dollars against this property to fund Marcus’s failed crypto startup. You’re thirty days away from default."
Marcus dropped his mug onto the parquet floor. It shattered into a dozen pieces, dark coffee splashing across his white sneakers. "Julian, you told her about the loan?!"
"I didn't tell her anything!" Julian screamed, hobbling down the stairs behind me, his tie completely undone. "She snooped through my private briefcase!"
"I didn't have to snoop," I said calmly, gripping the handle of my luggage with white knuckles. "When you ask someone to marry you, you hand over your financial liabilities whether you like it or not. You didn't marry me for love, Julian. You married me because my credit score is seven hundred and ninety, my income as a senior systems engineer is steady, and you desperately needed my signature to stop the bank from seizing this mansion on the first of the month."
Victoria’s chest heaved. "You ungrateful, selfish bitch! We welcomed you into this family! We gave you a name! You owe this family your loyalty!"
"I owe you nothing," I said, stepping onto the final stair. "Especially not after your son threw a filthy rag in my face and told me I was his maid. Now Marcus, move out of my way before I dial nine-one-one and report an active kidnapping."
Marcus looked at Julian, then looked at me. He was a bully, but he was also a coward who had two outstanding warrants for unpaid child support in the next county over. The last thing he wanted was a patrol cruiser sitting in the driveway on a Sunday morning.
Marcus took one step back, clearing the path to the heavy front door.
"Marcus, stop her!" Victoria shrieked. "Julian, grab the bag!"
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Julian lunged forward, reaching for my coat collar, but I swung my twenty-kilogram hard-shell suitcase outward in a sharp arc. The heavy polycarbonate edge slammed squarely into his shins. Julian let out a pathetic yelp and collapsed backward onto the stairs, clutching his leg in agony.
I pushed the heavy oak door open, stepped out onto the front porch, and let the crisp morning air fill my lungs.
