Chapter 5 - The Grand Eviction Notice
On Thursday afternoon, a private bail bondsman finally secured their temporary release using Raymond’s remaining pension accounts as high-interest collateral.
Celeste, Raymond, and Brianna arrived back at Drayton Manor in a yellow taxi cab at 3:00 PM, their faces pale, their clothes wrinkled and stained from two nights inside the county jail cells. Brianna’s mascara was smeared across her cheeks, her designer silk blouse torn at the collar.
They walked toward the heavy front door, desperate for the sanctuary of their marble-floored estate.
Raymond reached into his pocket, pulled out his brass key, and slid it into the lock.
It didn't turn.
He rattled the heavy brass handle frantically. Nothing moved.
""What is wrong with this stupid door?"" Celeste shrieked, her voice raspy from crying in jail. ""Raymond, use your shoulder! Turn the key!""
""It doesn't fit!"" Raymond yelled, slamming his fist against the oak paneling. ""The deadbolt has been replaced!""
""Looking for this?""
The heavy door swung open from the inside.
I stood in the entryway, dressed in a sharp black blazer, flanked by Daniel Mercer and two armed Chatham County Marshals with gold badges pinned to their vests. Behind me, four professional movers in gray uniforms were already wrapping my grandmother’s antique porcelain vases in heavy bubble wrap.
Celeste stared at me, her mouth opening and closing like a suffocating fish. ""Amelia! What is the meaning of this insolence? Why are there strange men touching my things?""
""They aren't your things, Celeste,"" I said, my voice deadpan and flat. ""And this is no longer your home.""
Daniel Mercer stepped forward, handing a certified writ of possession directly to my father. ""Raymond Voss, Celeste Voss, and Brianna Voss. As of 12:01 PM today, Judge Thomas of the Chatham County Superior Court executed an emergency writ of immediate eviction. Your right of occupancy under the Voss Asset Holdings trust has been officially terminated due to gross material breach and the commission of felony offenses on the premises.""
Brianna pushed past her mother, her face twisted in rage. ""You can't kick us out, you jealous bitch! Julian is coming over right now with his lawyers! When he finds out what you did, he will ruin you!""
""Julian isn't coming, Brianna,"" I said softly, looking at her with genuine pity. ""Arthur Sterling canceled the wedding this morning. The engagement is off. And the Sterling Trust has filed criminal fraud charges against Mom for the $150,000 engagement advance she stole.""
Brianna froze. Her eyes went completely blank. ""No... no, you're lying! Julian loves me! We're having the reception at the Yacht Club!""
""Call him,"" Daniel Mercer suggested calmly.
Brianna yanked her phone from her purse and dialed. Within three seconds, the automated operator voice echoed from the speaker: The number you have dialed has been disconnected or is no longer accepting calls from this caller.
Brianna dropped to her knees right there on the porch, clutching her head in her hands, letting out an inhuman, guttural wail of despair. Her million-dollar society fantasy had dissolved into thin air.
My mother, however, did not cry. Her eyes burned with pure, unadulterated venom. She lunged toward me, her manicured fingers curved like claws.
""You miserable, ungrateful brat!"" Celeste screamed, her voice echoing down the tree-lined avenue. ""Everything I sacrificed for you! Everything I built! You owe this family your life! Without us, you are nothing! You hear me? Nothing!""
The two county marshals stepped forward instantly, catching Celeste by her arms and twisting her back against the porch railing.
""Ma'am, step back immediately,"" the lead marshal commanded, his hand resting on his taser. ""You have twenty minutes to collect essential personal medications and one suitcase of clothing each. Everything else remains inside the property pending inventory. If you step back past that threshold after twenty minutes, you will be arrested for criminal trespass.""
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""Raymond! Do something!"" Celeste shrieked, thrashing against the officer's grip. ""Tell her! This is our home!""
My father stood on the gravel, staring at the ground. For the first time in his life, his silence couldn't save him. His hands shook uncontrollably. He had no money, no title, no reputation, and nowhere left to run.
