Chapter 9 - Chapter 9 - THE EVICTION NOTICE
While I recovered in the hospital, Marcus didn't waste a single second letting grass grow under his feet. By Tuesday afternoon, a formal notice of unlawful detainer and immediate eviction was personally served to Ethan and Patricia at the South Hill estate. Since the property belonged to my father's irrevocable trust and I was the sole trustee, they had exactly forty-two hours to pack their designer clothes, empty their luxury cars, and vacate the premises.
Marcus visited me later that afternoon to give a blow-by-blow account of the service. "You should have been there, Clara. Ethan tried to flash his old executive badge at the court bailiff, and Patricia threw a crystal vase at the front door," Marcus laughed, shaking his head. "They are packing their bags into a rented U-Truck as we speak. Apparently, since their personal credit cards are declined everywhere, they had to borrow cash from a distant cousin just to pay the vehicle deposit."
"Karma has a very precise sense of timing," I remarked, looking out the hospital window at the bustling city below. "How is my health looking? Dr. Hayes said I could be discharged by tomorrow morning."
"Your lungs are clearing up nicely, but you're not going back to an empty, echoey estate alone," Marcus warned, his expression turning serious. "You need a change of scenery. A complete reset. Fortunately, your father’s trust also holds a secluded coastal property in Maine. Completely private, fully staffed, and entirely disconnected from the corporate snake pit of this city."
May you like
I nodded slowly, feeling a profound weight lift from my chest. For five years, I had played the dutiful, silent wife to a man who despised my intelligence and used me as a stepping stone. Now, the marriage was legally incinerated, my health was returning, and the world was wide open.
"Maine sounds wonderful, Marcus," I said softly. "Let's make arrangements for tomorrow afternoon. But before we leave... there is one final loose end I need to tie up here."
