Chapter 4 - The Family Confrontation
News travels through a skyscraper faster than fiber-optic cable. By noon, the entire Chicago office knew that Victoria Grant had been suspended pending a criminal investigation for assault and corporate fraud.
By 1:00 PM, the lobby doors pushed open to reveal Margaret Grant, Victoria and Caleb’s mother, rushing into the building with her designer handbag clutched like a weapon. She had received an emergency call from her disgraced daughter and had come to restore order the only way she knew how: by bullying everyone in sight.
“Where is she? Where is that little nobody?” Margaret’s sharp voice echoed through the reception area as she marched toward the elevators.
Security didn't stop her immediately—decades of habit die hard. But as she reached the executive elevators, the glass doors opened, and I stepped out, flanked by David Vance.
Margaret stopped dead, her face twisting into an ugly sneer. “Emily! What is the meaning of this? Victoria called me crying—she said you staged some ridiculous stunt to get her arrested! You ungrateful little gold-digger, I always knew you were trash—!”
“Mrs. Grant,” I interrupted, my voice dropping the polite warmth I had maintained at every miserable family dinner for the past three months.
Margaret blinked, taken aback by the cold steel in my tone.
“Your daughter is currently downstairs signing her confession and asset-forfeiture papers,” I said evenly. “If you raise your voice in my lobby one more time, security will escort you out the same way they escorted her: through the revolving doors without a badge.”
Before Margaret could draw breath to scream, the side elevator chimed again.
Caleb stepped out.
My husband looked pale, his tie slightly crooked, his laptop bag clutched in his hands. He had just received the company-wide email. He looked between his mother and me, his eyes wide with shock and confusion.
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“Emily...” Caleb breathed, rushing forward. “Is it true? Did Mom... did Victoria really...?”
I looked at my husband. I loved Caleb, but for five years, his cowardice had shielded monsters like his mother and sister. Today, he had to choose.
