Chapter 4 - Uninvited at the Front Door
The heavy wood of our front door rattled under Andrew’s fists.
"Open the damn door, Claire!" his muffled voice shouted from the porch. "We need to talk right now!"
Marcus stepped forward, but I placed a hand on his forearm. "I’ve got this," I said quietly. "Stay with Mia."
I walked to the foyer, unlocked the deadbolt, and swung the door open, keeping the brass security chain firmly in place. Andrew was standing on the porch, his face flushed red, his tailored polo shirt damp with sweat. He looked like a man whose world had suddenly slipped off its axis.
"Take this off," Andrew snapped, pointing at the chain. "Let me inside."
"You have thirty seconds to step off my porch before I call the police for trespassing," I replied, my voice level.
Andrew scoffed, trying to muster his lifelong posture of the superior older brother. "Police? Are you insane? Mom is having a breakdown! Dad’s blood pressure is through the roof! You sent a process server to Elmhurst Lane, Claire! To our childhood home!"
"To my home, too," I corrected. "One-third of it, legally."
"That was Grandma’s joke!" he spat, gripping the doorframe. "You were four years old! Everyone knows Grandma intended the house for Mom, and then for me to raise my family in! You don't get to swoop in and blackmail our parents because your feelings got hurt over a cake!"
"This isn't about a cake, Andrew," I said, looking right into his eyes. "This is about eighteen years of you and Mom treating my daughter like an invisible ghost. You didn't show up to her graduation. You ordered a cake declaring Kayla was their *only* granddaughter right in front of Mia's face. You made your choice. You decided we weren't family. So now, we settle the business."
Andrew's expression twisted into an ugly sneer. "Kayla is special. She’s outgoing, she’s talented, she’s the life of this family! Mia is just... quiet. Nobody owes Mia an audience just because she studies all day! You're ruining Mom's retirement over a petty grudge!"
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"My lawyer's contact information is in that letter," I said calmly. "Talk to her. If you set foot on my property again, I will have you arrested."
I closed the door in his face and slid the deadbolt shut. Outside, Andrew cursed loudly and kicked the wooden railing before stomping down the steps to his luxury SUV.
