Chapter 3 - The Eviction Notice
When Flight 405 finally taxied to the gate at Denver International Airport, Ryan scrambled out of his seat the moment the double chimes sounded. He didn't even wait for Chloe, who was struggling to retrieve her designer carry-on from the overhead bin. He ran down the jet bridge, his phone clutched in his hand, frantically trying to boot up his cellular data.
The moment the network bars filled the top of his screen, his phone erupted.
Thirty-four missed calls. Forty-seven text messages. Three urgent emails from the Human Resources department of Logan Logistics.
The first email read: “Emergency Administrative Suspension: Dr. Ryan Morgan. Effective Immediately.” The second email was an automatic notification from his corporate Amex: “Card declined. Sub-account closed by primary guarantor (Vance Holdings).”
"No, no, no," Ryan muttered, standing in the middle of the crowded terminal as travelers bumped past him. His forehead was slick with sweat. He tried to dial his boss, the regional VP, but the call went straight to a pre-recorded message stating that his line had been restricted from internal corporate routing.
Chloe caught up to him, her eyes red, her makeup smeared. "Ryan! My corporate login isn't working! It says my credentials have been revoked for security violations! What did she do? What did your wife do to us?"
"Shut up, Chloe!" Ryan snapped, his polished facade completely gone. "She didn't just do something to us—she destroyed my career. Her father owns the holding company that funds our entire logistics division!"
Across the terminal, near the exit to the baggage claim, Claire walked past them. She was flanked by two large men in black suits—the security team her father had dispatched to meet her at the gate. She didn't look at Ryan, didn't check to see if he was following. She moved with the efficient grace of a woman who had already moved on to the execution phase of her strategy.
"Claire!" Ryan yelled, running after her, but the two security guards immediately stepped into his path, their massive frames creating an impassable wall between him and his wife.
"Mr. Morgan," one of the guards said, his voice flat and unyielding. "You are requested to maintain a distance of fifty feet from Mrs. Morgan. A temporary emergency restraining order has already been processed by the Denver county court, pending the formal divorce filing in Boston tomorrow morning."
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"She’s my wife!" Ryan shrieked, his voice cracking as people turned to stare. "We share an apartment! We share everything!"
"Not anymore," Claire said, stopping briefly just before the escalator. She turned her head slightly, her profile sharp under the terminal lights. "The Boston apartment is leased under Vance Holdings. The locksmiths are already there, Ryan. Your things will be waiting for you in cardboard boxes at the storage facility on Route 9. I suggest you find a cheap motel. You’re going to need to save every penny for the legal fees."
