Chapter 3 - The ReturnThe Mask CollapsesThrough the clear glass windows, I watched the horror unfold in real-time.
Daniel sat frozen behind the steering wheel, his mouth slightly open, staring at the front yard. His custom suits hung from the weeping willow branches like dark, lifeless flags. His leather shoes were scattered across the lawn. His prized sets of golf clubs were propped against the mailbox, surrounded by boxes of his vintage scotch.
Beside him, Gloria dropped her sunglasses down to the bridge of her nose, her jaw dropping in absolute, unadulterated shock.
"Daniel!" Gloria’s screech was loud enough to echo through the closed windows of the car. "What is the meaning of this?! What has that crazy girl done to your clothes?!"
Daniel slammed the car into park, shoved his door open, and practically fell out onto the driveway. His face flushed a deep, violent crimson, the veins in his neck bulging as he looked at the wreckage of his wardrobe.
"Clara!" he roared, striding wildly toward the front porch, stomping over a pair of silk pajamas lying in the mud. "CLARA! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!"
Before he could reach the front steps, Frank, the process server, stepped out from behind the security van.
"Daniel Vance?" Frank asked calmly.
"Get out of my way!" Daniel shoved past him, reaching for the front door handle. He pressed his thumb against the biometric scanner he had used for years.
BEEP-BEEP. Red light. Access Denied.
He grabbed the brass handle and rattled it violently. "CLARA! WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE LOCKS?!"
"Mr. Vance," Frank said, stepping up onto the porch behind him and extending a thick manila envelope. "You are officially being served with an emergency temporary restraining order, an order of exclusive occupancy, and a petition for the dissolution of marriage filed in the Superior Court of the State."
Daniel turned slowly, staring at the envelope as if it were a poisonous snake. "What... what are you talking about? This is my house!"
"Actually, sir, it isn't," Mara Chen said, stepping out onto the second-floor balcony directly above him, looking down with her arms crossed. "Whispering Pines Way is sole non-marital property owned by the Clara Vance Irrevocable Trust. You have been formally served with a notice of trespass. Your personal effects have been removed from the premises."
Gloria burst out of the passenger side of the Lexus, her heels clicking furiously against the stone as she marched up the driveway, her face contorted in rage.
"You ungrateful little witch!" Gloria screamed, pointing a wrinkled, manicured finger up at the balcony. "How dare you treat my son like this! He bought this house for you! He provides everything for you! You are nothing without him!"
I stepped out onto the balcony beside Mara, leaning against the wrought-iron railing.
"Gloria," I said, my voice smooth, loud, and completely calm. "Daniel didn't buy this house. My father bought this house. Daniel hasn't paid a single mortgage payment, property tax, or utility bill in six years. He lived here because I permitted it. And as of 8:00 a.m. this morning, that permission has been permanently revoked."
Daniel looked up at me, his eyes wide with a terrifying blend of panic and rage.
"Clara, stop this nonsense right now!" he shouted, trying to regain his dominant posture. "We had a fight! You're emotional! Send these people away, open the door, and let us inside so we can talk about this like adults!"
"We aren't talking anymore, Daniel," I said, looking down at him. "My attorney will handle all communication from this point forward."
Daniel took a step toward the porch steps, his fists clenching. "I am coming inside my home!"
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"I wouldn't do that, Mr. Vance," a voice boomed from the driveway.
Two marked patrol cars from the local sheriff's department pulled up right behind Daniel’s Lexus, their red and blue lights flashing against the white snow. Two deputies stepped out, their hands resting near their belts.
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