Chapter 4: Cracks in the Facade
Chapter 4: Cracks in the Facade
Andrew returned to the estate just as the hour limit expired.
The sight before him was something out of a nightmare.
His mother, Margaret, was standing on the sidewalk.
She was weeping.
Surrounding her were dozens of garbage bags.
Not designer luggage. Heavy-duty black trash bags.
"They wouldn't let me take the furniture!" Margaret shrieked as Andrew approached.
"They said I didn't have receipts! They packed my clothes in these... these peasant bags!"
Andrew looked around wildly. "Where is Brenda?"
Margaret scoffed, her face twisting with bitter rage.
"That little gold-digger? The moment she realized you had no money, she called an Uber."
"She took the emerald necklace with her."
Andrew's blood ran cold.
"The necklace? But you said Mariana stole it!"
"I lied!" Margaret screamed, tears ruining her expensive makeup.
"I hated her! I wanted her gone! I gave it to Brenda as a welcoming gift!"
Andrew stared at the woman who raised him.
He had destroyed his marriage based on her lie.
He had struck his wife to defend a mother who was manipulating him.
Before he could process the betrayal, his phone buzzed.
It was a text from Brenda.
Don't try to find me. You're broke, Andrew. I have a certain lifestyle to maintain. It was fun while it lasted.
He dropped his phone on the pavement.
The screen shattered.
Just like his life.
He had traded a billionaire empress for a cheap opportunist.
He had traded an empire for absolute ruin.
May you like
As a gentle rain began to fall, Andrew sank to his knees on the wet concrete.
The exact position he had demanded of Mariana just twelve hours ago.
