“Excellent,” Sterling said, pushing the heavy purchase agreement toward me. “Now, regarding the closing and handover date. When would you like us to take legal and physical possession of the property?”
I looked at the calendar on his desk. “Saturday, the 14th.”
That was the exact date embossed on the heavy gold wedding invitations.
“At exactly 4:00 PM,” I added, my eyes locking onto his. “They will be hosting a large event in the backyard garden. The house itself will be relatively empty. Your security team can enter through the front doors, take immediate possession, and change the locks while they are occupied outside.”
Sterling raised an eyebrow, clearly grasping the implication of the timing. He didn’t judge; corporate entities don’t have morals, only protocols.
“A flawless tactical handover,” Sterling smiled, signing his portion of the document. “Our security team will take full possession of the property right on time, Ms. Vance. Once the wire transfer clears on Friday the 13th, the house is ours, and anyone inside without our permission is trespassing.”
I signed my name on the dotted line, officially liquidating my greatest asset and my brother’s entire fake reality in one stroke of a pen.
During those agonizing three weeks, my phone remained dead silent regarding the wedding. The family group chat, however, which they had foolishly forgotten to remove me from, was a constant, buzzing reminder of their betrayal. It was flooded daily with photos of Nicole’s dress fittings, multi-tiered cake tastings, and massive arrangements of fresh white roses being delivered to the foyer of my house.
My parents didn’t call me once. They didn’t text to check on me. They were far too busy running errands for Dalton, completely consumed by the preparations for the “only child’s” grand performance. They were actively celebrating my disappearance from their lives.
The morning of the 14th arrived bright and clear.
I sat on the balcony of my city apartment, drinking a cup of premium coffee. I opened my banking app. The wire transfer from Apex Holdings had cleared overnight. The massive sum of $700,000 sat glowing green in my account. The house was no longer mine. The mortgage was paid off. I was entirely free.
I poured myself a glass of vintage champagne and checked my watch.
3:45 PM.
