Chapter 5 - THE FIRST DOMINO FALLS
The drive home was silent,
the tension between Grant and me thick enough to cut with a knife.
He was ecstatic,
believing the Vance merger was a done deal,
humming a tune under his breath.
He had no idea that while he was drinking champagne,
I had already initiated my first move.
As soon as we walked through the front door,
I saw Lily waiting in the living room,
her eyes red and swollen.
Grant stopped,
his smile fading,
replaced by an expression of annoyance.
"Lily,
why are you still up?"
he asked,
his tone sharp.
"It's past midnight."
Lily looked at me,
then at her father,
her voice trembling but resolute.
"Why did you take my college money,
Dad?"
Grant froze,
his face turning a pale shade of gray before he quickly masked it with anger.
"Who told you that?"
he demanded,
glancing at me.
"Evelyn,
have you been filling her head with nonsense?"
"I checked the bank statements,
Grant,"
I said,
my voice calm and clear.
"The transfer is signed by you."
"It was a business move!"
he shouted,
throwing his keys onto the counter.
"A temporary transfer to secure a massive investment."
"I was going to put it back next week,
with interest!"
"You stole from our daughter to buy a ring for Victoria Vance,"
I said,
dropping the bomb without a single trace of emotion.
The silence that followed was absolute,
deafening.
Grant stared at me,
his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.
"How...
how did you..."
he stammered,
his confidence completely evaporating.
"I know everything,
Grant,"
I said,
stepping between him and Lily.
"I know about the affairs,
I know about the debts,
and I know about your desperate plan to use the Vance family to save yourself."
"Evelyn,
please,
let me explain,"
he pleaded,
his voice suddenly small,
reaching out to touch my arm.
"Don't touch me,"
I whispered,
and the coldness in my voice made him flinch.
"You are going to leave this house tonight,
and you are not coming back."
"You can't kick me out of my own house!"
he hissed,
trying to regain his dominance.
"Actually,
I can,"
I replied,
pulling a document from my purse.
"This house was purchased with my inheritance,
and the deed is solely in my name."
"Pack a bag,
Grant."
"Before I call the police and report the unauthorized transfer of seventy-two thousand dollars from a minor's trust."
He looked at the paper,
then at my cold,
unyielding eyes,
and realized he had lost the first battle.
He grabbed his coat,
glaring at us both with a toxic mixture of hatred and fear,
before slamming the front door behind him.
Lily collapsed into my arms,
sobbing,
May you like
and I held her tight,
knowing this was only the beginning of the war.
