Chapter 9 - The Empire Crumbles
The civil lawsuit triggered a catastrophic chain reaction in their personal lives.
Because their accounts were frozen by the IRS, my parents couldn't hire a defense attorney.
They had to rely on an overworked public defender who clearly hated them.
Sarah, realizing she had boarded a sinking ship, officially filed for divorce from Leo.
She cited fraud and emotional distress in her filings.
She also demanded full ownership of the small condo they lived in, which Leo had put in her name.
Leo was officially homeless and drowning in massive, dangerous debt.
My mother attempted one last, desperate manipulation tactic.
She arranged for a local tabloid reporter to interview her outside the courthouse.
She put on her best crying face and claimed I was a ruthless, greedy child destroying her family.
She spun a narrative that she had merely borrowed the trust fund to keep a roof over our heads.
Unfortunately for her, I was completely prepared for a media war.
My PR firm released the exact documents showing where the money really went.
The public saw the receipts for designer handbags, sports cars, and luxury vacations.
The internet absolutely tore my mother apart in the comment sections.
She became a viral meme representing toxic, entitled parenting.
The public shaming was so severe that she couldn't even go to the grocery store without being recognized.
Her precious reputation, the only thing she truly cared about, was completely annihilated.
I watched her reputation burn from the comfort of my beautiful, paid-off penthouse.
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She had told me I would regret humiliating them.
She was the one living in absolute regret now.
