Chapter 1 - The Eviction
"You listen to me," I said, my voice echoing off the hardwood floors I had installed by hand thirty years ago. "And you listen closely."
Derek crossed his arms, puffing his chest out in a pathetic display of dominance. He was wearing a designer sweater I had probably paid for. "Now hold on, Robert. Let’s not get emotional. Chloe and I were just taking proactive steps. We spoke to an estate planner. It makes financial sense to transfer the deed now to avoid probate taxes later. We’re just accelerating the timeline."
"Accelerating the timeline?" I took a slow step toward him. "By locking your mother out in the street with nothing but her heart medication? By telling her she’s wasting your inheritance?"
Chloe had the nerve to roll her eyes. "Dad, don't be dramatic. Mom was just going to go to a hotel until you got home. We were going to sit down and explain the transition to you. It's time for you two to downsize. We want to start a family, and this house is perfect for us."
Mary grabbed my arm, her fingers trembling. But the fear in her eyes was slowly being replaced by something else. A deep, agonizing realization that the little girl she had raised was entirely gone, replaced by a greedy stranger.
"Transition?" I asked, pulling a crumpled piece of paper from my work jacket. It was the deed to the house. "You see this? My name is on it. Mary's name is on it. You know whose name isn't on it? Yours."
"Dad, we have power of attorney!" Chloe snapped. "We had you sign those papers last month when you were in the hospital for your knee surgery!"
My blood ran cold, then boiled over. When I was heavily medicated, barely conscious, they had shoved a stack of papers in my face, claiming it was for my medical insurance claims.
"You tricked me," I said, my voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "You defrauded your own father."
Derek stepped forward, smirking. "It's completely legal, Robert. We filed the quitclaim deed this morning. Legally, you are trespassing on our property. So, I’m going to need you to hand over your keys."
I didn't yell. I didn't throw a punch. I simply pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in ten years.
"Sheriff Miller?" I said, keeping my eyes locked on Derek. "It's Robert. I have two intruders in my home. They’ve forged property documents and locked my wife out. Yes, I'll hold."
Derek’s smirk vanished. "You wouldn't."
"You have exactly two minutes to pack whatever you brought into my house and walk out the front door," I said, hanging up the phone. "Because when Jim Miller gets here, I’m pressing charges for elder abuse, fraud, and trespassing."
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Chloe panicked, grabbing Derek’s arm. "Derek, let’s just go. We'll handle this in court."
As they scrambled toward the front door, I grabbed Derek by the collar of his expensive sweater. "You ever speak to my wife like that again, you won't need a lawyer. You'll need a dentist. Get out."
