Chapter 2 - The Getaway
The cool night air hit my face as we stepped out of the country club. The valet rushed to bring my eight-year-old sedan around, looking bewildered by the sudden departure of the bride.
My mother sat in the passenger seat, her hands trembling in her lap. For a long moment, the only sound was the hum of the engine as we merged onto the highway.
"Clara," she finally whispered, turning to look at me in the glow of the dashboard lights. "Are you okay?"
I let out a long, shaky breath, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. "I'm okay, Mom. I promise. I’m just sorry you had to hear those things."
My mother smiled, a fierce, resilient expression that reminded me exactly where my strength came from. "Sweetheart, I've survived poverty, I've built a real estate empire from nothing, and I raised a daughter who just took down a corrupt dynasty in a wedding dress. Their words mean absolutely nothing to me."
My phone, resting in the cup holder, began to vibrate wildly.
Julian (14 Missed Calls) Julian: Clara, you’re acting crazy. Please come back. We can fix this. Julian: My dad is having a panic attack. Vanguard investors are cornering him in the lobby. What did you do?! Julian: ANSWER THE PHONE CLARA.
I picked up the phone, powered it off completely, and tossed it into the backseat.
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"We need to call the trust attorneys in the morning," I told my mother, keeping my eyes on the road. "Charles is going to try to leverage the hotel to stay afloat. We need to officially serve them with the eviction notice by noon."
My mother nodded, her eyes flashing with a predatory gleam I rarely saw. "I'll have the paperwork drafted by 9:00 AM. They wanted to talk about my trailer park roots? Let’s show them exactly how fiercely a trailer park girl fights for what's hers."
