Chapter 7 - The Mother's Fall
While Arthur and Chloe rotted in federal holding, my mother, Eleanor, was fighting a different kind of war.
She hadn't been indicted—she had been careful enough to keep her name off the corporate documents—but she was far from safe. The feds had seized the mansion, the cars, the bank accounts, and the jewelry.
Eleanor Sterling, the queen of the high-society country club, was suddenly homeless and destitute.
She showed up at the Vanguard corporate building on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. The security guards stopped her in the lobby, but Julian authorized them to let her up to my office. He wanted me to have closure.
When she walked into the massive corner office, she looked small. She was wearing a trench coat over a cheap dress—a far cry from her usual Chanel.
"Elena," she said, her voice shaking as she stood awkwardly by the door.
I didn't stand up from behind my desk. I kept my eyes on the logistical reports I was reviewing. "You have five minutes, Eleanor."
She flinched at the use of her first name.
"I have nothing," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "The feds took the house this morning. I'm staying in a motel by the highway. My friends... none of the women from the club will return my calls. They pretend they don't know me."
"That's what happens when your money runs out," I replied, signing a document. "Fake friends disappear."
"I am your mother," she choked out, taking a step forward. "I know we had our differences. I know your father was hard on you. But I never meant for any of this to happen! You have so much now, Elena. Vanguard is worth billions. Please. Just a small allowance. Just enough for a small apartment. I can't live like this."
I finally put my pen down and looked at her.
"When Chloe fired me, I couldn't make rent," I reminded her, my voice eerily calm. "I came to you. I begged you for a loan to keep me from getting evicted. Do you remember what you said to me?"
Eleanor went pale, her eyes darting toward the floor.
"You told me that 'failure builds character,'" I quoted verbatim. "You told me that if I had just learned to be a team player like Chloe, I wouldn't be in that situation. Then you got into your Mercedes and drove to a spa."
"I was wrong," she sobbed. "I was so wrong, Elena. I'm sorry."
"I forgive you," I said softly.
Eleanor looked up, a massive wave of relief washing over her face. "You do? Oh, thank God. Thank you, sweetheart."
"I forgive you," I repeated. "But I will not fund you. Failure builds character, Mother. It’s time you built some."
May you like
I pressed the intercom button on my desk. "Security, please escort Mrs. Sterling out of the building."
Eleanor screamed and cursed at me as the guards dragged her out of the office, exposing the ugly, entitled monster that had always lived beneath her polished surface.
