Chapter 9 - The House of Cards Collapses
A month later, the reality of their new circumstances fully set in.
The thirty-day eviction notice expired, and Mark and Brenda were legally forced out of my beautiful home.
Because of Mark's ruined credit and lack of income, no reputable landlord would rent to them.
They were forced to move into a tiny, rundown two-bedroom apartment in a terrible neighborhood across the city.
Brenda, who used to spend her days at luxury spas, was now working a cash register at a local discount grocery store to pay their rent.
Mark had finally secured a job, but it wasn't a prestigious consulting gig.
He was working night shifts at a fulfillment warehouse, doing hard manual labor to slowly pay off the $60,000 debt he owed me.
Chloe had officially filed for child support, garnishing what little wages he managed to bring home.
He was trapped in a financial prison of his own making, working himself to the bone just to survive.
My neighbor occasionally sent me updates, having heard the gossip through the grapevine.
Apparently, Mark and Brenda fought constantly, blaming each other for their total downfall.
They had lost the golden goose because they couldn't be bothered to show an ounce of human decency to my child.
I felt absolutely zero pity for them.
They were simply experiencing the exact life they had earned.
Meanwhile, I had hired a professional interior decorator to completely renovate my house.
I scrubbed every memory of them from the walls, replacing the dark, oppressive furniture with bright, joyful colors.
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The patio where Leo had frozen was now a beautiful, heated sunroom filled with toys and plants.
The house finally felt like a real home.
