Chapter 4: The Cleanout
Chapter 4: The Cleanout
Three days later, Ethan was officially discharged from the hospital. His laughter filled the car on the drive back to the estate—a sound that washed away the lingering darkness of the past eight months.
When we arrived at the house, a massive moving truck was parked in the driveway.
Two burly men were carrying Margaret's expensive mahogany vanity out the front door, throwing it carelessly into the back of the truck.
"What is happening?" Claire asked, her eyes wide as she looked around.
"I hired a liquidation company," I said, opening her car door and helping her out. "Everything they ever touched, bought, or brought into this house is being removed. I don't want a single memory of them left in our home."
A crowd of neighbors had gathered on the sidewalk, whispering and taking photos. For years, Margaret had pretended to be the elegant matriarch of the neighborhood, looking down on everyone else. Now, her dirty laundry was quite literally being exposed to the world.
Vanessa’s ex-fiancé, a wealthy real estate developer who had funded most of her luxury lifestyle, arrived at the gate. He approached me with a look of deep regret.
"Daniel," he said, shaking my hand. "I saw the news reports. I had no idea Vanessa was capable of this. I’ve frozen all the joint accounts and cancelled the wedding. If there's anything I can do to help Claire, please let me know."
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"Just stay away from my family," I told him calmly. "That's help enough."
As the moving truck pulled away, carrying every last remnant of Margaret and Vanessa’s vanity, the house felt lighter. The air was clean. The stifling heat they had trapped inside was replaced by a cool, fresh summer breeze
