Chapter 7 - The Unraveling
Inside the County Women’s Detention Facility, the air was cold, smelling of cheap bleach and damp concrete.
Eleanor Vance sat in a small visitor booth behind a thick pane of bulletproof glass, wearing a blue inmate jumpsuit that was two sizes too big for her frail frame. Across the glass sat her estate attorney, Arthur Sterling, his face pale and dripping with sweat.
"What do you mean she vetoed the property collateral?" Eleanor screamed through the metal speaker, her knuckles turning white as she slammed her fist against the counter. "The house belongs to my late husband’s trust! I am the head of this family!"
"Not anymore, Eleanor," Sterling stammered, adjusting his tie nervously. "Clara’s lawyer invoked Clause 14-B of Robert’s trust agreement. The court approved the emergency motion two hours ago. Clara is now the sole executor of the Vance Family Trust."
Eleanor’s jaw dropped, her breath catching in her throat as if she had been punched in the stomach. "She... she took the trust?"
"Everything," Sterling admitted weakly. "She froze your personal accounts, canceled your credit cards, and pulled the funding for our legal retainer. If you don't pay my firm fifty thousand dollars in cash by tomorrow morning, I will be forced to withdraw as your counsel."
"No... no, no, no!" Eleanor whimpered, tears of sheer panic finally leaking from her eyes. "What about Vanessa? Did she make bail?"
Sterling sighed heavily, shaking his head. "It gets worse, Eleanor. City National Bank held an emergency board meeting this morning. They terminated Vanessa’s employment effective immediately for reputational damage and moral turpitude. They’ve also revoked her corporate apartment and company car."
"My baby..." Eleanor sobbed, grabbing at her hair. "They can't do this to my baby!"
"Vanessa is currently sitting in Cell Block C," Sterling said flatly. "She had a full nervous breakdown during lunch and has been placed on suicide watch. Eleanor, you need to understand something—Clara isn't just pressing charges. She is systematically stripping away every single asset, title, and comfort you have ever owned."
"She’s my daughter!" Eleanor shrieked into the speaker. "I gave birth to her! How can she be so heartless?"
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"Because you let your other daughter beat her child unconscious," Sterling said, his voice devoid of any pity as he gathered his briefcase and stood up. "I will file the notice of withdrawal with the court today, Mrs. Vance. Good luck."
Sterling turned his back and walked through the heavy steel door, leaving Eleanor alone in the dim, cold booth, screaming her daughter's name into the empty glass.
