Chapter 8 - The Clearing of Maple StreetBack at the Maple Street house, the atmosphere was thick with volcanic fury. Lorraine had refused to pack, screaming into her landline telephone to her sister in Syracuse, claiming that her vicious daughter-in-law had completely lost her mind.
When Claire walked through the front door, flanked by the local sheriff's deputy who had been assigned to oversee the peaceful execution of the eviction order, Lorraine shrieked from the living room sofa.
“How dare you bring police into my son’s home!” Lorraine yelled, pointing a trembling finger at Claire’s chest.
The deputy stepped forward, his expression neutral. “Ma’am, this is Claire Morgan’s legally registered property. You have two hours to gather your personal belongings and vacate the premises. Failure to comply will result in a physical removal for trespassing.”
Lorraine’s jaw dropped. “That’s impossible! Andrew told me his name was on the deed!”
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“Your son lied to you just like he lied to everyone else,” Claire said, standing in the doorway of her bedroom, looking at the pale oak headboard with its deep black dent left by the iron pot. That dent was no longer a symbol of abuse; it was the exact moment her eyes had finally been opened.
By five o’clock, Lorraine’s suitcases were piled haphazardly on the front curb, alongside her bus schedule back to Syracuse.
