Chapter 3 - The Audience Downstairs
When I reached the top of the grand staircase, the low hum of conversation from the dining room immediately ceased. Grant came rushing down behind me, his polished shoes sliding against the hardwood as he tried to overtake me.
"Mara! Stop right there!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the high ceilings.
In the foyer below, Grant’s mother, Evelyn, was standing with her gold wine glass still hovering near her lips. Beside her, Grant’s younger brother, Julian, was leaning casually against the archway, looking amused. Tessa was standing near the fireplace, swirling her wine, looking like a woman who believed she had just inherited a empire.
When they saw me carrying two heavy suitcases with Owen and Lily following close behind, Evelyn set her glass down with a heavy thud.
"Mara, what is the meaning of this dramatic display?" Evelyn said, her tone dripping with condescension. "Grant was right. You are utterly incapable of handling mature adult arrangements. You are scaring the children."
"She’s out of her mind, Mother!" Grant yelled, stumbling down the last three steps. "She’s delusional! She’s trying to kidnap Owen and Lily!"
I didn't lose my temper. I didn't raise my voice. I walked to the middle of the foyer, set the suitcases down carefully, and looked Evelyn straight in the eyes.
"Evelyn," I said calmly. "Do you know why Grant invited you and Julian here tonight?"
Evelyn crossed her arms, her posture stiff and unyielding. "He invited us because he needed family support to deal with a wife who has lost her sense of reality."
"He invited you because he needed witnesses," I corrected her. "He needed you to testify in family court that I was unhinged. But before you play the role of the loyal mother, let me ask you a question. Have you checked your personal retirement portfolio this week?"
May you like
Evelyn’s aristocratic expression faltered for a fraction of a second. "What does my portfolio have to do with your childish outburst?"
"Grant has been acting as your power of attorney for eighteen months," I said, reaching into my coat pocket and pulling out a single white envelope. I held it out toward her. "Ask your son why six hundred thousand dollars was transferred out of your annuity fund three weeks ago."
