Chapter 10 - The Million-Dollar Reset
Two weeks later, the coastal home went to auction.
Because of its prime location and pristine condition, a bidding war broke out between two tech executives. The house, which I had purchased for $966,000, sold for an astonishing $1,150,000 cash.
After paying off legal fees and closing costs, I walked away with over $180,000 in pure profit—money I immediately reinvested into expanding my high-end interior design firm into international markets.
Julian pleaded guilty to reduced charges of attempted real estate fraud to avoid maximum prison time. He was sentenced to three years of probation, community service, and ordered to pay full restitution. Stripped of his grand illusions, Serena filed for divorce within a month, leaving him broke, disgraced, and living in a tiny studio apartment while working two entry-level jobs to pay off his remaining debts.
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My parents moved into a modest one-bedroom rental on the outskirts of the city, forced to live on my father's small monthly pension—the very lifestyle they had tried so hard to avoid by leeching off me.
I changed my phone number, moved my business office to a private high-rise in downtown San Francisco, and completely severed all ties with my former family.
