Chapter 6 - THE FALL FROM GRACEThe end came fast, brutal, and utterly relentless.
Thirty days had passed since the crash. It was a crisp Tuesday morning. I was officially discharged from the hospital, walking slowly but steadily with the aid of a sleek silver cane.
I stood across the street from the Northridge luxury villa in a dark wool trench coat and dark sunglasses, flanked by Daniel Cho, two uniformed Sheriff’s deputies, and a full crew of professional movers holding packing boxes.
At 9:00 a.m., the front door of the mansion opened, and my parents stepped out onto the porch.
They looked unrecognizable.
Eleanor had no makeup on, her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, and she was wearing cheap, wrinkled sweatpants. Richard looked fifteen years older, his shoulders slumped, holding a worn cardboard box containing their personal clothes.
Their 30-day eviction notice had expired at midnight.
When my mother spotted me standing across the street, she broke down, running toward me with open arms, tears streaming down her haggard face.
“Mara! Mara, my baby!” she wailed, trying to grab my coat. “Please! Please stop this! We have nowhere to go! No hotels will take our cards! We’re sleeping in a cheap motel!”
The Sheriff’s deputy stepped between us, holding his hand out. “Ma’am, stand back.”
“Mara, please!” my father pleaded, dropping his cardboard box onto the driveway, his hands shaking violently. “We made mistakes! We were foolish! But we are your parents! You can’t leave us on the street!”
I looked down at them through my sunglasses, my expression entirely devoid of emotion.
“You aren’t going to the street, Dad,” I said smoothly.
Just then, two unmarked black police sedans pulled into the driveway, blocking the entrance completely. Four detectives from the LAPD Financial Crimes Unit stepped out, pulling out warrants printed on official court paper.
Eleanor gasped, stepping back into Richard. “What... what is this? Why are the police here?!”
The lead detective walked up to Richard and produced a pair of steel handcuffs.
“Richard Vance, you are under arrest for federal wire fraud, identity theft, and grand embezzlement from a trust estate. You have the right to remain silent...”
“NO! NO!” Eleanor screamed, clawing at the detective’s suit jacket as they pulled Richard’s arms behind his back and snapped the cuffs around his wrists. “Richard! What did you do?!”
“Ask Claire,” I said softly, watching my father being pushed into the back seat of the police car. “She’s already sitting in a holding cell downtown. She confessed everything two hours ago to save her own skin, Dad. She blamed the whole scheme on you.”
Richard’s face went completely pale, his eyes wide with betrayal as the police car door slammed shut.
My mother sank onto the concrete driveway, sobbing hysterically, beating her fists against the asphalt. “You ruined us! You destroyed your own family! How can you live with yourself, Mara?! How can you sleep at night?!”
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I took a step closer to her, leaning down slightly so only she could hear my voice.
“I sleep very well, Eleanor,” I whispered into her ear. “Because every night, I tuck my children into bed, knowing that no parasite will ever hurt them again. Enjoy your pickleball.”
