Chapter 7 - THE AUCTION BLOCKThe foreclosure auction took place on a crisp, bright Thursday morning outside the Buncombe County Courthouse steps.
The spring wind whipped through downtown Asheville, carrying the scent of blooming azaleas and roasted coffee from nearby cafes. A small crowd of curious onlookers, local real estate speculators, and court officials had gathered near the stone fountain.
Standing near the back of the plaza, wearing oversized sunglasses and clutching a worn leather tote bag, was Judith Monroe.
She looked like a ghost of her former self. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and she wore a faded raincoat that looked entirely out of place in the bright sunlight. When she spotted me walking up the stone steps flanked by my father and Marcus Vance, her eyes flashed with a mixture of pure hatred and bottomless despair.
She took a shaky step forward, as if to approach me, but two county sheriff's deputies stationed near the entrance instantly crossed their arms and stepped into her path. She stopped, biting her lip until it bled, and shrank back against the stone pillar.
The court-appointed auctioneer stepped up to the podium, tapping his microphone.
"We are here today for the public foreclosure auction of Parcel 404, commonly known as the mountain residential estate located at 148 Ridgeview Lane, Asheville, North Carolina," the auctioneer announced, his voice booming across the plaza.
He rattled off the legal descriptions, the baseline opening bid, and the terms of sale.
"Opening bid set at three hundred thousand dollars. Do I have an opening offer?"
A local real estate investor in the front row raised his hand. "Three hundred thousand."
"Three hundred thousand on the table," the auctioneer called out, scanning the crowd. "Do I hear three-fifty?"
I caught my father’s eye. He gave me a subtle, encouraging nod.
I stepped forward, raising my hand high.
"Four hundred thousand," I said clearly, cutting sharply through the murmurs of the crowd.
The real estate investor turned around, frowning at me, realizing he was out of his depth against someone with insider equity credits. He shook his head and lowered his hand.
The auctioneer looked around the plaza. "Four hundred thousand dollars going once... going twice..."
Judith let out a choked, desperate sob from the back of the crowd, burying her face in her hands as the reality of her total defeat finally crashed down upon her.
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"...and SOLD to Rachel Monroe!"
The sharp crack of the auctioneer’s gavel echoed off the stone courthouse walls like a gunshot.
