Chapter 4 - The Eviction Notice on Christmas Morning
Christmas morning arrived with a pale, icy light filtering through the blinds.
I hadn't slept a wink. Instead, I had spent the entire night downloading files from Jake's laptop, printing copies of the fraudulent loan applications, and compiling my bank statements. I called my bank's fraud department and flagged every single unauthorized transaction from the sports betting site, providing them with Chris and Jake’s details.
At 8:00 AM, my phone rang.
It was Carol.
I answered, expecting her to scream. Instead, her voice was sweet, dripping with a sickening, manipulative warmth.
"Lily, sweetheart," Carol said, as if the screaming match of the previous night had never happened. "Merry Christmas, dear."
"What do you want, Carol?"
"Oh, Lily, let’s not be hasty. It’s Christmas. Families fight, it’s natural! Jake and I were just so stressed about his business. We didn't mean those awful things we said. We're at a hotel right now, and it's just so sad spending Christmas here. Let us come home. We can put the lease behind us. We can be a family again."
I stared at the wall, marveling at the sheer sociopathy of this woman. "Did Jake tell you to call me?"
"Jake is devastated, Lily. He loves you so much. He wants to make things right. He even said we don't need the twenty-five hundred dollar bonus right away. We can work out a payment plan!"
I let out a cold, clear laugh. "Carol, listen to me very carefully."
"Yes, dear?" she asked, her voice eager.
"I know about the $15,000 loan Jake tried to take out in my name. I have the signed documents he forged. I also know about the sports betting account he funded with my stolen credit card."
The line went dead silent. The sweet, motherly tone vanished instantly.
"You... you're lying," Carol whispered.
"I’m not lying. I’ve already filed a report with the Chicago Police Department for identity theft and grand larceny. I’ve also submitted the fraud claims to Chase Bank. By tomorrow, there will be an active investigation into your son."
"Lily, please!" Carol’s voice cracked, panic finally setting in. "He’s your husband! You can't put him in jail! It will ruin his future!"
"He ruined his own future when he decided to treat his wife like a bank account," I said. "And as for you, Carol—I contacted my landlord this morning. I told him you have been living in my guest room illegally for three weeks in violation of the single-occupancy clause of my lease. I’ve officially surrendered my lease effective January 1st."
"What?" Carol shrieked. "You gave up the apartment?"
"Yes. I’m moving into my own place. A place you will never find. The landlord is sending an eviction notice to the apartment today for any unauthorized occupants. Since you and Jake still have your keys, if either of you steps foot inside that building again, the building security will have you arrested for trespassing. Your bags are already with the doorman."
"You b*tch!" Carol screamed, her voice cracking with a terrifying rage. "You ruined my son! You ruined our Christmas! I will destroy you! I will come to your office! I will tell your boss what a miserable, heartless whore you are!"
"Go ahead, Carol," I smiled, feeling lighter than I had in years. "My boss is the one who approved my relocation transfer to our London office this morning. I leave next week."
May you like
I hung up the phone.
I looked around the empty apartment. For the first time, it didn't feel like a prison. It felt like a launching pad.
