Chapter 10 - The Unraveling of Gloria
While Evan was getting acquainted with the realities of county detention, his mother Gloria was discovering that the high-society circles she had spent a decade trying to climb had remarkably short memories when you stopped paying your bills.
Gloria had spent Monday night camping out in the lobby of the Grand Continental Hotel, demanding that the front desk reinstate her suite under the Hartwell corporate account. When security informed her that not only was the account closed, but she was also formally trespassed from the premises for unpaid room service tabs, she threw a public temper tantrum that was captured on video and uploaded to TikTok within twenty minutes.
By Tuesday afternoon, the video had garnered over two million views. Netizens gleefully dubbed her "The Country Club Karen," dissecting her designer knockoff bags and mocking her frantic demands to speak to the CEO of Hartwell Dining Group.
Emily and I were reviewing our legal strategy in my office when Daniel Cho walked in carrying a thick manila folder and a smirk that suggested he had brought very entertaining news.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” Daniel said, tossing the folder onto the desk. “It appears Gloria’s social standing has experienced a rather catastrophic market correction.”
“Don’t tell me,” I smiled. “Did she try to crash the executive board meeting?”
“Close,” Daniel laughed. “She attempted to check into an upscale wellness spa in Palm Beach using one of Evan’s deactivated auxiliary cards. When the card declined, she tried to convince the front desk manager that she was personal friends with Governor Sterling and threatened to have the entire staff fired. The manager called local police, who escorted her off the property for disturbing the peace.”
Emily shook her head, leaning back in her chair. “I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. She spent ten years looking down her nose at everyone around her, treating me like a maid in my own home, believing her son was destined to rule an empire he didn't build.”
“Pride goes before destruction, Emily,” I reminded her softly. “And a haughty spirit before a fall. She’s currently staying at a sketchy roadside motel off Interstate 95, eating vending machine snacks and wondering why her bridge club friends stopped returning her calls.”
“What happens to the waterfront estate now?” Emily asked, tapping her pen against the desk. “Evan’s name was never on the title, but his belongings are still there.”
“Daniel already arranged for a professional moving crew to box up his remaining clothes and personal items,” I replied. “They’re being shipped to a storage unit paid for through the end of the month. After that, it’s his problem. As for you and Lily, the estate is fully yours under an amended trust deed filed this morning. The locks are changed, the security codes are updated, and your name is the sole primary occupant.”
May you like
Emily looked out the window toward the lake, a deep sense of peace settling over her features. “I want to move back in next week. I want to sit on that back porch with Lily and realize that I’m finally safe.”
“You were always safe, sweetheart,” I said, resting my hand over hers. “You just forgot how to fight.”
