Chapter 3 - The Empty Nest And The Unwelcome Guest
The drive back to our mansion in Cherry Hills Village felt surreal. The city lights blurred outside the passenger window as my father drove in quiet solidarity, his hands steady on the steering wheel. When we pulled through the wrought-iron gates, the house looked magnificent, yet for the first time, it felt entirely mine. No lingering shadow of Ethan’s hypocrisy. No toxic energy of a man who looked at me and saw only a ledger entry. But my solitude didn't last long. As soon as I unlocked the front door, I heard the frantic pounding of high heels against the hardwood foyer and the sound of someone sobbing hysterically. It was Kelly. She had bypassed our security codes—codes Ethan had carelessly given her—and burst into the foyer looking like a disaster. Her makeup was smeared, her hair disheveled, and her designer handbag clutched to her chest like a shield. "Olivia! Oh, thank God you're here!" Kelly wailed, stumbling forward as if she intended to throw her arms around me. I stepped back briskly, holding up a single hand to halt her advance. Her sobs instantly hitched, replaced by a jittery, nervous twitch in her jaw. "Kelly. How did you get in here?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm. She sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of a manicured hand. "Ethan... Ethan called me from the restaurant. He’s completely losing his mind, Liv! He said your dad froze everything, that you guys exposed him in front of the board, and... and that we're ruined!" She tried to put on a fragile, tragic expression, letting out a soft gasp. "I was so worried about you, sweetie. When Ethan told me what happened, I rushed right over to make sure you were holding up. You know I’d never do anything to hurt you—" "Cut the crap, Kelly," I snapped, the ice in my veins finally shattering into pure, unadulterated fury. I crossed my arms, staring down the woman I had called my best friend since college. "The phone call wasn't just heard by Ethan, Kelly. I was on the line. I heard every single word. I heard you joke about my trust fund. I heard you giggle about being pregnant with my husband's child." Kelly’s face went chalk white. The theatrical tears stopped instantly, her jaw dropping as the mask slipped away entirely. The vulnerable, innocent friend vanished, and the calculating opportunist stepped into the light. "You... you knew?" she whispered, her voice dropping its high-pitched whine for something sharp and metallic. "From the very beginning," I replied evenly. "And let me guess why you're really here tonight. Ethan told you about the two hundred million, and now that his golden goose has been slaughtered, you're wondering how you're going to pay for your luxury loft when he gets evicted tomorrow." Kelly’s eyes narrowed into venomous slits. She dropped the weeping act completely, stepping up to me with a sneer curling her lips. "You arrogant little bitch," she hissed. "You think you're so smart with your family money, don't you? Well, guess what? Ethan might be broke, but that baby inside me carries his DNA. I’m tied to this family whether you like it or not!" "You're tied to a penniless fraud facing federal embezzlement charges," I retorted with a cold smile. "Now get out of my house before I have security throw you out into the street." She glared at me with pure hatred, spat on the marble floor, and stormed out, slamming the heavy mahogany door behind her.
