Chapter 1 - The Sound of the Clippers
The sound of the clippers was the part Sarah Mercer would remember most.
Not Victoria’s laughter.
Not the lock clicking behind her.
Not even the first thick strand of dark hair sliding over Sarah’s shoulder and landing across the polished floor of Julian’s executive office.
The clippers.
That mechanical hum inches from her ear.
“STOP!”
Sarah twisted violently in the leather chair.
Victoria grabbed a fistful of her hair and jerked her head backward.
“Hold still.”
“You’ve lost your mind.”
Victoria laughed.
“No, Sarah.”
“I’m finally fixing your attitude.”
Sarah stared toward the locked office door.
Thirty minutes earlier, Julian had called her and said he needed help with an urgent financial document.
Julian Mercer was Sarah’s son-in-law.
He was also president of Mercer Development, the company Sarah’s late husband had spent thirty years building.
Sarah had driven downtown because Julian claimed one of the company’s lenders needed her signature before Christmas.
Instead, Victoria Blake had been waiting inside his office.
Victoria was Julian’s executive assistant.
At least, that was her official title.
Sarah had suspected for months that Victoria considered herself something much more important.
Now the woman stood behind Sarah with electric clippers in one hand.
A strip of Sarah’s hair was already missing above her left ear.
“You think humiliating me will make me sign something?”
Victoria switched the clippers off.
For the first time, Sarah noticed a folder sitting on Julian’s desk.
Several yellow signature tabs protruded from the pages.
Victoria smiled.
“You’re smarter than Julian gives you credit for.”
Sarah’s eyes narrowed.
“What am I signing?”
Victoria walked to the desk.
“A restructuring agreement.”
“Restructuring what?”
“Your life.”
Sarah almost laughed.
Then Victoria opened the folder.
The first page contained Sarah’s full legal name.
The second contained the address of her home.
The Mercer family estate.
The house Sarah had purchased with her husband thirty-two years earlier.
The home where Sarah would be hosting Christmas dinner in three days.
Her fingers went cold.
Victoria tapped the signature line.
“Once this is executed, control of the property transfers into the family holding company.”
Sarah looked at her.
“Julian’s holding company.”
Victoria smiled.
“Exactly.”
Sarah stood.
Victoria immediately raised the clippers again.
“Sit down.”
“No.”
“You might want to reconsider.”
Sarah turned toward the door.
Victoria grabbed her shoulder.
Sarah shoved her away.
Victoria stumbled against the desk.
The folder fell open.
One page slid across the floor.
Sarah bent down before Victoria could stop her.
Her eyes found a paragraph highlighted in yellow.
AUTHORIZED OCCUPANCY AND EVICTION RIGHTS.
Sarah read it twice.
Then she slowly looked up.
“You’re trying to steal my house.”
Victoria’s smile disappeared.
“No.”
“Julian is.”
Before Sarah could reach the door, the lock clicked.
Julian stepped inside.
He looked at Sarah’s butchered hair.
Then he looked at the clippers in Victoria’s hand.
He didn’t appear surprised.
Sarah felt something inside her turn cold.
“Julian.”
He shut the door behind him.
“Just sign the papers, Sarah.”
May you like
And in that moment, she finally understood.
Victoria wasn’t acting alone.
