Chapter 4 - My House
Claire looked between her husband and her mother.
“What exactly is going on?”
Julian raised his hand.
“I’ll explain.”
Sarah laughed softly.
“No.”
Everyone turned toward her.
“You’ve explained enough.”
Julian’s eyes warned her.
Sarah ignored him.
She looked at the people seated around her table.
“Three days ago, Julian asked me to come to his office and sign documents.”
Claire frowned.
“What documents?”
“Documents transferring this house into a corporation he controls.”
Claire turned sharply toward Julian.
“What?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
Sarah continued.
“When I refused, Victoria locked the door.”
Victoria’s glass stopped halfway to her mouth.
Julian stood.
“That’s enough.”
Sarah lifted her phone.
“Sit down.”
His face changed.
Sarah connected the phone to the dining-room speaker system.
Then she pressed play.
Victoria’s recorded voice filled the room.
“You’re smarter than Julian gives you credit for.”
Then Sarah’s voice.
“What am I signing?”
“A restructuring agreement.”
“Restructuring what?”
“Your life.”
Claire went white.
The recording continued.
Then came the sound of clippers.
Noah’s chair scraped backward.
“Dad?”
Julian reached for the speaker.
David stood between them.
“Don’t touch it.”
Victoria suddenly rose.
“This is completely out of context.”
Sarah looked at her.
“Sit down.”
Victoria hesitated.
Sarah’s voice remained calm.
“You’re in my home.”
Victoria sat.
Sarah played the final section.
Julian’s voice echoed through the room.
“Just sign the papers, Sarah.”
Claire covered her mouth.
Her eyes filled.
“You knew?”
Julian stepped toward her.
“Claire, listen to me.”
“You knew she did that to my mother?”
“It was a business disagreement.”
Noah stared at him.
“You let someone hold Grandma down?”
Julian snapped.
“Stay out of this.”
Sarah reached under the table.
She removed a thick envelope.
Julian’s attention immediately shifted.
Sarah opened it.
“These are the actual ownership records for this property.”
Julian forced a laugh.
“We’ve been through this.”
“No.”
“You’ve been through documents created by your attorney.”
Sarah pulled out another page.
“This house was never transferred to Mercer Development.”
Julian stopped smiling.
Sarah placed the deed on the table.
“It belongs to the Sarah Mercer Living Trust.”
David leaned forward.
Julian stared at the document.
Sarah continued.
“And because I am the sole trustee, no one can mortgage it, sell it, occupy it, or transfer it without my written authorization.”
Victoria muttered.
“So what?”
Sarah turned toward her.
“So both of you attempted to obtain twelve million dollars in property through coercion and fraudulent documents.”
Julian’s face drained.
Sarah looked at the keys he had placed beside her plate.
Then she picked them up.
“You took my seat.”
She stood.
Everyone watched.
“So I’m taking back my house.”
Julian laughed.
“You can’t throw me out on Christmas.”
Sarah looked toward the foyer.
Two uniformed security officers stepped through the doorway.
“I’m not throwing you out.”
May you like
She pointed toward Julian and Victoria.
“They are.”
