She turned to Robert.
“That Audi outside? The one you tell the neighbors your son bought? It’s a company lease. It’s gone.”
She turned to Brenda.
“The mortgage on this house? You told everyone you paid it off with your savvy investments. In reality, Mark asked me to pay it off anonymously last Christmas. I wrote the check. Me. The ‘charity case.’”
Brenda grabbed the edge of the table to steady herself. “You… you paid for the house?”
“And the country club membership,” Elena added. “And Jason’s private school tuition. All paid for by the ‘freeloader’s’ trust fund.”
Clara stood up, her face a mask of panic. She rushed over to Elena, grabbing her arm.
“Elena! Sister! Oh my god, we were just joking! You know how we are! It’s just family banter! Don’t ruin David’s career over a dress! We can buy Lily a thousand dresses! Gucci! Prada! Whatever she wants!”
Elena looked at Clara’s hand on her arm. She didn’t pull away violently. She just looked at it with such intense disgust that Clara recoiled as if she’d touched fire.
“You threw my daughter’s heart into the garbage,” Elena said, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. “She spent two weeks making that. She glued every sequin. She pricked her finger three times sewing the hem. It was priceless. And you threw it away because it didn’t have a logo.”
Elena looked down at Lily, who was watching with wide, awe-filled eyes.
“Lily is the sole heir to the Nova Group empire,” Elena announced. “Her net worth is already higher than the GDP of some small countries. That dress wasn’t rags. It was the only thing in this house with any real value, because it was made with love. Something none of you possess.”
A flashing orange light illuminated the dining room window.
Everyone looked outside. A tow truck had backed into the driveway. A man in coveralls was hooking chains to the pristine white Audi Q7.
“My car!” David screamed. He ran to the window, banging on the glass. “Stop! That’s my car!”
“Not anymore,” Elena said.
She picked up Lily. She grabbed the backpack.
“We’re leaving,” Elena said. “Mark is waiting for us at Le Jardin.”
“Mark?” Brenda gasped. “Does… does Mark know?”
Elena turned at the door. “Who do you think signed the paperwork to appoint him Vice Chairman? Mark knows exactly who I am. He just… he hoped you were better people than this. He wanted to give you a chance to love us for us, not for the money.”
She shook her head.
“He’s going to be very disappointed.”
“Elena, wait!” Robert shouted, trying to muster some authority. “You can’t walk out like this! You owe us respect! We are your elders!”
Elena laughed. “Respect is earned, Robert. And you are overdrawn.”
Part 5: The Price of Ignorance
The front door opened. A gust of cold winter air blew into the house, but it was nothing compared to the chill Elena left behind.
Waiting at the curb wasn’t Elena’s beat-up sedan. It was a black Maybach limousine. A chauffeur in a uniform stood holding the door open.
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