Chapter 8 - The Rats Desert the Ship
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By three o'clock that afternoon, Clover tried to execute her escape plan.
Equipped with a fake passport and sixty thousand dollars in cash she had hidden in a safe deposit box, she hurried through the crowded terminal of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, wearing dark sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat.
She handed her ticket to the gate agent for a one-way flight to Dubai.
“I’m sorry, ma'am,” the agent said, looking at the screen. “There seems to be an administrative hold on your passport.”
Clover’s heart hammered against her ribs. “What? That’s impossible! Check again!”
Two tall men in dark suits stepped up on either side of her.
“Clover Vance?” the first officer asked, pulling out a set of steel handcuffs. “You are under arrest for grand larceny, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit corporate embezzlement.”
“No! You don't understand!” Clover shrieked, struggling as the cold metal snapped around her wrists. “It was Isaac! Isaac forced me to sign those papers! He’s the one who abused Flora!”
The travelers in the terminal gathered around, taking photos and videos with their phones as the former high-society mistress was led away in tears, her designer purse falling onto the floor.
Meanwhile, at the Vance estate, Wendy sat alone in her darkened living room.
The house was cold. The heating had been shut off due to non-payment of commercial utility accounts tied to Vance Construction.
Her phone rang. It was her closest high-society friend, Beatrice, whose daughter’s wedding Wendy was supposed to host next month.
“Beatrice!” Wendy gasped, clutching the receiver like a lifeline. “Thank God you called! You need to talk to the Governor! Those Sterling thugs have locked us out of our bank accounts!”
“Wendy,” Beatrice’s voice was as cold as ice. “I am calling to inform you that you are officially removed from the Opera Guild Board. Furthermore, none of us will ever speak to you again.”
“Beatrice! How can you say that after twenty years of friendship?”
“We saw the video, Wendy,” Beatrice replied with disgust. “The entire city saw the video of your son whipping Flora while you laughed. You are a disgrace to this city. Do not call this number again.”
May you like
The line went dead.
Wendy let out a strangled sob, dropping the phone onto the rug as the dark realization finally settled into her mind: the Vance family was completely radioactive.
