Chapter 16 - The Authorities Arrive
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Someone was knocking heavily on the outside of the locked ballroom doors.
Adrian nodded to his men. The guards turned the brass locks and pulled the doors open.
Four uniformed Boston Police officers, accompanied by two men wearing suits and FBI badges, walked into the room.
My father let out a pathetic, whimpering sound.
“Arthur Harrington?” the lead FBI agent asked, walking directly toward the head table, completely ignoring the scattered wedding decor.
“I... I am Arthur,” my father whispered.
“We have a warrant for your arrest on charges of wire fraud, embezzlement, and grand larceny,” the agent stated clearly, pulling a pair of steel handcuffs from his belt. “Stand up and place your hands behind your back.”
“No! No, please!” my mother screamed, rushing forward, only to be held back by a police officer. “Arthur, do something! Call our lawyers!”
“Your lawyers resigned an hour ago,” Adrian informed them coldly. “I hired their entire firm.”
The agent forcefully pulled my father’s arms behind his back, snapping the cold steel cuffs around his wrists. The clicking sound echoed loudly in the quiet room. They began to read him his Miranda rights, marching him away from the table, away from his ruined family, and toward the exit.
As they walked him past me, my father stopped. He looked at me, tears streaming down his face.
“Meredith... please,” he begged, a broken shell of a man. “You’re my daughter. Help me.”
I looked at him, remembering the decades of emotional abuse. I remembered the red wine soaking into my skin, the laughter, and the cruelty.
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“I’m not your daughter,” I said softly. “I’m Adrian Vale’s wife. And I don't know you at all.”
They dragged him out the doors.
